Lego sets - so hard! Is there a trick to them?

[Fruttidelbosco]

Ds6 is feeling under the weather. He asked me to do the Lego Technic set with him.

I have been careful with the instructions. I have used the phone app. I have a little tub for assembling the required bits for each page, and yet: I can’t do it! It is so hard!

Surely 6 year olds aren’t doing this on their own, are they? Is there some sort of trick to it?

I have been doing it in a fairly full on sort of way for two days.

Please help!

I think some people's brains just work for this and some don't. My 6 year old does kits for 16+ year olds, but he has that kind of mind where he loves the step-by-step instructions and can see in 3D and it just totally suits him, he'd build it all day if he could. But for some people, it sucks and they won't enjoy it like me or him!

Also technic sets are rubbish compared to standard lego!

Sounds like you don't have great spatial awareness. Practice will help.

Technic is the hardest type of Lego. I'd get him a set from a franchise he likes instead, like Harry Potter or Star Wars and work your way up to Technic.

Technic ones do tend to be harder and very unforgiving of getting a bit the wrong way round or using the wrong but very similar looking black or grey component. I love Lego but never really enjoyed the Technic sets.

I really don’t. But I can’t pass this on to my kids…

We must beat this thing!

We have so many of these kits. It is everybody’s go-to birthday present.

I will see if we have something in our massive haul like a character. He does like Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Thank you

What age is the set aimed at?

Which kit is it? Some of them are tough but should be ok if age range appropriate

Yes, the Technic ones are hard. My 7 year old is better at them than I am. He seems to he able to visualise stuff in 3D whereas I can't. Also once you make a mistake it's really hard to correct it!

Technic is hard. I hate Technic. I had one of those tiny polybags that probably had less than 30 pieces and I still managed to build it wrong.
Most 6 year olds don’t build the Technic sets. Most adult Lego fans avoid Technic like the plague.
Get him a City/Friends/Ninjago/Creator set instead. Start with the sets that cost around £9 because they have less pieces. Sort the pieces first so each piece is easier to find.
Once he has mastered that he can move to bigger sets where the bags of pieces are numbered. Do not open all the bags at once. One bag at a time. Always remember that.
Remember it’s meant to be fun. If the build is going wrong then give up, tip all the pieces in a pile and build something random instead!

Tecnics used to be for much older than 6, are you sure you're doing an age appropriate one?

I dont know about an app, do you not get easy to follow picture instructions books nowadays? It's quite a few years since my children had Lego

Technic is really aimed at older kids and adults. Ty something like Lego junior or Lego creative to get started. The smaller sets are obviously much easier than the bigger ones too.

You look at the picture and line up what you have already the same way as the picture so it matches completely. You make sure you have exactly the right pieces. You take it slowly. Once you have put the pieces on, you turn to the next page and check and double check it still matches the picture before you put the next piece on.

I hope that helps.

Totally agree with the above.

Line all your pieces up exactly like the on the picture. It's the only way. Slow and steady. Good luck!

I do appreciate that Technic was ambitious. But really, I am an adult - it is not ds doing it. DS is poorly, and he wanted the sort of monster truck one that he had under the bed because it looks cool.

I thought it would be the work of minutes, so decided to make it for him.

OMG. I have got really far with it as well, then couldn’t find a piece and now feel that I am facing the oblivion. I put the body work on the wrong way round and I just can’t see a way forward on anything anymore.

Ok. Thank you all. I have a strategy now. Lay out the pieces bit by bit in the angle of the picture. Don’t open all the bags at once.

We also have a toddler who puts things in her mouth, but I reckon we could do a small box when she naps.

This will be the summer that we cracked Lego!