droolicious : Legos

Lego My Dinner

JeanneSager — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:30:00 GMT

You told your kids not to play with their food, but no one ever said anything about their fork and spoon.

Have your adult conversation uninterrupted while they play with the Snack & Stack Take Along Utensils from Fred Flare. Not technically Lego (that's a trademarked name), the silicone block handles of the fork, spoon and butter knife fit together just like the real thing for building fun that doesn't embarrass the adults.

And if you happen to grab them and have a go, just tell the waiter you were stacking them up to stow in your bag . . . at least you weren't caught pouring salt in the butter.

Get them from Fred Flare for $20 a set.

Droolicious Shopping Guide: LEGO Sets

Nicole Feliciano — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Tick tock. There are only a few shopping days left. You already know LEGO toys are a perennial favorite, but do you know which set is best for you?

LEGO toys are the building blocks of creativity. This is a plaything that parents understand since just about everyone has put two bricks together during their childhood (the 50th birthday of the LEGO brick was in January 2008). The key to keeping this toy fun is to match a set with your child’s developmental ability and interests. Most LEGO sets include building instructions. Take one of the newest offerings, the Stegosaurus ($44.99). Give this toy to anyone under the age of seven and you are asking for a tantrum. But in the hands of an experienced builder, this prehistoric set will provide hours of unsupervised fun.

A fierce dinosaur helps set the story in motion. The fully articulated Stegosaurus comes complete with pointy teeth and spiked tail. Once this spiky toothed beast is built it’s time to move on to the pterodactyl or T-Rex.

Best for: Dinosaur fanatics ages 7 and up.
Pros: 731 pieces; the resulting creatures are phenomenal.
Cons: Patience, patience, it’ll require some time to craft the dinos. Batteries are required (and included).

Buy on Amazon

LEGO Golden Anniversary Set: A celebration of Ole Kirk Christansen first set ($39.99).

Pro: 700 pieces and unlimited possibilities.
Con: Retro packaging looks faded rather than sweet.
Best for: Kids age three and up that prefer to build free form.

Buy on Amazon

DUPLO Deluxe Brick Box: First block set for tots in a handy storage box ($44.99).

Pros: Large pieces are easy to snap together and take apart.
Cons: You’ll have to pass them along to a friend when your child turns three and loses interest.
Best for: Toddlers (12 months and up) mastering their motor skills.

Buy on Amazon

LEGO Pink Brick Box: Girly LEGO set appealing to fans of My Little Pony and Barbie ($14.99).

Pros: Finicky girls might take an interest in building an ice cream parlor, ponies and flowers.
Cons: Smallish set (216 pieces) is limiting in its options.
Best for: Little girls (four and over) who need some bribing to give dress-up a rest.

Buy on Amazon

Dwarves' Mine: Knights, trolls and an elaborate mine ($59.99).

Pros: Lots of action figures are included in the glorious design.
Cons: Many instructions and lots of assembly required.
Best For: Kids (seven and up) who love a classic good versus evil struggle.

Buy on Amazon

LEGO City Advent Calendar Holds 24 Days' Worth of Bricks

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:04:00 GMT

With 41 days left till Christmas, you've still got ample time to nab a 2008 LEGO City Advent Calendar. The box itself functions as the calendar, with each of the 24 windows concealing a LEGO City minifigure or accessory, and the last day of Advent revealing the biggest surprise in the set.

$29.99 from the LEGO Shop, and if you order $70 in additional goodies during your visit, shipping is free. (Shipping promotion expires Dec. 1)

7 Days of Educational Toys: LEGO Mindstorms NXT

Erin Behan — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:49:00 GMT

This is for the kid who loves LEGOs but needs a little something ... extra. Like a 32-bit microprocessor, three interactive Servo motors, a sound sensor, an ultrasonic visual sensor, a touch sensor, a light sensor ... I could go on, but the point is that this is one bad-ass way to computerize LEGOs. In layman's terms, the Mindstorms allows you to build your own robot and then program said robot to do whatever you'd like, including command the robot with a mobile phone via Bluetooth technology. Looking to get your kids excited about computers (as in how they work, not what games they can play)? This is the toy! All this technology doesn't come cheap, of course: $249 at Lego.com.

Set Your Alarm for a Romp Through LEGO Batman: The Video Game

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:15:00 GMT

See that LEGO-fied image of Batman and The Joker? Head to www.legobatmangame.com now to "Choose Your Side," and that's pretty much the most solidified piece of content you'll see. But at 9 p.m. PST tonight, the brick-rendered versions of Gotham City and Arkham Asylum will come alive via LEGO Batman: The Video Game's website, which is packed with teasers, downloads and other doo-dads meant to keep us drooling until the game's September ship date.

