How to Be a Master Builder Mom When You Suck at LEGO

I am upping my LEGO-building skills and finally enjoying playing with these classic bricks with my son! My secret? DK Books Build Your Own Adventure!!

We received some books in exchange for this post.

I loved playing with LEGO when I was a kid. I worked with the traditional 4×2 and 2×2 bricks, building sprawling ranchers for my mini figures. There was never anything architecturally astonishing about my work. We had a big old box of standard-sized bricks with an occasional building set with a decidedly domestic theme thrown in, and I built run-of-the-mill, rectangular houses. I had a small farm, a speed boat, an ice cream shop, a pizza parlour and a camper van if I recall correctly. And once I built those items, they stayed built. I was never one to disassemble a model and improve upon it.

Cub’s entire LEGO collection is from the DC and Marvel Super Heroes collection. As soon as they’re home from the LEGO store, he and his Papa are sprawled out on the living room floor, building an elaborate vehicle with accessories known as Cosmic Cubes and Hulk Busters. And then he breaks them into smithereens.

So when Cub asks me to play LEGO with him, I am faced with this:

How to Be a Master Builder Mom When You Suck at Lego

Aside from putting Hawkeye’s hair on Falcon’s body, I just don’t know what to do with these LEGO pieces! There are tons of pieces, but they’re all so … fancy! I haven’t got a clue how to combine them to make any semblance of a vehicle or shelter, or, as Cub puts it, “Something cool.”

If I’ve learned anything from Super Why, I know that if I’ve got a problem, I have to look … in a BOOK! A DK LEGO Build Your Own Adventure Book!

How to Be a Master Builder Mom When You Suck at Lego

I gave Cub the LEGO Star Wars Build Your Own Adventure book for his birthday. It comes with a mini figure and a small vehicle. Building something according to instructions, when all the pieces are right in front of me, is totally something I can handle, so we built the Y-Wing immediately.

cub-builds-his-y-fighter

The first pages of the book are instructions to build the Y-Wing, and then you get into the “Build Your Own Adventure” part. Since kids have different LEGO pieces in their collection, the book doesn’t give detailed instructions but rather inspiration to create vehicles and buildings from the Star Wars universe.

inside-the-lego-book

When we sat down to play LEGO with the Build Your Own Adventure Book, it was the first time I really enjoyed building LEGO with my son. I found myself wishing Little Miss would keep herself occupied more efficiently with her Duplo so I could keep building.

playing-lego-at-the-den

Thanks to the book, I had guidelines! I had inspiration! I understood how to work with the seemingly random pieces in Cub’s LEGO box! I made a snazzy vehicle for Captain Iron Spider based on the Snow Speeder Bike. We didn’t have the exact same pieces of course, but it gave us somewhere to start.

my-first-lego-creation

Cub, who doesn’t really need a book to come up with cool LEGO structures, built this communication station:

cubs-lego-creation

We used LEGO as a wind-down activity before bed the other night, and we found a new challenge—a Pilot’s Bunk! We worked on it together, and I found myself getting kind of bossy since I had a specific vision for this dormitory that Cub was not respecting. I had fun. And this is coming from someone who typically finds it mind-numbingly boring to play with Cub and his toys.

my-jedi-dorm

So there you have it: I’m on my way to becoming a Master Builder. I love showing Cub how even though we don’t have the exact same pieces in the examples, we can use them as templates to create our own models. Finally, I love LEGO again!

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54 responses to “How to Be a Master Builder Mom When You Suck at LEGO”

  1. Amber Ludwig

    We do!! My son loves anything and everything firefighter and police related!! He has so much fun “saving the day”.

  2. I definitely enjoyed playing with Legos with my kids when they were younger. My nephew is currently the Lego fanatic in the family. I think he enjoys any of the comic book related sets – like batman, etc.

