Easy solution: bust out the Kragle

We have a ton of Legos. Multiple bins' worth from a huge number of sets. My kids and dh get almost as much fun out of finding all the pieces to build a particular set (we keep all the booklets) as they do out of rebuilding it, so we are not too concerned about a particular set staying put together.

If my oldest receives and builds out a special Technix set, he's allowed to keep it in his room, but if he keeps it in the play area, it's fair game.

Where I draw the line is trading Legos -- my daughters have very generously offered up particular builds to their friends in trade. We have forced them to go trade back. So we have a rule about Legos are not for trading in addition to the "put your special build away if you don't want it taken apart during a playdate."

Isn't the point of Legos to build them and then take them apart?

I'm as protective as my son. That is, one set is precious to him and took him forever to build by himself - so I give him reminders to put it away when friends are coming over. Other sets he is not protective of, so I don't worry about them. Ds plays with a lot of his sets very often and sometimes they break and need to be rebuilt. The good thing is that the pieces can be used a million different ways.

We take a middle line. Sets have their own box so after they are assembled, played with and inevitably broken down, those pieces go in that box to be reassembled and played with at a later date. There is also a giant bin of Legos to free build. Pieces from sets are often borrowed, but my DS is good about returning them to the right bin because HE likes to rebuild sets easily. Follow your kid's lead, DH is too invested on this one.

We keep the sets separate from the general mixed lego. Literally, on a different floor. The mixed, free play lego is on e lego table (and the floor . . . ) in the basement. The sets are in the dining room. Some built and hanging out for awhile, some back in their boxes with the instructions, ready to build again.

Our kids are totally ok with this - they like to build and re-build the sets, and they don't want to dig though endless bins to find what they need. They also like free build and do that a ton, too.

For play dates, they all stick to the free play stuff. The dining room isn't a play space and most kids steer clear. Some friends have a harder time with boundaries/limits, so we move the sets out of sight beforehand. Our kids get it. They don't want their stuff "ruined" and they also don't want to police their friends. Easier to put the sets out of sight.

At age 5, our DD was building sets on her own. I would get frustrated when she would break them up and the bricks would get all messed up. Now that she's older, she has mixed all of her Lego Girlfriend sets and makes her own creations.

Concur - if it's a super special set, on a shelf - otherwise, build away

There is some kind of Lego rocket ship on my son's dresser that I dust around. He is a college graduate and has a full time job in another state. Sigh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Legos are for playing with, building, breaking apart and rebuilding...EXCEPT for the really expensive collectable sets you purchase specifically to be collectable. Like the Death Star. Or the Christmas village and Haunted Mansion we take out and put up each year. Or those $200 town sets they release one of esch year.

Only those.

Nope, in our house they are for playing, too. We have specifically been coaching DD (5) for quite some time about "what happens if so and so breaks a lego?" Correct answer is always, "We'll fix it later, it's no big deal." We find that guests, including young kids, are way more uptight

Death star is retired and going for $700 on ebay. It was I think $400.00 new.

It is not a toy. It is a collectable.

I am guessing you are not buying those kinds of sets.

Actually, yeah, we are... Not the Death Star, but we have the ferris wheel, the modular bank, the haunted mansion...and multiple trains. All for playing.

For toys in general, we ask my son if there are any he is not ready to share and put them away. He has one friend that is destructive and breaks something each time he comes over. so anything expensive or meaningful gets put away.

I have the 8 year old. No, it doesn't make a difference. His big sets are usually over $150 and he builds them to play with them. We didn't buy these type of sets when he was 5.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - the item in question is part of a $200 set and has a motor, if that makes a difference

Yeah...that sucks. But your kid is FIVE! I don't think he has the wherewithall to grasp the concept bin Legos and fancy set Legos. At least not for more than a few weeks or months.

Your DH needs to ownership of these type sets b/c they seem to be more his thing...maybe when your kid gets older they'll be on the same page.

[vimeo]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - the item in question is part of a $200 set and has a motor, if that makes a difference

$200 set?

If it is just one special set, put it on a shelf or in a bin when friends come over, just as you would any other really special object during playdates.

That should not even be an issue.

But your original post refered to set(s) and closely supervising the kids when they play legos and not allowimg them to break anything. What you described in your original post (Kragl syndrome) is very different than putting one very expensive or very special toy away when kids come to play.

Apples and oranges

OP here - the item in question is part of a $200 set and has a motor, if that makes a difference

OPs husband probably never played with Legos when he was a kid and doesn't understand the concept.