Previous LEGO movie/game crossovers -- from LEGO Star Wars to LEGO Indiana Jones -- have been among the best kid-parent bonding exercises to hit consoles this decade, but this time around, we're especially grateful for the creative liberties the game's creators took to unify the more schizophrenic Batman film series. Because while one person's Michael Keaton may be another's Christian Bale, could you imagine both Dark Knights in the same space?

Enjoy this trailer, which finds the LEGO games' impish humor weathering Batman's gravitas just fine, and visit the preorder link if you can't wait till September:

LEGO Death Star to Annihilate All Other Building Toys This Fall

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:04:00 GMT

If you can hold out till Sept. 16, which is when the LEGO Death Star is next expected to ship, this mother of all LEGO Star Wars creations should be well worth any time spent waiting for the mail carrier to bring it. Heck, at 3,803 pieces -- including 24 minifigures and droids (six of which are exclusive to the set), a Dianoga trash-compactor monster, and a TIE Advanced fighter -- it'll probably take you till the holidays to complete it, so you're looking at two full seasons' worth of LEGO bliss for around $400. Not so bad when you break it down, is it?

Putting to shame the old Kenner Death Star playset many of us may remember from childhood, the LEGO Death Star packs three levels' worth of characters, chambers and moving parts, and comes complete with a superlaser death ray so you and the kids can enact your own destruction of Alderaan.

There's also the famous chasm, which you can swing across with the accompanying Luke and Leia minifigures, the Imperial conference chamber where your Darth Vader minifig can choke out disobedient commanders, and the Emperor's throne room where you and Lord Vader can battle it out for the sake of the galaxy. And no questionable prequel-era characters here, bub: The minifigures -- the aforementioned as well as Chewbacca, Han Solo, Grand Moff Tarkin and a host of others -- are strictly Episodes IV through VI:

$399.99 from the LEGO Shop.

Free Download for Your Budding Engineer: LEGO Digital Designer

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:04:00 GMT

No, that's not a new CAD software program you're seeing, although it's a good way to get any budding engineer in your family primed to handle one. What you're looking at is the interface of LEGO Digital Designer, a free downloadable program (Win/Mac) that lets you put a virtual LEGO set onto your computer's desktop.

Admittedly, while the program is 100% freeware, there is a bit of an ulterior motive on LEGO's part: Drawing from over 763 brick types, you can build your own virtual LEGO masterpiece either from scratch or from a pre-existing template. From there, you can upload the results to have a customized kit, complete with a real-life version of every brick you used, put together for purchase.

We're three days into the thing at my house, however, and so far my kids have only managed to create, delete, and overrwrite a bunch of logic-defying vehicles and robots they couldn't possibly have the motor skills to replicate in real life. The moment they do come up with a winner, though, I'll confess: I'd probably buy the blocks to help them realize it.

[LEGO Digital Designer] [Via Lifehacker]

Free LEGO Indiana Jones PC Game Demo Available Starting Today

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:03:00 GMT

We'll forgive you if you didn't bookmark LucasArts' LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures website the other day like we suggested -- we parents do have 8 million or so more important things to worry about, after all. However, if you only make one trip to the site, today's the day, as LucasArts and Games for Windows have released a demo of the upcoming LEGO Indy-themed video game, which is hitting stores June 3. Head here for the demo, and mark your calendars: The movie opens May 22.

If you don't have a PC or don't care about game demos, grab your junior archaeologist and head to Cartoon Network's LEGO Indiana Jones site for a round of fun (and funny) LEGO Indy mini-movies. And don't forget your hat...

LEGO Indiana Jones Game Site Launches; Demo Coming May 13

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:09:00 GMT

Just as we were getting cozy with Cartoon Network's LEGO-themed spin on everyone's favorite Nazi-fighting, AARP-card-carrying archaeologist, LucasArts rolled out its own LEGO Indiana Jones website, this one based around the LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures video game that's hitting stores June 3.

Loaded with fun Flash content, the site is also packed with news, trailers and game details, as well as a treasure-hunt feature that lets you collect points toward stickers, wallpaper and other gimcracks promoting what, if past experiences with LEGO Star Wars are any indication, is looking to be the summer's most awesome kids' game. (Illicitly obtained copies of Grand Theft Auto IV excepted.)

As you and your kids are playing around the site today, be sure to bookmark it: LucasArts and Games for Windows have a PC demo of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures slated for release on May 13, nine days before the latest Indy movie hits theaters. The final game, which is rated E 10+, will also ship for Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS.

Homade LEGO MP3 Player is Music to Blockheads' Ears

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:03:00 GMT

You'll notice the word "LEGO" doesn't actually appear anywhere on this Homade MP3 Player ($46 from Homeloo). Still, it's pretty clear which famous block inspired the player's design (and packaging, for that matter), and outside of conceptualizing your own, you won't get a more accurate-looking LEGO/MP3 hack than this.

