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For My Family, Splitting Time Between a Screen and Physical Play Works Best

nama lego event

For someone who’s never played Minecraft, I’ve seen a lot of it.

My kid has loved the online game since he was about 10ish, and had versions of it on his phone and his laptop. I have no problem with that at all, as it’s a constructive and imaginative experience for players. My son has built all sorts of worlds and is so proud of them — even now, at 14.

And so, I’ve heard “look what I made” more than a few (million) times over the past few years.

My son — like me — is also an avid LEGO maker. There’s just something about making miniature versions of things that we love. As a mum, the concepts of imaginative play and the development of gross and fine motor skills were also important.

The benefits of block play with games like LEGO are well-documented, from early childhood and through key development years. Specifically, it incorporates STEM skills like problem-solving, counting, adding, and subtracting. There’s even research to suggest that the fact that kids are likely to share their creations with you by describing them that could help language skills to some extent, too.

Plus, following a booklet of instructions is a life skill!

But did you know your kids can bring their virtual Minecraft game into reality through yep, you guessed it, LEGO Minecraft?

Their love of gaming + creating a real-life world = the best of both two types of play.

LEGO calls it “Build Your World” — and as a parent, I love the idea. The concept isn’t about being negative about screen time, but rather, a balance that uses the mind in different ways.

It makes sense, because in 2021, why can’t we have both at the same time?

So, while they are building their world through gaming, they can also build it physically and enjoy two types of play simultaneously.

How Does Minecraft Come to Life, Exactly?

Basically, LEGO Minecraft is about bringing the digital game to life. With the release of the LEGO collection, the game is being brought off-screen — as a LEGO lover, I’m excited about this — um, sorry, I mean my child is.

LEGO’s more detailed description is “The amazing world of Minecraft with its unique characters is recreated here in LEGO bricks, so children can create their own exciting Minecraft stories.”

You can find all 63 of the Minecraft sets here, but these are the ones that have grabbed my son’s attention first.

The Pig House, $79.99

lego minecraft pig house

This LEGO Minecraft set is made to last, endlessly reconfigurable, and easy to combine with other LEGO Minecraft sets. And it looks and functions like a house, made in the shape of a SUPER CUTE GIANT PINK PIG. The side of the house opens for play, too.

The Modern Treehouse, $179.99

Again, the endless configuration makes for hours of fun and looks just like the game — including the characters. The treehouse also has four different rooms and a variety of Minecraft items that don’t have to be attached to the tree. With 909 pieces to use, this set is great for imaginative play.

The Jungle Abomination, $59.99

lego minecraft

The popular monster comes to life with a massive moveable head and lots of other moving parts.

The set also includes a Minecraft explorer, archaeologist, enchanted Creeper, skeleton, iron golem and a buildable, articulated plant with grabbing petals.

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