Story
In 1932, Ole Kirk Christiansen founded a company that manufactured various household items. After the financial crisis, Ole decided to make wooden toys. The company's first product was a duck on wheels. In the 40s, the Lego company was burned to the ground during an air raid. Responsibility to employees and their children forced them to rebuild the Lego company.
At first, the construction set was made of wood, but in the mid-20th century they switched to using plastic. Ole purchased the first very expensive special injection molding machine in Denmark.
In 1949, Lego began producing the first plastic snap-on bricks. Further, they were produced in sets. According to the British Retail Company, Lego is the most significant toy of the 20th century.
In 1968, the world's first recreation and amusement park, Legoland, opened in Billund. This city is built entirely from Lego.
The Lego company has been recognized as a leader among toy companies. The company's products can be purchased in 140 countries around the world.
Table soccer
You can combine games with construction by creating a football field. The boys will be delighted with the board game; you can take any ball. The necessary parts for it will be:
- main plate 32x32 – 2 pcs.;
- red (L) – 8 elements;
- light gray (L) – 8 elements;
- light gray with hole X – 3 parts;
- red connectors with X-hole - 15 parts;
- white tiles 2x2 - 6 pcs.;
- light gray tiles: 2x4 – 15 pcs., 1x2 – 2 pcs., 1x6 – 3 pcs., 1x4 – 1 pc.;
- Dark gray bricks 1x2 – 12 pcs.;
- Technic 12 and 8 axle.
The field itself will be placed on the main large platforms. For the goalkeeper, 3 axes of 12 are taken, which are connected via three connectors, and also two elements of the letter L, which will be the players. The parts on the rod will sit firmly and will not rotate during impact, which will allow you to hit harder. Making is simple, and you can captivate all your friends.
Top 10 facts about the Lego company
Initially, the Lego company produced furniture and household items. After the depression, the company retrained to produce children's toys, and then into construction sets.
In 1968, the first Legoland recreation and amusement park, consisting of designer parts, was opened in Denmark. The largest Lego store is located in China, its size is a huge two-story building.
The most important part of the Lego constructor is the mini-figures of the characters. Believe it or not, these mini figurines were invented 30 years after the company was founded. The very first minifigure of a man is a policeman.
In 1989, names began to be given to all minifigures of the designer.
Currently, the Lego company is one of the most popular and profitable children's toy companies in the world. Since 1985, the company has produced more than 560,000,000,000 construction parts.
The peculiarity of the Lego constructor is that any parts can be connected, despite the release date of the series. This is because the company uses a universal template.
It has been calculated that if you take 8 2:4 bricks, you can create 915,103,765 different combinations from them.
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It is worth noting that the character’s head has a special hole. If suddenly a child swallows a small part, thanks to the hole, he will not feel the sensation of suffocation.
There is an animated film called The Lego Movie.
Lego constructors are used not only to create toy models, but also in the construction of various structures. In 2014, a tower (height – 34 m) was built from a construction kit in Hungary.
The largest Lego structures are the Star Wars starfighter and a house built entirely from Lego bricks. The Star Wars starfighter took 4 months and 5,300,000 Lego bricks to build.
Watch
Having a working clock mechanism, you can decorate it with Lego. A dial with a hole in the middle is assembled from flat parts, and the mechanism is glued into it. The numbers on the dial are also laid out from the designer.
The hands are decorated only if this does not make the mechanism too heavy and the watch will function accurately.
Why choose Lego?
Arriving at a toy store, your eyes widen at the sight of a wide range of construction sets from different manufacturers. The cost of construction sets varies quite a bit, depending on the manufacturer and the contents of the set.
Why do most parents prefer various sets from the Lego manufacturer? Lego is distinguished by its originality, environmentally friendly composition, and ease of use. There are many variations of sets, varying in size, volume and theme.
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Each series and part has its own name. When a designer series is released, it undergoes all necessary laboratory research and testing. Lego attracts children of any age; with the help of Lego, both children and adults can make crafts.
