LEGO workshops and events for libraries

As adult LEGO fans, we all know that LEGO bricks are part of a sophisticated interlocking block system which is wasted on children*.

Sometimes, though, we need to take our hobby / obsession / addicition / affliction less seriously. Here are a few things us adult LEGO fans need to stop complaining about:

  1. The LEGO Group’s primary market is kids. Its primary use is as a toy (sorry, not sorry). This does mean endless fire stations, police stations, and passenger / freight train sets, repeated until the day the Sun destroys the planet we live on. And I’m still going to buy them all. If you don’t like the sets, don’t buy them!
  2. Kids love stickers in LEGO sets. It’s part of the building process for kids. It’s fine if you don’t want to use them on your model – but if another LEGO fan wants to add them, that’s fine too.
  3. Love is love. As LEGO fans, we all love specific themes / bricks / colours. That’s cool. Don’t judge another (except those classic space guys. Trains are much cooler :P)
  4. A set is just LEGO bricks. If you don’t like the set, you can always rebuild it in to something else.
  5. We all start somewhere in the LEGO hobby. As an adult LEGO fan, we all start somewhere. Try not to judge their models harshly, but offer fair advice to help that builder improve.
  6. AFOLs don’t just magically appear. Don’t ignore younger (KFOL / TFOL) fans – they tend to be where AFOLs come from. Treat them as a future AFOL – be friendly, offer advice, and help them improve as modellers.
  7. My LUG (LEGO User Group) is better than your LUG. We’re all adults who want to play with LEGO bricks. It’s cool we’ve found other adults who want to play with LEGO bricks. Which LUG you join shouldn’t really matter; it sort of makes sense to join your local LEGO User Group. I’m a member of many LUGs – I join them because I want to see a wide variety (and not just as test subjects for my AFOL interviews. Although…); I attend Brick Alley meetings (and happen to be current chair!) because it’s my local group, but I’ve found friends in Brickshire, Tartan LUG, Northern Brickworks, Sheffield LUG (now Brickish), Brickish and in LUGs across the world (shout out to the brilliant Parades de Coura Fan Weekend!). It’s not about the badge on your tshirt; it’s about our shared love for tiny little plastic bricks which consume all of our disposable income.
  8. Some AFOLs sell LEGO sets / bricks. Some do it for a living. This doesn’t mean they don’t love LEGO in their own way.

I’m sure this list will grow as I encounter further grumpy adult LEGO fans…stay tuned!

* A joke, for those who didn’t notice the sarcasm!