Little Coloured Bricks

Hungry for some Lego blood? You just might be a Lego vampire minifig -the most feared of all minifigs because they suck blood and are immortal. Vampires are very popular to kids nowadays especially to Twilight fans but Vampires have always been popular even before the Twilight movies came out. In Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, vampire stories became so vivid that it made adults wondering whether these creatures are for real. In Legoland, vampires are as real as the light of day and most of them live in their castles in the outskirts of the Lego Town.

Because of their allure, vampire minifigs have hit the shelves and are now in many home around the globe, either used as paraphernalia for Halloween or just regular toys that inflict fear to other minifigs but what are vampires really?

LEGO Filipino

In 5000 BC, Vampirism emerged in the Mediterranean Basin bringing fright into the area. By 2000 BC a tomb for a vampire was constructed in Giza. Although regular history books do not talk about it, ancient books mention the said account. By year 31, there are records that Jesus healed those with vampirism in Capernaum. In year 140 there was a Vapire Emperor of Rome. His name is Longinus. During the First Crusade, crusaders expelled groups of vampires from Jerusalem –a story still unverified today.

There are many records of vampires roaming the earth but many do not believe that these creatures exist. Since they must have been just representations of murderers i.e. Vlad Dracular or Vlad the Impaler who drank the blood of his victims, many think that vampires were just one of those tales transferred from one generation to the next where information has been twisted to fit the purpose of the storyteller.

Whether they are for real or just a figment of our imagination, many think that vampires are quite cool and they can live forever.

Photo Courtesy of Philippine Bricksters

We all know the infamously nefarious toy that goes by the name of LEGO – it’s so hardcore, it can’t be destroyed by normal means, and especially not by time alone. In fact, LEGO products are so enduring that they can already be considered immortal. Their themes are established classics – may it be about wizards, space pirates, or any other fantasy, LEGO has it all. Their product design makes playing with it safe for people of all ages, whether you’re a young whippersnapper or a child merely at heart. The innovative blueprint also makes it a toy that’s so much more – it can be a part of robotic machines competing around the world, art displays at various galleries in different museums, or simply a treasured collection stored and displayed on the top shelf.

It may not seem this way, but unknown to many people, LEGO offers a wide selection of goods that have a varying price range, giving people the power of choice on what they want to buy regardless of the number in their bank accounts. And since May 2010 is the time of new beginnings with regards to the Philippine elections, then the final point about LEGO products will pertain to their simplistic colors being not only attractive but also timeless – it can appeal to anybody, regardless of their race, sex or even political affinity: yellow, the color of the heroic Ninoy-Cory Aquino couple, can be used by their son and possibly the newest president of the republic, Senator Noynoy Aquino, to spread the “yellow fever” in support of his would-be regime.

But LEGO is not limited to being a possible propaganda tool of some political agenda in the Philippines – it’s a paragon of virtue and good tidings, too. In December 2008, a fantastic Christmas city was built in Bonifacio High Street with mere LEGO bricks. Aptly dubbed “Lego Christmas Land”, it is the first Lego project of its kind in the Southeast Asian country, and solely aims to help the nation’s children “one block at a time”. Serving as a fundraiser not only for Filipinos but to the kids sponsored by UNICEF, the event’s proceeds will be used to purchase clothes, food, books and other things that these children need.

And if that’s not noble and patriotic enough, wait till you hear the next thing you can do with LEGO: mini figures that represent your nationality. Mini figures, commonly nown as minifigs, first appeared in 1978, and 3.7 billion products later they’re still very much in demand. One particular group in the Philippines took the minifig customization to a new level, featuring original and authentic minifig parts and pieces made in Denmark. This group that goes by the name “Philippine Bricksters” has produced customized LEGO minifigs that bear the Philippine flag’s colors and symbols across its minifigs’ chest, available in both male and female designs. They also have an upcoming project of creating custom Bahay Kubos or native nipa huts, vintas as well as jeepney minifigs, three objects inherently found in the Philippines’ popular culture.