  3. Darlene W

    I now play with my grandkids, They have Lego Pirates

  4. Cheryl

    We do play Lego together, we don’t play with any specific sets, we try and build cars and houses

  5. Kate

    Both my partner and I can’t wait to play LEGO with our little one. She’s still too young, but we’ve already started stalking sets. A traditionalist, I lean more toward the classic sets.

  6. Wendy

    Absolutely! Pirates and space are the most current favourites!

  7. Marina M.

    Yes, we play together with my son. We like shuttle set.

  8. Cloe St-Amour

    Yep! Mom of 2 boys here! Pirates and Police sets are our favorites!

  9. Catherine D.

    I love playing Lego, I kept my old Lego and now I play Lego with my 5yo and my 4yo (while babywearing my 10mo who try to steal the pieces). I will love to try this book, because sometime I just can’t build with them and they don’t want to build without me.

  10. Anne-Marie B.

    My son and I looooove LEGO. Our favourite collection is definitely Ninjago. It’s the first time I finally enjoy playing with my son 🙂 My whole Instagram account is dedicated to all the Ninjago sets we’ve bought over the summer.

    Ninja – gooooooo !

  11. Anne C

    No, never really had the chance to play Lego but would love to now that I’m an adult! 😀

  12. Kim K

    Yes! We do play LEGO. We usually play freestyle, so no favourite sets. But the girls like the pastel blocks!

  13. loriag

    Yes my kids played lego together and the favourite set was a train set. Not sure of the actual name we didn’t keep the box.

  14. Francine Long

    I have played Lego’s with my grandkids – we don’t get too fancy but we have a lot of fun making things and ‘pretending’!

  15. Nancy

    She is too small for LEGOs yet, but she loves building houses and playgrounds with larger building blocks.

  16. Ashley Chassereau Parks

    I love playing Legos with my girls!! They love their fire fighter set and all the Lego Friends sets!! So much fun!

  17. Stephanie F

    I played with Lego as a kid and still enjoy it now with my kids! It’s a great family activity and I believe everyone can be a “Master Builder”. You just need to build, whether with instructions or freestyle 😉 I need this book, it looks like a lot of fun to try with my kids.

  18. Daniel Brown

    I just wish they would remake some Classic Space sets. My grandson and I would go nuts.

  19. I actually really surprised my 10 year old when I told him that I played with legos as a little girl! 😀

  20. My kids have asked for the Grand Hotel and Fortrex (expensive!!!) LEGO set for their birthday. They get a set every year.

    Thanks for giving.

    Besos, Sarah
    Journeys of The Zoo

  21. MaryAnn

    Yes my son loves Legos. His favorite sets are ones with cars in them.

  22. Penni

    Love to play LEGO with my friends’ little boy! We use the classic, original set that was around when my friends and I were kids.

  23. Linda

    We haven’t yet got a Lego set of our own to play with, we use the library’s set.

  24. Julie

    My kids are all about Lego! They spend hours creating elaborate worlds, vehicles etc. I love how it encourages their creativity through play.

  25. Phil

    Lego is so much fun…they can be very addictive.

  26. Melissa F

    We love lego here! We have really been into the Lego City sets although we have quite a variety.. My 9 yr old has been collecting for the last several year and has A LOT of Lego. Its so amazing to see what he will build out of it though, and how much more complex it has gotten as he gets older. It has also taught him how to read directions!
    P.S. He is really excited that you have done a post on Lego. Apparently I read too much about products for his little sister and brother and not enough about what he is interested in. LOL.

  27. My little guy isn’t quite old enough yet, but as soon as we found out we were having a boy, hubby said, “LEGO!!!!!!!” very excitedly, so I know it’s in our future 🙂

  28. Michelle J.

    We love Lego advent calendars!

  29. Annette C.

    I remember playing LEGO when I was young, and then playing it with my nieces & nephews as they grew up. I enjoy the Star Trek & Star Wars ones the most.

  30. Sara Muzzatti

    I spent hours playing lego as a kid…built so many homes…I can’t believe I didn’t become an architect

  31. Edmond

    OMG, jumping Jupiter . Luv Lego. Prize perfect for my nephew’s big BDay gift. . Thank you for the awesomeness, the contest, and generosity. 🙂

  32. right now our favroite is the junior sets, easy to build for little ones!

