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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To super glue together lego sets?

197 replies

Chickpeaohchickpea · 28/06/2021 10:16

I've seen two lego sets my children would really love for christmas(sorry! I'm an early shopper!!). They are pretty expensive around, £40-£50. They are only 5 & 6, I'm rather nervous they'll dismantle it, loose the pieces and never be able to put it back together, I know they would have lots of fun playing with the set itself.
Husband has said I can't spend that much if he can't glue it together whilst he's building the sets with them!
Would we be unreasonable to glue together the actual structure, they can move around the other bits and build other things to go with? Anyone else do this?

OP posts:
YanTanTethera123 · 28/06/2021 11:19

Are you serious? I haven’t heard anything so ridiculous for ages! What’s the point of buying it if it seems you’re the one assembling it? It wouldn’t have crossed my mind to glue it together.

jillandhersprite · 28/06/2021 11:20

Do not glue them!
Accept that pieces get lost and learn useful problem solving skills in how to adapt if you can't find a piece - do you have it in a different colour, can you make it from smaller bits, can you leave it out or do you have to change the design a bit?
Once you have a few different sets we've found that keeping in boxes by colour works better than keeping in sets as it definitely encourages more creative building. I do insist on keeping the instructions in a folder to stop them ripping and getting too dog eared although that isn't working so well so the sellotape has been in action quite a bit!
DD has some spending money from her 8th birthday and can't wait to go to the Lego aisle of the biggest toy shop we have in the area and pick up a new set of something...
We have a mix of creator sets, city, Harry potter and Jurassic world. It took a while but have noticed now she builds more original stuff after she's had a few goes of the proper set and playing with it..

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 28/06/2021 11:21

The "play value" of Lego is not role play with the completed sets.

It's the build/rebuild/change/create process.

DynamoKev · 28/06/2021 11:22

Given their ages I'd be concerned about the toxicity of glue - any glue strong enough will be pretty nasty stuff.

The joy of Lego lies in creativity - the ability to see ideas and create them from what they have.

Please don't glue it unless you work at Legoland.

jillandhersprite · 28/06/2021 11:24

Ps we love the creator sets which have instructions to make 3 things out of 1 set - definitely helps them to understand that different things can be made using the same pieces and some of the bigger creator sets are very clever...

parietal · 28/06/2021 11:24

NO to glue on lego.

when my dc get new lego sets, sometimes they never bother to build the model on the box. it is always better to build your own model. They still build new stuff at age 13+

Get a good set of boxes so you can store lego by function (wheels / connectors / windows / bricks etc). And let the kids break the models and rebuild.

HotHointheavo · 28/06/2021 11:24

In short just buy it for your husband!!!
Children need the likes of lego for imagination as well as for building the initial project

timeisnotaline · 28/06/2021 11:25

This thread should come with a trigger warning Shock. Do you also buy sofas and tell everyone whatever you do you may absolutely NOT sit on them? Lego is for building and creating! Free the Lego!

hellywelly3 · 28/06/2021 11:26

I’ve spent £100’s on Lego sets over the years. Once they get taken apart they’ve never been put back together, so the odd lost part is fine. The amount of enjoyment and creativity they have gained from the Lego adaptations they’ve made is so worth it. If it’s glued together you’re just making an ornament so completely defeats the idea of Lego. Definitely watch the Lego movie

BusterGonad · 28/06/2021 11:27

Bonkers....

WeeWelshWoman · 28/06/2021 11:28

OP YABU.

But yay for all the posters referencing the KRAGGLE. Gave me a huge chuckle this morning.

NannyR · 28/06/2021 11:28

I agree, if you are buying lego purely for playing small world play, it's not the best toy. You would be much better off with playmobil, it's on a bigger scale, more robust and has more details and it's a lot more engaging for small world play. There's a huge range of sets so you could probably find something similar to the lego sets you like.

Floobydo · 28/06/2021 11:30

I am going to be a lone voice here and say we do glue some sets. My DS is an absolute Lego fiend and it has been his favourite toy since before he was 3 (he’s 7 now). He’s obsessed.