Boys will be boys and they love fast cars, cool machines, robots and construction tools. If you have a young son, and want him to channel his energy to being creative -it is advised that you buy a Lego set for him today. We are not selling Lego toys or anything but you can find Lego toys or sets for your boys just about anywhere. There are always Lego toys available in malls. If you do not want to go to the mall, you can always order online and get those Lego bricks delivered to you in a day or two.

Lego bricks are one good way to help your child develop his imagination and make his learning experience a fun one. This will make your son achieve more when he grows up because he will be able to develop critical thinking faster compared to others while he is young.  Apart from the usual Lego cars and construction sets, you can buy your son an educational set from Lego. All you have to do is key in “educational Lego set” and voila! you will be able to take a look at the Lego educational toys you want for your son.

Of course it would not hurt if you add in a few cowboy Lego sets with a wild west theme or another theme that will catch your son’s attention either. After all, this is for Lego play and not purely a school activity.

Another way to encourage your son to learn is to join him during his Lego sessions and show him that  you can actually build anything and everything through the Lego bricks. If you do not have any idea on how to build stuff with Lego, there are lots of How-To Lego articles in this website you can use as your reference.

Child care practitioners use Lego to teach children how to be creative and how to build different things by using Lego. Lego bricks are universal toys. Every child in all parts of the globe have seen and played with Lego blocks and they are available almost anywhere.

Children in Asia play with Lego bricks and they are also used in classrooms as an activity toy for kids in kinder garten. Although not every child has the chance to play with these wonderful toys, it is Lego’s aim to make the bricks affordable so that every child, anywhere in the world has the chance to play with the Danish blocks.

The LEGO Group established its Lego education program in the year 1980. This program has innovations in the field of educating children along with learning solutions for different curricula and subject matters. Lego education aims for learning in a creative environment without spoiling the fun of it all. If you haven’t seen Lego’s education website, you should drop by today to take a look at the sets for kids ages 1 to 21. These toys meet international standards in terms of quality and safety so you do not have to worry if you are planning to buy it for your toddler.

More than just bricks, Lego educational brick sets are not only toys, they are also used for school activities. The educational solutions of Lego are not just something some guy who does not have a background in education came up with, these Lego activity packs were created by teachers and professors to facilitate hands on learning for children. This includes learning math, computer skills and the sciences.

Do you feel that this is too good to be true? If you are still in doubt, you can always call the Lego Group with regards to their educational toys and judge for yourself.

Photo Courtesy of Duckingham.com

If you love puppies and dogs, you are sure to love these life-size dogs constructed with Lego bricks. These are located in one of the Legolands and they are amazingly accurate and intricate.

Domesticated to be working and companion animals, dogs have been living with humans for centuries. Dogs in early human settlements have proven to be very important especially for areas where there were a lot of snow since they needed sled dogs to bring them from one place to another. Dogs were also used for hunting, herding and for protection. Apart from being pets, dogs today also serve in the military and the police. They are also members of rescue and retrieval teams.

There are around 400 million dogs today and some of them serve as aides to the handicapped. Over the centuries man have learned how to breed dogs specific for certain types of work. Some scientists believe that around 15, 000 years ago, dogs started to diverge from their wolf family while others say that humans domesticated wolves which in turn became the dog breed. The history is more intricate of course but basically, that is how it happened.

Dog lovers are fascinated by this history especially those who own German Shepherds and Siberian Huskies because these dogs breeds are the closest relatives of the wolf. Since dogs are so loved, it is not a surprise that many Lego enthusiasts have built dogs out of the little coloured bricks, no matter how difficult it is to do so.

If you are interested in dog minifigs, there are a few available in certain sets you would just have to search for them. If you want to make a life-size dog out of the Danish bricks however, you should make sure that you have enough bricks to build it. You might also want to start your planning by using Lego’s computer program so that you have assistance in your Lego building project.

Dogs are cute whether they are bricks or not.