Mr Summerscales has a life-long relationship with Lego going back to one of his most cherished childhood memories: a visit to the original Legoland in Denmark when he was nine years old. As a result, he is keen to pass on the joy he experienced through this beloved childhood hobby onto the next generation.
Playing with Lego has numerous benefits for children’s development, some of which are, perhaps, unexpected. They get to practice and develop planning skills as they conceive projects. It also allows them to learn from the failures which come with figuring out how best to construct an object, as well as using their problem-solving and lateral thinking skills to make the best use of the resources available to them to complete a project. Finally, research has shown that playing with puzzles and building blocks in childhood helps pupils develop spatial skills as well the creativity necessary for a wide range of careers from STEM-related jobs to being an architect or engineer, as well as jobs in artistic-orientated fields.
In a world in which many sources of entertainment for children are becoming increasingly digitized, it is heartening to see that these humble plastic building blocks are still as popular and relevant to children as ever.