Lego as a decor for liquid soap
Your favorite construction set will help persuade your child to wash their hands regularly. In a transparent container with liquid soap, the design parts look fascinating. To some, they even resemble fish in an aquarium.
All you need to do is buy a colorless transparent container and remove the stickers from it. Put the details inside, giving preference to bright ones.
Lego safety for kids
The best gift for children aged two years and older is Lego. No need to worry about its quality, etc. The design parts are made of non-toxic materials. The plastic has been tested for its composition by the Lego laboratory, so it does not cause an allergic reaction.
There are no chips, cracks, or sharp parts in the parts. For each age of the child there is a set of age restrictions. These sets differ in the size of the parts and their number.
Unfortunately, an incredible amount of cheap Lego crafts made from low-quality plastics are now being sold. We advise you not to save money and think about the safety of your child.
Ideas
To get started, it is enough to prepare the work surface on which the assembly will be carried out. No additional parts, tools or adhesives are needed. Only your hands, time and free flight of imagination.
Important! If the child is very young, make sure that the construction set does not contain parts that are too small or breakable, which could injure the child or be swallowed.
Benefits of Lego
The designer set from the Lego manufacturer is distinguished by its uniqueness. The kit comes with instructions that are accessible to everyone, with which you can make various crafts from Lego. Bright and specific details provide an opportunity to develop the imagination of young architects.
Note!
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The range of Lego is quite wide. It is possible to build everything from a small house to a huge city of your own, the main thing is to have excessive imagination.
Lego has different levels of difficulty. Product quality meets all established standards.
As everyone knows, a construction set teaches a child many skills:
- Hand motor skills. By connecting parts of various shapes and volumes, hand motor skills develop well.
- Speech development. Thanks to the bright colors of the pieces in the sets, parents can easily teach children the names of colors, animal names, shapes and so on.
- Logics. Logical thinking develops thanks to the instructions for the set. It is necessary to think about every action in order to build a Lego craft with your own hands, as shown in the instructions and picture of the set.
- Concentration. Since the construction set consists of a large number of parts, the child must be assiduous and concentrate his attention only on building what he has planned.
- Creative person. It is worth noting that using imagination it is possible to come up with a huge number of new figures, thereby developing creative potential.
Lego is one of the best educational games for children.
Sequence of assembling crafts
It is difficult to assemble three-dimensional figures, since the designers have a lot of small parts, and not everyone has spatial imagination.
Therefore, for the convenience of the craftsmen, the entire sequence of work is conditionally divided into a number of stages:
- A selection of product diagrams.
- Counting the parts needed to make a particular model.
- Sorting parts by color.
- Prepare a work plan: determine a strict sequence of actions for the master.
It is also important for parents to show their child how to attach various elements. Do not forget about the high-quality organization of the workplace with a sufficient level of light.
Types of Lego constructor
Lego constructor can be divided into categories:
Age restrictions. There are 4 types of subcategories of designer types, ranging from 1.5 years to 21 years.
Gender. The manufacturer produces construction sets for girls, boys and universal ones.
Subject. There are 6 types of thematic sets. Crafts from the construction set can be created by both young architects and future zoologists and transport road builders.
Series. There is a series of sets for fans of various stories and cartoons. There is also a series for kids, with which they can make crafts from large Lego pieces.
Lego will find fans for each series and theme of different ages, and will provide a fun pastime for every family member.
Flash drive update
You can make a unique and inimitable flash drive from several construction bricks. To do this you need:
- disassemble the flash drive and remove it from the old case;
- cut a hole in the Lego piece for the connector;
- insert a flash drive into it and fill it with glue;
- close with the second piece.
The flash drive cover is glued using the same principle. On the main body (optional) you can add airplane wings, a house roof, and more.
Lego crafts for kids
Due to the fact that the topics and number of series are quite diverse, it is most often difficult for children to decide on the theme of the construction set. But no one takes into account the possibility that, with extensive imagination, it is possible to build various cool Lego crafts from one construction set.
On the Internet you can find many video tutorials on how to make crafts from Lego.
Techniques and schemes for working with Lego
The manufacturer annually releases a variety of series with favorite characters from films, games, for girls and boys.
To maximize the interest of its customers, the company has created an official website. On it you can easily find and download various diagrams and instructions for assembling construction sets.
To use this service, on the company’s official website you should enter the article number of your designer in the search bar. You can find it on the box. This site also has a forum for Lego owners and fans. There they exchange their ideas and schemes.
Another option for teaching your child how to design is videos on the Internet. They demonstrate a variety of techniques and schemes. Thanks to such educational videos, a child can repeat the pattern he likes on his own.
Top 10 ideas for simple and small Lego crafts
Treasure chest. Every kid wants to have their own small safe chest to store any accessories.
Money box. Children love to collect coins that their parents give them. Hence, a piggy bank is one of the best lego craft ideas.
Robot. Boys can show all their imagination in building their own robot. The main thing is to combine colors correctly when creating a robot.
Castle for dolls. A castle is every girl's dream. A young princess dreams of having a castle for her friends (dolls).
Cars. Lego construction sets allow you to invent a wide variety of cars, even cars from the future.
Animal world. There is nothing easier than making an easy craft in the form of a dragon from Lego.
New Year decoration. Your kids can easily make a unique New Year's toy for your home.
Labyrinth. Going through mazes develops the thinking of young children well. You can create labyrinths of any difficulty level.
Spinner. The spinner is in demand among young children, but those versions of the spinners that are sold in stores are quite dangerous, as they consist of metal parts. For the safety of the child, you can create a craft from Lego parts.
Mini zoo. To develop and study the names of animals, you can create a mini-zoo with various animals. Children will really like this way of learning animal names.
Build, develop imagination, thinking, perseverance and attention with the help of DIY Lego crafts!
New Year's buildings
Sometimes during the New Year holidays children want big decorations, which they don’t always have enough money for. Therefore, you can advise your child to put together a New Year’s composition.
Thus, his mood will definitely rise, and the room will be decorated with a new atmospheric detail. This could be a forest composition, with white snow flaunting on the fir trees, and a small bunny under the trees.
Or it could be a clearing with a family of snowmen. There are a lot of variations. And don’t forget to reward the little creator for his imagination and work done.
Lego home accessories
Do you love unique home accessories? Do you like to create crafts yourself? Then read how to make a Lego craft for your home?
The most popular ideas for creating home accessories using a construction set:
Vase. A fake Lego vase will look quite unique in your interior. A vase can be built in any color, height, design. The most important thing is to make a strong bottom where you can put a glass of water for the flower.
Housekeeper. Tired of searching for your keys throughout your apartment every morning? We advise you to build a key holder out of Lego and hang it at the entrance. The key holder can be decorated individually for each family member.
Aquarium. If you have an aquarium with fish at home, then, based on the instructions with pictures, you can make a Lego craft with your own hands to decorate the aquarium.
Stand. Do you want to have a bright stand for books or your smartphone at home? Then create it using Lego.
Painting. Are you a creative person? Using your imagination, you can easily use small details instead of paint and “paint” a chic picture that matches your interior.
Photo frame. You can use the constructor and create a small photo frame, as well as a family tree, by attaching the parts to the wall.
Night light made of transparent parts
If there are a lot of transparent parts, you can make a portable night light with your child for his room.
The parts are folded into a box, and an LED lighting source is placed inside. This night light has a wonderful ability - you can reassemble it every day, changing patterns, sizes and colors.
You can make a night light with a regular cartridge. In this case, be sure to ensure that the light bulb does not heat the homemade night light body.
Talents of adult “children”
Adults remain children at any age, even if they are 25 or 45 years old. With the help of Lego, you can, no matter how, develop your hidden talents.
So, let's see how adults make crafts from Lego, and what they came up with:
Chess board. There are different variations: wooden, glass, metal boards. Now, it’s worth trying to build a chessboard from various parts of thematic construction sets to make it look unique.
Lamps. You can create many options for unique lamps.
Aircraft carrier. A model of an aircraft carrier from various thematic Lego sets, 5 meters long, has been created in the world.
Ship. There is a Lego ship weighing about 170 kg. We advise you to try to build something similar.
