Lego Brickworld: Inspiration for Making

Over Father's Day Weekend, my husband was a trooper to take part of "his" weekend to spend with his geeked-out wife and two sons at the Lego Brickworld expo in Schaumburg, Illinois.  As an an older sister to a Lego fanatic, I have grown up with a deep respect for all things Lego--except for that awful moment when you step on a Lego in bare feet!  We visited the expo as a treat for our kids, who love this toy immensely, growing up first with Duplos and then graduating to the regular bricks.  I immediately discovered that this experience wasn't going to be just about my boys; it clearly was going to be a way for me to collect ideas and inspiration for my makerspace.

When we stepped into the expo, it was something akin to Charlie walking into the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory--visually dazzling, buzzing, alive.  My jaw dropped, and I couldn't help but feel excited as well as a bit overwhelmed.  My family and I walked from table to table, each new innovative creation inspiring and amazing us--so many small details taken into account even in the largest of displays.  There was also something there for everyone; even if you weren't a fan of Legos, you left with a new-found respect for this toy.  What I also found interesting is the expo was much like a Maker Faire with an emphasis on Legos.  There were people from all different walks of life and skill levels there to share what they had created with the world.  Since I was there with my sons, who have finally reached the age when they will put aside the booklet for a kit and just build something from their imaginations, we saw this as an opportunity to get ideas, seek advice, and think about possibly showcasing some of their work at this expo in the future.  (My older son asks me if he can do this just about every day now.)

As much as I can try to describe what I saw, it's much better to share it through photos.  Of course there is no way to really truly capture the experience in photos either, but you'll see some of the cool things I observed while visiting the Brickworld expo.  All of these, as well as many others, have become true inspirations for me as I think about the Maker Movement and designing the makerspace in my learning commons.

There were many large cityscapes.

A QR Code made out of Legos--and it worked of course!  Super neat.

Lego Wall--How fun to leave your mark or create graffiti using Legos!

Lego flowers

Lego art--I would love several of these hanging from my learning commons' ceiling.

Paying homage to the popular '80s cartoon, The Smurfs!

A childhood classic: Where the Wild Things Are

Storybooks come to life with Lego characters

Lego art

Lego patterns

Lego mosaics

Lego Pop Art

As a Chicagoan, I love this one since it's a favorite of mine at the Art Institute and part of one of my favorite scenes in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Since attending this expo, my kids have been playing with their Legos daily, and I can't help but tinker a bit as well--especially with the idea of creating mosaics and QR codes!  I'm excited to find ways to bring Legos into my learning commons and help kids get charged up just as my family and I did at Brickworld.