Ah, our dear LEGO bricks. Every house has gone through, is currently in, or will be overrun with tiny bricks at some point. These building bricks provide hours of entertainment for children of all ages — while being the worst thing you can possibly step on.
LEGO has exploded in recent times with big-name franchises like Minecraft, Mario, Animal Crossing, and Marvel. It has also been specifically targeted to adults, including a new line of Botanicals, and sets more geared towards display and less play.
Every year we honor this simple brick on January 28th, International LEGO Day! This is the date when the patent was submitted for the current brick design in 1958. In honor of these bricks, we will delve into a bit of history, fun facts, and some activities to help you celebrate LEGO on its special day.
LEGO History
LEGO initially was founded in 1932 by Godtfred Kirk Christiansen whose initial focus was on wood toys. The name LEGO is derived from two Danish words “leg godt,” which translates to “play well.” The brick design itself was patented, along with the concept of a building system with blocks that interlock together in a variety of patterns and designs. These bricks are created using injection molds that have changed very little over the years, with 60-year-old bricks still working with today’s current sets.
The company was rejuvenated after a poor sales slump in the early 2000s and has been on an upward trend ever since. LEGO became the most powerful brand in 2017, surpassing Nike, VISA, Google, and Ferrari. Despite its popularity and value, it has remained a privately held company and continues to be run by the same founding family in Denmark.
Facts to “Build” Into Your Next Conversation
- Despite being an additional connection point for hair, hats, and accessories for a LEGO Minifigure, the iconic hole in the head has another surprising reason. It is there so a child can continue to breathe in case it is accidentally swallowed.
- LEGO makes 400 million tires a year for its various vehicles, making LEGO the world’s largest tire manufacturer, surpassing any real-life tire maker.
- The LEGO Group is committed to using sustainable materials, aiming to make all its products from plant-based or recycled materials by 2030.
- The durability of LEGO bricks is said to withstand up to 37,112 repetitions of being pulled apart and clicked together.
- LEGO Group’s manufacturing process is so precise that only 18 bricks out of every million produced are considered defective.
- The first Minifigure was created in 1978. Since then, LEGO has created over four billion Minifigures, making it the world’s largest population group.
- The most expensive LEGO Minifigure is the 14k gold Star Wars 30th Anniversary C-3PO, which is said to be worth at least $200,000. There were only five figures made, and they were unavailable to purchase, but rather given away during a contest in 2008.
- Adult Fans of LEGO are known affectionally as AFOLS.
Activities to Celebrate LEGO Day!
LEGO continues to be a timeless toy that often outlasts other toys on the market due to its configurations and possibilities — even from a small set. These bricks are also touted as being great for spatial intelligence, hand-eye coordination, as well as imaginative play.
Let’s celebrate these cherished bricks with some International LEGO Day activities:
- Visit Charleston’s first authorized LEGO brick store downtown.
- Take a road trip to Greenville and visit the only Official LEGO Store in South Carolina.
- The obvious – build a new set, or perhaps re-configure an existing set . . . or create something brand new!
- Watch the LEGO movies.
- Host a building party. Share your favorite sets, collaborate on a bigger creation, and enjoy the company of fellow LEGO lovers.
- Create your own Minifigure using existing pieces. Model it after yourself, or someone else!