  33. Mike Gismondi

    My kids play lego together all the time… right now they combine the Harry Potter and Scooby Doo sets to make their own adventures.

  34. polly

    My grandsons love Legos and they love the Star Wars Series

  35. angelehm

    All of my kids love and play Lego . The Lego box has decades of pieces because you can lose some pieces but you rarely toss them out. I like to play with the Lego with the kids the favorite set are the dragons with the glowing jewel and the detailed armor for the people. There are parts of space themed, farm, pirates and classic sets. #LetGoMyLego ☺

  36. Sabrina Hansen

    My son LOVES Lego and I would love to be more creative in my building when playing with him.

  37. Josh Dillard

    He is almost 3 months so no legos yet but being his name is Valor Anaking Skywalker Dillard, he will be playing with star wars legos haha. I grew up on them and love the engineering and imagination they create. I see some of the sets today as an adult and like 760 pieces wth , i remember the falcon taking 2 weeks to build as a kid… I am so so game (not to self, slippers EVERYWHERE)

  38. Carolsue

    I don’t usually play Legos with my son. According to him, I don’t do it right.

  39. Renee Walters

    My son ad I put together all the Marvel superhero Lego’s. It is so tedious.

  40. denise low

    When our grandsons come over they bring their legos and the grandson plays lego with their grandpa. I don’t know what kind they are . I just know that they build forts and things like that.

  41. l p

    yes, just the basic set so far. thanks

  42. jerry cundiff

    We do, the carnival sets are amazing!

  43. Laurie P

    My girl loves to play with her older brothers lego sets……he’s accumulated quite a few set, the Lego City Train being one of our favorites to build!

  44. Rosanne Robinson

    My 6 year old grandson is a LEGO fanatic – his only request for birthday and Christmas presents is for LEGO , plus he saves up his allowance to buy more LEGO. He invites his friends over to play with the models once he’s built them.

  45. Daryl Walsh

    I play legos with my nephew and he loves star wars, mine craft and all superheros.

  46. Tera Penton

    Me and my 6 year old who is my oldest love to play lego together. I usually follow the instructions and he invents his own way of putting kits together. One of his favourites to date was a lego junior fire station

  47. Jennifer P.

    My kids play with LEGO daily, and my husband and I join in with them a couple of times a week each. My favourite sets are the Disney ones (would love to get Cinderella and Belle’s castles) and the new amusement park sets – those are on our Christmas wish lists! I also love the different houses and the LEGO Friends Heartlake Hotel. My oldest builds everything according to the instructions the first time, but after that she does her own designs and I love seeing how creative she gets – she is really good at building. Her little sister is getting quite good too, with help. We like the LEGO Juniors line for her – same smaller sized pieces but easier building plans so that she does not get frustrated. Perfect!

  48. Leah Shumack

    Yes! My daughter has a lot of the Lego Friends sets! My favorte was the Heartlake Mall! It took us 2 days to put together!

  49. Corey Olomon

    My son and I love doing Legos together. He especially loves Star Wars sets.

  50. Mary Gardner

    We do play with Lego’s together and like the Minecraft sets.

  51. Viv Sluys

    My kids and I play Lego but we don’t really have sets, just a giant tub of Lego from garage sales and my husband’s childhood. My nephews are all about their sets though, especially Star Wars and Jurassic Park.

  52. Jerry Marquardt

    I think that I like playing with the Lego’s more than my nephew. I like to go to the Lego conventions.

  53. Marie Cole

    We are a total lego loving family over here but I’m not super creative. My husband can just go at it but I tend to need an instruction booklet to make something cool.

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My name is Lindsay and I am a 40-year-old mama of four trying to live an eco-friendly, budget-friendly life! I am a substitute teacher and Child Passenger Safety technician in Calgary, Alberta. Join me on my adventures!

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