I believe that there are certain types of people who just love building things.  People who can take an idea out of their heads and make it a reality.  People who find joy in using their hards to actually CREATE something.

I’m one of those people.

Maybe it is because I didn’t grow up with brothers, but in my family it never dawned on me that DIY projects like woodworking and home improvement weren’t typically done by women. I was really blessed to have parents who encouraged me (and my sister) to try new things, and never told us we couldn’t do something because it was a ‘boy thing’ or because ‘girls don’t do that.’

I loved spending time in my grandpa’s workshop building bird houses, or looking over my dad’s shoulder while he changed out a light fixture. My sister and I were always welcome and encouraged.

It is with that same spirit that I want to encourage and support my girls and their love of building.  If you are a regular reader of my blog you may notice how frequently my kids are included in my projects.

I think it is really important for them to learn that they have the ability to do great things if they are willing to try.

I am always looking for ways to encourage them to love building and I want them to feel a sense of pride in something they have created.

That is one of the reasons I LOVE LOVE LOVE (and that isn’t an exaggeration) LEGO® building sets.

I grew up building with LEGO bricks, and I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that building and designing with LEGOs then, gave me some of the confidence to build and design now.

Since this is a Flashback Friday post, I HAD to include a photo (I think this is circa 1988) of my sister and I building with our LEGO bricks.

Ack! The 80s! Big hair and golden oak!

Back when I was younger there were no LEGO® Friends building sets, which are specifically targeted at girls.  (To keep up with all the latest LEGO products, you can follow them on  Twitter,  Facebook,  Pinterest and Instagram. )

I am not usually a fan of gender-stereotyping, but in this case LEGO® Friends are exposing girls to construction-based play they wouldn’t normally be interested in.  How could I not LOVE that?

One of the huge advantages of LEGO sets is that kids can express themselves creatively and playfully, building whatever comes to mind (which is exactly how my 4 year old does it.)

Or they can build in a more target-oriented manner, following complex instructions to accomplish their goals.  (Which is what my 8 year old prefers.)

I hope they never lose this love for building things..

..I never did.


I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. I really really DO love LEGO building systems.