In my earlier articles, I have covered some basic and advanced methods for building with a LEGO technique called Studs Not On Top (SNOT), otherwise known as sideways building. This time, I’m going to talk about a more personal and subtle aspect of SNOT: how to avoid grooves and gaps. And (perhaps a little bit ironic) I will also talk about LEGO Braille Bricks and how they can be used to achieve smooth SNOT surfaces—despite being purposely designed to be able to be recognized by touch. Groovy Elements Many LEGO elements have small grooves as a design feature to make them easier to remove from other elements. You are most likely to have seen these on tiles and other elements where it would be hard to separate the pieces. Grooves are a more modern LEGO invention to help fingernails and separators remove them. Though jumpers and grilles began without grooves, they...

LEGO conventions often offer play-based fun for younger attendees. From Duplo pits to mosaic walls, from free play to building challenges, there’s lots to do for kids. But at a recent visit to Bricks Cascade, the clear winner in our family was the Brick Derby. What’s A Brick Derby? Glad you asked! Similar to a Pinewood Derby, a Brick Derby is a chance for kids to build cars from their own imagination using a standard chassis. They’re then raced down a slope powered entirely by gravity. Beyond having a blast racing, and trying to come in first, it was a great opportunity to teach them about concepts like aerodynamics, drag, and weight.  a happy and engaged three year old Participants were greeted by a huge table of pieces with a decent variety of shapes and colors. Then, they were given an 8x16 plate and two LEGO-compatible metal axles. You could only...

If you have Amazon Prime, Prime Gaming is giving away LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for free. After you redeem the code, you can go over to GOG.com to enter the code to get the game. The game was originally released in 2011 and it features missions and characters from the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the television series. The post LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Free on Prime Gaming appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Being an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO), I love attending events especially tailored for us, particularly those held at the heart of LEGO in Billund at the LEGO House. Everyone’s love for the brick comes alive there, and The LEGO Group’s core values fill the environment with inspiration, passion, and play. I have been fortunate enough to attend six “AFOL Days” at the LEGO House around the time of Skaerbaek, and each occasion is as unique and special as the first. As a neurodivergent individual, as much as I love these events, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the high level of sensory input. The staff at LEGO House are always so enthusiastic and knowledgeable, aiming to make the experience of learning through play a memorable and positive experience for everyone. So, to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day, I wanted to share some of the things happening at LEGO House...

LEGO has announced the winner of the LEGO Ideas Build the Gift of Purchase Set of Your Dreams fan vote. Out of the 15 submissions which were all good and hard to choose from, The Autumn Snails by Jagamax with 806 votes is your winner and will become a future GWP set. Was this build what you voted for or did you vote for another one? The post LEGO Ideas Build the Gift of Purchase Set of Your Dreams Winner Announced appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

One of the more anticipated summer 2024 sets that I’m looking forward to is the LEGO City LEGO Delivery Truck (60440). German retailer Lucky Bricks has posted some higher quality photos of the set as well a video of the play features including the working forklift which uses a rubber band to move the forks. We still don’t know the US pricing of the set yet as there is no product page on the LEGO Shop. It doesn have 1,061 pieces so it’ll probably be around $100 give or take. The post LEGO City LEGO Delivery Truck (60440) Detailed Look appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

We already saw a preview of it earlier this week but now the LEGO Disney Young Simba the Lion King (43247) is now available for pre-order on the LEGO Shop. The 1,445 piece set will release on June 1 for a price of $129.99. It does qualify for the LEGO Alien Space Diner (40687) if you’re still looking for something to get for the GWP. As a Rakuten/Linkshare Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Disney Young Simba the Lion King (43247) Pre-Order on LEGO Shop appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Many LEGOLAND Parks and Discovery Centers have offered printed promo bricks over the years. Also known as promotional or commemorative bricks, the fan community generally just calls them promo bricks. Join BrickNerd as we look into the past, present, and future of promo bricks. Promo bricks generally take two forms: Duplo, Brick 1 x 2 x 2, or Brick 2 x 4 x 3. LEGOLAND California has only used the Duplo version, while LEGOLAND Deutschland has fully embraced the system brick version. As we’ll see, the other parks have often used a strange combination of both versions. I’ll mention here that this article isn’t going to be an exhaustive catalog or listing of all the promo bricks. We’re going to touch on the more common occurrences of LEGOLAND-specific promo bricks and discuss trends. West Coast is the Best Coast We’ll start our journey in sunny Southern California since that’s where my...

The LEGO Art The Milky Way (31212) and the LEGO Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System (10341) are now available for purchase on the LEGO Shop. The Milky Way retails for $199.99 while the Artemis is going for $259.99, however, they both qualify for the Alien Space Diner (40687) gift with purchase set. This release is early access for LEGO Insiders and will be available to the general public in a few days. As a Rakuten/Linkshare Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The post LEGO Art The Milky Way (31212) & Icons NASA Artemis Space Launch System (10341) Available on LEGO Shop appeared first on The Brick Fan. Original linkOriginal author: Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

LEGO has officially revealed the next LEGO Lord of the Rings set with the Icons 5,471 piece Barad-Dur (10333). Releasing on June 1, the set will retail for $459.99 and from June 1-7, while supplies last, you can also get the 269 piece Fell Beast (40693) set as a gift with purchase which includes a Nazgul minifigure. TRAVEL TO MORDOR WITH THE NEW LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS: BARAD-DÛR SET 14th May 2024: Today the LEGO Group, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, reveals the LEGO® Icons Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr set, inspired by the award-winning film adaptations. Now in brick form, the epic dark tower and Eye of Sauron build has many hidden fan “treasures” and story references from the Lord of the Rings. Prepare to journey deep into the heart of Middle-earth with the unveiling of the spectacular LEGO Icons Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr...