Earlier this year, LEGO and a group of impressive global partners successfully lobbied the UN to recognize the importance of play in childhood development by recognizing June 11th as the International Day of Play. The concept of “Play” loosely means engaging in activities that use creative and imaginative skills, focusing on fun and process and less on an end result. As Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group said, “For more than 90 years, we have championed children’s right to play, as we know that it can change lives. It strengthens family bonds and helps children develop essential skills and reach their full potential.” Whether you and the children in your life engage in play regularly or need some inspiration, LEGO can be a great starting point because it can meet the children in your life where they are in their development, as well as be completely open-ended. As a...

Welcome to the next exploration in our NPU series (Nice Parts Usage). This time on our quest we are exploring the least LEGO of LEGO themes, ZNAP! But what is ZNAP, you ask? Doesn’t look very ‘lEGO,’ does it??? ZNAP was a very short-lived theme, lasting from the fall of 1998 to the end of 1999. A total of 19 sets were released, mostly vehicle-based, with a few bizarre animals here and there. ZNAP elements sorta work like a combination of Technic and Bionicle (like K’nes), where you “znap” different pieces together. Instead of axle, pin, or stud connections, most ZNAP elements connect via a little nub that fits into a corresponding joint on the end of the beams. Our friends at Brickset took a little deep dive into the theme a few years ago that is worth reading if you want to know more. A bunch of znap connected to...

Playing with various water shapes results in many amazing possibilities to photograph with LEGO. In previous articles, I demonstrated how water provided the movement for my minifigure surfer action shot as well as the perfect backdrop for minifigures at the pool.  But those are minifigures… what about using water with LEGO bricks or MOCs? The combination of geometrically strict LEGO bricks and soft shapes of water seems impossible at first. However, by augmenting your LEGO creation with water, you can get an impressive and unexpected result! Here is a DIY water-and-plastic process that you can create for your LEGO photos. What You Need A white or colored paper background Plastic bag Adhesive tape Thread Mid-sized glass Plastic syringe/baster Several LEGO creations/models (preferably transparent) with one missing element, for example, a fish without a tail. Here we have a fish, a flower, a jellyfish and a whale. Preparing for the Show Let's...

One of the small joys I had as a kid was going to check the mail for any letters, packages or LEGO catalogs sent to me. Granted, it was very rare that I ever received anything (save for the catalogs), but there was excitement in the potential of receiving something in the mail. That excitement was doubly so when I knew that I was anticipating something. [Source: Brickset] In a world where communication via text messaging and social media is instantaneous, and delivery services that guarantee one to two-day shipping straight to your front door encourage instant gratification, small joys like walking to the mailbox in anticipation of a letter or package are a rarity. Much in the way these small joys have gone to the wayside in the modern world, so too has a means of interaction once commonplace between fans and the companies they follow: fan mail. Major comic...

A new month is upon us which means more competitive building! Are you ready? Here’s the latest bunch of LEGO contests and challenges from all around the AFOL community for June 2024 to help you find some inspiration and motivation to build! There’s nothing quite like a theme or a prompt to take you out of your comfort zone and give you something new to try. Besides, contests are the perfect place to interact with other contestants and judges and get to know your fellow builders. And if you’re like me, a deadline helps make sure you actually finish! We’ve listed them in order of deadline so you can plan your building time to the best advantage. Make sure to check the LEGO activity calendar for local challenges and events near you. Here at BrickNerd, some of our fondest memories, greatest building achievements, coolest trophies, and best friendships came from LEGO...