We have read a LOT of essays over the years…thousands….and almost every year Legos make an appearance in one way or another. Often, future engineers and physics fans found their calling while playing with Lego.
This young woman is now studying at Yale:
The black and white cow was safely tucked back into his stall and my toddler appropriate jigsaw puzzle was complete. As I outgrew the 25-piecers and worked my way up to 1000-piece monster puzzles, I continued to enjoy putting things together into a coherent whole. Creating an underwater scene, I started off with corner pieces, initially forming a sea of blue waiting to join the vibrant reefs, muted seaweed and tropical fish. After grouping together all of the grays, greens, and oranges, the sharks, seaweed and fish began to make an appearance. Unity emerged from chaos as I focused on the picture on the box and found the slider pieces, ignoring color shades for the moment. After my puzzle obsession, I channeled my energy towards the Lynxmotion and Lego Mindstorms kits—using these, I could build and program my own robot. My first was a black and golden miniature dog. When it actually began to move across our living room carpet, I was hooked. I went on to create many more as I grew up—from humanoid robots that walked around, to red and black spiders that crawled under tables.
And this young man is studying at Williams:
It all started with LEGO. Primary color paint and simple shapes defined these small blocks, but their true appeal was their potential for greatness through patience and experimentation. Complexity, to me, existed as an accumulation of the basics: 1×2, 2×4 or 2×8, yellow, red, or blue. Though they may have been better suited for my early years, I still look back on my LEGO experimentation with an admiration of their intrinsic philosophy. They showed me the beauty of creativity and simple form, and acquainted me with some of the most basic principles of design. LEGOs were how I first experienced the fun of building and creation. Purpose would follow soon after.
Were you a Lego junkie? Are you still secretly building Legos when no one is looking?
This story on NPR radio Weekend Edition caught our attention this morning: (hyperlink with:http://www.npr.org/templates/email/emailAFriend.php?storyId=196911704
What do you think?? Are Lego’s targeted to girls sexist?
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