Museum. If you are an architect and understand all the steps of building something, try building a model of your favorite museum. It will be quite difficult, but the result will exceed expectations.
In fact, you can build anything from Lego. Therefore, develop your skills, talents and design prowess!
Unusual vase
Homemade jewelry looks more elegant and interesting and is a decoration for any interior. You will need Lego plates, a tall glass or an old vase and colorful brick parts.
The very first step is to lay out the parts according to individual color schemes. Make each tier of your future vase from a specific color that will alternate. Make sure they match and contrast with each other.
To determine the number of additions needed, place a glass inside the tiers. When you see that there is no need to add, fill the glass with liquid and place the flowers in it.
In the same likeness, you can make a glass for toothbrushes, knives, a phone stand, and the most sophisticated ones even create real fences.
Photos of Lego crafts
Christmas decorations
Easy to make, original Christmas tree decorations will make the New Year tree much more attractive, and a gift in the form of a ball will delight your friends. Fans of this construction set will surely remember and treasure this gift for a long time.
How to make a combat robot from a LEGO constructor: instructions, diagram, description
If your baby asks you to make a robot, then don’t be lazy and put things aside. The process itself will be so exciting that you will definitely want to repeat the evening. But the robot must also be able to shoot, defend and attack. Dont be upset. Weapons can be obtained from your Lego stockpiles. After all, some samurai or military man will definitely have it.
What you will need for a military robot:
- white or transparent cube cut into a triangle - 1 pc.;
- white single squares, one should be even on top - 2 pcs.;
- high single cubes – 2 pcs.;
- double cubes – 3 pcs.;
- cylindrical high parts - 2 pcs.;
- “faucets” of gray and black color – 2 pcs.;
- cone-shaped parts with a cut-off top – 2 pcs.;
- single cubes with “grippers” - 2 pcs.;
- black round “squares” – 2 pcs.;
- gray cubes with a cut triangular top - 2 pcs.;
- flat double cube of gray color – 1 pc.;
- cubes that have five attachment points, black - 3 pcs.
Let's get started (assembly diagram in the pictures below).
- The work starts from the head. And gradually we move on to the robot’s body. Take two parts of a tall cube, which has several ways of fastening (or rather, on all sides).
Important! The parts need to be fastened, not by putting one on top of the other, but from the side. That is, the bottom of one cube is attached not to the top, but to the side mount.
- Now you need to put “squares” on the top cube and on the side fastenings. These will be the shoulders. They also need to add an exciting element.
Please note! You can take simple squares instead of round parts, but then your hands will not be able to turn in different directions!
Lego version of a combat robot
- Now let's move on to the legs. By the way, your legs can move too! We fasten the parts as shown in the instruction picture.
- Finally, all that remains is to attach the feet. And cubes with a cut end, which are attached to the legs, will help with this.
- Now we need to continue shaping the hands. We will place weapons in them.
- For weapons, rectangular parts are used, which need to be combined with each other as indicated in the picture.
Just move your hands to the side so that they do not interfere and do not break.
The combat robot is ready!
Introducing another version of the combat robot.
See the pictures below for its assembly diagram.
DIY Lego
My kids (like most children I know) are Lego fans. Of course, loving parents cannot refuse their children to buy another set, although most often the available parts are 90% sufficient to reproduce new models. And here one of the tricks of Legov’s marketers is revealed. Almost all Lego sets contain one or more unique pieces. And to pay, frankly, a rather high price for a small piece of plastic - no toad can stand that.
But we have a 3D printer and the only question is the model.
So, how can we make a printable model without knowledge of Sketchup/Solidworks etc.?
First, download LeoCAD - a convenient tool for virtual Lego modeling:
Next, go to LDraw.org and download the latest version of the parts library. We feed this library to LeoKad and look for the desired part in the list. In this case, we will try to make a rack 64448, a very convenient thing for building new structures:
Next File->Export->Wavefront-> *.obj and save this part to your directory.
Open Autodesk Netfabb (I don’t give links, you know why, but everyone knows where to get it
