Grandad and Zane have been having some good times together bingeing on Lego. We have learned that the bigger more sophisticated models such as the Penguins Arctic Roller from the Batman Movie are perhaps best left until Zane is a couple of years older, but that the other models (pictured below) are doable and a lot of fun to do together with a bit of adult help. Even at three and a half Zane can follow the directions in the instruction books reasonably well. From a broader educational point of view the language interaction and social bonding that flows from a shared activity such as this has great value....
BUT!
I have always been a bit dubious about the creative value of the modern trend towards Lego models that come with how to build instruction books. I feel these proscribed activities reduce the scope for imagination and play. From a distance (and through the lens of a teacher) I have always thought that this kind of Lego is a bit like 'painting by numbers', endless banal television viewing or those repellent articles called childrens 'colouring in books' which are a kind of meaningless 'busy work' activity that some people give their children on rainy days to keep them quiet and stop them from fighting with each other.
The Penguins Arctic Roller from the Batman movie - (My next motor vehicle)
Despite the fact that there are times when anything that occupies
noisy children is excellent therapy for adults I have always thought
these activities vacuum the creativity out of childrens brains with all
the finesse of a giant lipo suction machine.
Paper,
pens, glue, paint, string, boxes, hammers, nails etc, etc, etc, (and old
fashioned free flow non proscribed Lego) combined with a good amount of
time and an appropriate area to work in, is far more likely to
facilitate creative thinking and problem solving skills than any of
these other mindless activities.
Lego is coming under fire from Lego traditionalists with accusations
that building a specific model with an instruction book is reducing the
scope for imagination and play. Some parents have become increasingly
alarmed that Lego kits, whether it is Star Wars or Minecraft, which
involve building a specific model, using specialist pieces according to
strict instructions takes away the pleasure and ambition involved in a
child just sitting with a box of Lego bricks and creating something from
their own imagination.
The Lego traditionalists state that Lego for them was always about creativity, remaking and improving on existing designs -
"Those
things don’t happen with sets that are designed to build a model of a
single thing. But that’s not the only problem – Lego taught me the art
of creative destruction – the need to break something in order to make
something better. Single outcome sets encourage preservation rather than
destruction, and sadly that makes them less useful, less educational
and in my opinion less fun."
In response a Lego spokesman has stated -
" Children still get bricks and they can combine them. The
bricks will probably end up in big boxes in homes and that acts like a
pool of creativity".
SO!
........... Why exactly did dickhead Grandad purchase these Lego sets in the first place. Good question. And the answers are an interesting collection of the multilevel ironies and paradoxes that make up our contrary adult decision making.
- On one level Grandad saw some Lego Models in a shop and in an unmindful manner thought he would purchase them for his grand child.
- On another level Grandad actually wanted the Lego for himself (Many second childhoods have been launched on lesser motives) and in an unmindful manner purchased it in a full flight of duplicitous fancy. (The word 'unmindful' in this sentence is, well, yes, debatable).
- The outcome was that Grandad found that he quite liked the certain meditative aspect of concentrating on one single idea as he constructed the first model by himself, because of course ho, ho, ho it was imperative that he knew what to do before sharing this model with his grandchild.
As I write the above I now remember that large numbers of adults are now spending a lot of time with large bumper sized colouring in books as some sort of harmless and helpful meditative activity of sorts, which sort of complicates my arguments and shows that context plays a big part in many things and that we shouldn't be in too much of a rush to pass judgements. I guess there is something certain, predictable and satisfying about some
activities where the outcome is known and the quality pretty much guaranteed...... and to be fair, this is pretty much what boat building is all about. You follow a plan and work towards a known outcome........ hmmmmmmm.
The solution? I will purchase a big box of free flow Lego so that Zane and I can be really creative together and extend our social, language and negotiation skills and I will continue to purchase Lego Models (And construct them by myself first ... of course, just to make sure all the pieces are there..... as any Grandad worth his sailing salt water would do)...... and we will continue to facilitate all the other wonderful creative opportunities that are available to him as his world enlarges.
