The holiday season is fast approaching, and everyone is on the look out for gifts. Gifts for their loved ones. I have been thinking very hard what kind of gift should I get for my children this year. There are so many toys, and gadgets and dolls,out there,  making a decision is difficult. I want to get something educational, durable, and creative, and what came to mind was Lego.

Lego is an ideal toy, with the brick pieces anything can be created from the kids imagination, and yet it can be dismantled and recreated.

Lego blocks first appeared in 1958, after Danish wooden-toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen began experimenting with plastics. The name is of the Danish phrase “leg godt,” which means “play well.”
Kids loved them, and even adults joined the bandwagon. There are lego sets from children who are just few months old and for anyone of any age.

From few pieces up to  a 5000+ piece lego set, the choice is infinite.

How are these plastic toys made?

Granulated acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a type of shiny plastic used to make everything from hard hats to toys to pipes is used to make Lego , it comes in different colours, and it is put into a molding machine.  It is then melted at a temperature of 449.6 degrees F. The bricks are shaped with high pressure, of 25-150 tons, depending on the specific type of brick, with metal moulds. It is then cooled and dropped on to conveyor belts and boxetod, labeled and stored.

A simple brick like toy has so many benefits; It is engaging, my children can play for hours without wanting to watch TV or play computer games. While playing they are using their creativity and imagination. It is social, kids can play together and learn social rules, sharing. Younger kids develop fine motor skills and at the end of finishing they  have a sense of accomplishment.

According to Gwen Deywar of Parenting Science, toy blocks like lego has so many benefits;

·        Toy blocks promote spatial skills

·        Toy blocks promote  math skills

·        Toy blocks promote creativity, divergent problem-solving minds

·        Toy blocks promote cooperative play

As for the safety of Lego being a plastic toy, my research reviled that since they  are made out of ABS which withstands high heat, they are safe,  just don’t burn it as in liquid and vapor form it’s pretty toxic.

My mind has been made, I will go out and pick this “perfect” toy.