In a clever little design twist, the brick's raised buttons double as the player's controls. It also comes with headphones, a strap, and a USB cable for managing files and charging the built-in battery, but you'll need to bring your own microSD card (2GB maximum) if you actually want to hear music on the player.

If you love LEGOs but can't bear to part with your existing MP3 player, Homeloo has a few other gadgets you may dig: The larger iStereo Speaker ($39.99; first item below) and the smaller Homade Speaker ($16.99; pictured in green but also available in black, blue and white) both provide a docking station that doubles as a conversation piece. It's hard to imagine them having serious audio punch, but Homeloo promises a loud and clear active bass system, so take that for what it's worth.

Got 30+ Snow Days to Kill? Pick Up a LEGO Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:03:00 GMT

If your kids are as LEGO-mad as mine, they've had this 5,195-piece Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon on their wish list for weeks; and, really, considering the thing costs $500, it probably pushes many of our gift-buying limits. If, however, you've got room in the budget and are looking for a 3D alternative to the old thousand-piece puzzle, this beast (the largest LEGO set ever made!) will keep you and the kids occupied for many a snow day.

The nearly three-foot-long Falcon is marked for ages 16 and up, but let's face it: If you've ever struggled to build even smaller sets with your kids, you already know most LEGOs should be labeled similarly. (Heck, knowing a set is secretly meant for you is half the fun of buying it.) It also includes Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia minifigures (pictured below), all of whom can sit in the built-to-scale interior, as well as a removable cockpit cover, working landing gear, an extendable boarding ramp, rotating turrets and radar dishes, and a display card with detailed specifications on Solo and Chewie's famous smuggling ship.

Just be sure you find a place to display the Falcon once it's built: Within five minutes of finishing my son's similarly epic LEGO Star Destroyer this Christmas, I practically wept as the little dude tried to fly the thing and joyfully undid several days' worth of my labor.

From TIE Crawlers to Muscle Cars: Three Must-Have LEGO Sets for the Holidays

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

Just in time for the holidays, the brickmasters general at LEGO have rolled out several new and hard-to-find sets, all of which look to be as awesome for kids in the 7+ age range as they are for the grown-ups who'll ultimately end up building the things.

While the Exo Force Combat Crawler X2 dominated the Target end cap that sent my kids into a frenzy, the TIE Crawler ($49.99, above) was the hands-down favorite. Part of LEGO's Star Wars Expanded Universe, the 548-piece Rebel-crusher brings Imperial TIE fighters literally down to earth via its working treads, flick-launching missiles and hidden cannons, as well as its two Shadow stormtrooper minifigures. It's a great way to keep the excitement going as ~~you~~ your kids count the hours till LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga hits stores.

If swords and sorcery are more your thing, the 575-piece Dwarves' Mine ($49.99, above) adds an underground world of trolls, dwarves and mystical loot to the clashing knights and skeletons at the center of LEGO Castle's universe. Transport your diamonds and gems in the rolling mine cart and bucket, and defend your haul with a working catapult.

Want something with more big-kid appeal? The 598-piece LEGO Racers Nitro Muscle car ($49.99, above) should satisfy your inner gearhead. It'll look great on a bedroom shelf, with four rotating tires (you can also use the rear wheel to turn the front tires), metallic decals, and a flip-open body that lets you show off its interior. Or, if your kids are like mine, just plan on getting an extra set so you can race 'em around the house when you're done building.

Turn Your Wall Into a Lego Duplo Playwall

Mir — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:04:00 GMT

Those in tight quarters or just tired of slicing open their feet on scattered blocks will want to check out the Lego Duplo Playwall (available at Little Smarties for $159.99). It's a giant Duplo plate, wall-mounted with a handy storage trough underneath.

And I'm probably the only one who thinks it looks like a giant technicolor urinal, too. (Insert your own joking about pissing away $160 here.)

Too Cool For A Drink: Lego Ice Cubes

chrisjordan — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:24:00 GMT

Ice that looks like Legos, how cool is that? (pun intended)

According to my sons, this might be the best thing that ever happened to drinks. Silicone tray makes 10 lego cubes at a time. You will need several trays if you are planing a party, otherwise plan your ice making well in advance.

Available at Lego for $7.99

Lego Table Gets Wheels and Modern Flair

Mir — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 15:36:00 GMT

Remember those rickety plastic cubes for building Lego on -- eyesores that were relegated to the corner of the room, usually with a pile of Legos dumped nearby? No more, baby. Check out Modmom Furniture's sleek upgrade to the Lego Table. Wheel it wherever you want it, fill the two recessed wells with pieces for easy access, and store extras and completed creations in the spaces underneath. When you're done, wheel it away again.

Of course, at $275, you may wish to leave it out for show. I'm just sayin'.