AIBU or is LEGO just a crap toy now

[RockyAddict]

I have spent the morning playing with my six year old DS2 and his Lego. But my God, it's infuriating. He has collected lots of 'kits' which my DH puts together for him, but once they are broken apart and the pieces put into the 'Lego tub' that's it. You can never put them back together again. We keep the instructions but I have just spent half an hour looking for a few of the same bits to no avail. I was a real Lego kid in the 70's and I loved it, but now the bits are so small and the kits so complicated that I lose the will to create anything.
And don't get me started on the cost! £10 for a tiny Star Wars space ship and a couple of Storm Troopers.
AIBU?

I thank you for reading my rant!

[cjbartlett]

He should put them together not dh
Then he'll be more likely to make sure they stay together

[GypsyMoth]

Lego just isn't the same!

Not as 'dense' and doesn't stay together like it used to. Over rated now I think

[worraliberty]

If he needs an adult to put them together, he's too young for them.

Also, you're supposed to keep the bits in the kit box itself.

I agree though, I don't like the kits....a big bucket of Lego is the way to go so kids use their imagination when building.

[aldiwhore]

The problem with the kits is the fact that unless you keep them in the box they're 'one make' kits. The great thing about the kits, and lego in general is that you can use your imagination to make pretty much anything.

Once the kit's been made we throw out the instructions and put the lego in the general lego box.... about once a week my boys will spend a coupld of hours creating something unique (often with my help as I love lego) so as far as value for money goes, even though the kits are horrendously expensive, the lego lasts and lasts and lasts, so well worth the cost.

This week's creations were a house, a rocket and a teddy bear, mine was the best.

[tryingtoleave]

You have to buy a big box of the basic pieces and let him build them! The kits are crap but basic lego is still a fantastic toy.

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

i preferred it when you just got a massive box with lots of assorted peices and used your imagination to create things (i didn't have imagination so was usually houses cars etc)

i think it got worse since it was a specific "kit" to endorse whatever the current movie/character/fad is.

YANBU

[pramsgalore]

my dc have their dads old lego and they love it, i only buy the standard lego, hate all the kits, a large cup in the lego shop is £11 and you can mix the bricks, windows etc much better, now all we need is a lego table

[RockyAddict]

worra Exactly my point, my six year old can't keep his room tidy let alone dismantle a Lego model and put it back in the appropriate kit box. I think it's too old for him but it doesn't stop it being bought for him.

[montymum]

YANBU the kits are rubbish however lego in the traditional sense (the blocks, green bases, little men, flowers and wheels) are still a huge hit with my year 2 classes they love it and it keeps them occupied for hours.

[Pan]

yes worral - the designed items with specialist little peices are a long way from the "here's a big box of Lego - make something!".

am sure it's something to do with Lego making more money from kits.

and yes the price - small bits of moulded plastic - worse than the car industry!

[gorionine]

I so agree! When I was little, between my sister, my uncle (just slightly older than us) and myseld we had a big laundry barrel full of legos, the plain squares and rectangle ones with a few doors and windows and we had hours and hours of fun. Now I have 2 DSs who have cars... in Lego sets and they just cannot play with them because they cannot create their own, they have to follow the model to get some kind of result. Instead they play with DD4's set which in spite of containing mostly pink brics is more basic and much more fun!

[pramsgalore]

but when you compare the price of standard lego to some of the plastic rubbish that are called toys its not that bad

[worraliberty]

"here's a big box of Lego - make something!".

Oh the times I've said that to the kids...and to my DH

[fedupofnamechanging]

I don't know any kids who manage to keep all the bits for one thing in the box. So in the end you are paying too much for a few bricks, rather than for a toy which lasts forever. The instruction manuals don't last for very long either.

Agree that they beauty of lego is for children to use their imaginations and create their own spaceships and cars etc. The kits are too complicated for the age group when children are most likely to be playing with lego.

[CamperFan]

Ds1 is 4, and loves the kits. We've definitely rebuilt stuff after the first go. Just have a few Tupperware containers and keep lights, etc in one, triangles in another, etc and it's easy to rebuild things, just substitute the colours if you can't find the right one. Of course it doesn't stay in the right boxes but I find that "sorting the Lego" becomes another activity once every couple of weeks. I don't think I'd buy many more kits though, he has enough.

[tryingtoleave]

You can still get a big box of random pieces. I hate it when people give us kits. We have a spaceship which is causing massive trauma each time a bit falls off.

[AuntiePickleBottom]

i love lego, DC has loads.....also k'nex

[gorionine]

"The instruction manuals don't last for very long either. "

Oh I am so pleased to hear that, I thought they got "shreded" rather quickly in my house only!

[RockyAddict]

Thank you for your comments, I don't feel such a weirdo now. Seems like we'll invest in some plain bricks and put them on the gift lists from now on. I knew it was nearly over between me and Lego when I saw the advert for HM Armed Forces kits

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Sounds like it's your organisation that's crap. My brother and I had loads of kits as kids and we kept them separately and individually so we could make them again and again. if you lob them in with all the other bricks what do you expect?

Can't comment on the quality, haven't bought new stuff for years.

[Melly20MummyToPoppy]

My mums in america at the moment and when she comes home she's bringing a big bag of candy lego back with her! Imagine that, building a house or something and then eating it!

Sorry, totally off the point there :o lego is still ace, can't wait till DD is old enough for it! Lego kits are crap.

[amistillsexy]

My DS1 takes his collection of Lego instruction booklets to bed to read!

I regularly have to sellotape them back together again!

He wants a horrendously expensive and huge set for his birthday, though, and I just know that if we get it, it will end in tears (his and mine!).

[cyb]

I dont like the way Lego feels the need to bring out a set for EVERY film tats just been released, or so it seems 'Prince of Persia Lego' for heavens sake! Who wants that?

I agree sets are massively expensive

[DamnDeDoubtance]

Playmobil is the same. We tend to make the kits once, then throw them in the playmobil box. DD is 6 and spends hours creating playmobil kingdoms.

[Scholes34]

Love big boxes of Lego - hate the kits because bits fall off and they're never the same. The boxes the kits come in aren't user-friendly from the point of view of putting things back in them. A proper lid would be nice.