He has loads of individual bricks, and loads of sets that he enjoys breaking up and rebuilding, but there are some that he really wants to stay intact and so asked me to glue. These include the big rollercoaster (because playing with it was frustrating as important parts kept breaking off in his enthusiastic play) and most of his large Hogwarts sets - because that he does want for the role play aspect.

However, I only glue the sets I am instructed to glue and no others. I also am only allowed to do it AFTER he has built it for the first time. Which is much harder than glueing from new but also lets us see the vulnerable bits and focus the glue on those areas!

Lego has changed quite a lot from its origins and a lot of the sets are designed to stay together now. Obviously this is so Lego can sell a lot more sets. It really depends on your child and how they want to play with the Lego. I would only glue if they specifically requested it. Sorry to say but £40 sets are not that large so we’d be unlikely to feel the need to glue one of those. If your dc are in to Lego, get ready for an expensive hobby!

NeedNewKnees · 28/06/2021 11:30

@Chickpeaohchickpea

They would be quite upset they can't re-build it when they do dismantle as they would absolutely love playing with the sets and I think get more play value if they can play with the sets. Realistically, if not glued they will loose the pieces and it'll all be be mixed together so definitely not does matter about re-sale value. Husband says if we glue them, in future they want to leave to soak in hot water they will unstick? Anyone know if this is true?
LTB
22Giraffes · 28/06/2021 11:31

Came hoping for Kraggle comments, not disappointed Grin

covidcloser · 28/06/2021 11:33

I'm quite traumatised reading this

walkoflifewoohoo · 28/06/2021 11:34

For god sake, why start a thread then just refuse to listen? You're not getting it, even the bit about selling it on afterwards. It doesn't need to be together in a set but it needs to be not glued.

And wtf is a "kallax basket"?!

walkoflifewoohoo · 28/06/2021 11:34

"I'm quite traumatised reading this"

I'm raging. Can you tell? 😂

IHaveBrilloHair · 28/06/2021 11:35

Gosh no.
Dd has a set to keep but it's the Death Star and she's 19.

knittingaddict · 28/06/2021 11:38

@VettiyaIruken

Lego has gone bloody weird.

The whole point of it was to be able to use your imagination to build lots of different things, take them apart, build something else.

Now it's build this exact thing from a kit following these specific instructions. I'm actually surprised they don't include glue tbh.

So no, I wouldn't glue it. Id encourage them to build stuff and take it apart and build other stuff using their imagination and building their skills.

It hasn't gone weird, you're just not a modern Lego person.

My daughter and her partner collect Lego and I have a couple of models myself. Lego is appealing to a much larger group of people now and they are obviously doing something right as they are hugely popular with their geeky fan base. The intricate ones are great to build for adults - they are fun, therapeutic and look good if you display them in a perspex box.

I would never glue them together though. At some point I will dismantle the larger of mine and build it again. You can also sell them on at some point if you get bored with them.

Mummyof2andapig · 28/06/2021 11:39

Oh my god yabu

Notebooksarefabulous · 28/06/2021 11:40

YABU VERY
Lego is meant to be played with. Its meant to be taken apart and put back together over and over. Mixed with other sets, kept separate, whatever.
Wait till your kids are older to buy the bigger more complicated sets.

Glueing Lego together is similar to the crime of glueing Brio track to a playtable. Just dont!

Ruddyknackered · 28/06/2021 11:40

I watched the Lego Movie and thought that Kraggle was a brilliant idea. Apparently I missed the point of the film... Grin

QuestionableMouse · 28/06/2021 11:42

@walkoflifewoohoo

For god sake, why start a thread then just refuse to listen? You're not getting it, even the bit about selling it on afterwards. It doesn't need to be together in a set but it needs to be not glued.

And wtf is a "kallax basket"?!

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/droena-box-dark-grey-10443974/
Toomanynotes · 28/06/2021 11:42

ninkanink

Yes I remember and this made me think of it immediately!

Pages of advice about how the OP should deal with the situation of the broken and expensive toy which she didn't want to name as it was too outing. And then it eventually turned out to be a Lego set the kid's friend took apart slightly.