Lego Helps Kids of All Ages Unlock Their Creativity

Back in 2020, when the pandemic lockdowns were driving us stir-crazy and so many people were holed up inside doing puzzles, my family was building with Lego. A friend started a Zoom Lego club where the kids would have a Lego Masters–style challenge each week and would then show off their creations. We now have two IKEA Billy bookcases dedicated to them.

But I enjoy Lego without my kids, too. I have a stack of bricks at my desk that I use as a fidget toy to help me think during particularly boring Zoom meetings. I stack and unstack the tiny tower of three by two bricks, hearing the satisfying click as I break them apart and put them back together. Knockoff bricks—which my kids refer to as Stego—don’t make that same sound or hold together as well.

My favorite birthday gift to give is the good old classic box that comes, charmingly, in a tub designed to look like a Lego brick. It contains hundreds of bricks in various shapes, sizes and colors, and appropriately lists the recommended ages of 4 to 99.

Like Magna-Tiles, Lego bricks are a learning toy that grows with you. You can build with them, break them down, and build again, with endless possibilities. They bring me peace and calm, even when a build might be challenging. (Though if anyone wants to hear me shout about grammar, the plural of Lego is Lego, and I’ll cry “blasphemy” should a person add a rogue s to the end.)

Builders of all ages can find something of themselves in a Lego kit, from skateboarding Friends to architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal. Or they can take the pieces and build something entirely new and wholly their own. (That’s how the typewriter was invented—well, the Lego Typewriter, that is.)

When I get to my desk in my home office, I’m greeted by a ramshackle stage I have set up for all my Muppets minifigs. The crowd contains, among others, Homer Simpson, a toy soldier, a fairy and a Sig Fig (a minifig designed in your own likeness) of myself holding a giant pretzel. I always giggle at the eclectic crowd cheering on The Electric Mayhem.

We have long loved Lego here at Wirecutter, and editors Joshua Lyon and Alexander Aciman have recently taken up the challenge of refreshing our Lego picks. We have updated guides to Lego picks for kids, adults, and storage, in addition to our article about the Botanicals series.

“When I put a call out for Wirecutter parents to test Lego with their kids, we got so many volunteers that I started a waiting list,” said Joshua.

It can be a group activity or a solo project. “I’m the oldest of three boys, and my mom has often said that Lego was a great way to get a day away from us without worrying that we were going to be fighting with each other, because Lego was a prolonged time of peace and collaboration,” said Alex.

Lego is expensive, there’s no getting around that. But it does go on sale with some frequency, and it’s truly something that lasts a lifetime. The “lasting a lifetime” is also a sticking point, as these bricks are made of plastic, and Lego addresses sustainability directly on their website.

You don’t have to buy Lego new. One of my favorite activities is scouring rummage sales for grimy old bricks, cleaning them and giving them new life out of the dusty attic or basement.

But as all parents have found out at one point or another, they are painful when stepped on. As I pick my way through the playroom to get to my home office, I know to tread carefully. But when I’m building? There’s no need to be cautious, because I can let my imagination run free.

This article was edited by Ben Frumin.