Showing posts with label lego. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lego. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Bringing the Galaxy to Our Game Room

What used to be a closet, has become our Nerd Room. Or Game Room. Or Man Cave. It kinda fits all those descriptions depending on who you ask in this household. From the 3D printed light switch cover and electrical outlet covers, to the shelves displaying Star Wars, Star Trek, Minecraft, and Zelda collections, this room is being made into our dream room. We have been running out of space though lately. Which is where space comes into play....

My husband and I both love space. But for different reasons. He loves true space. Vast, beautiful and unfathomable. I love space in movies. Star Wars, Star Trek, Serenity - I'm that space nerd. But they are essentially the same thing. So we came to an idea together. What if our Nerd Room was given a makeover that brought space inside?? It isn't a big room. Like I said, it used to be a closet for the previous owners. A large walk-in closet, but a closet still. 

So we looked up. After all, where are the stars usually? Up! There was an ugly popcorn plastered ceiling above us. Normally, I'd want to remove everything from the room. Lay down some plastic sheeting. Hit the tunes. And then begin the process of scraping or sanding off all that plaster. But that takes time. And removes the gaming room from existence for a period of time that would be unbearably long to my many gamers in this house. I thought we were going to have a nuclear meltdown when my TV quit working on me... We could only play from one console and it about killed the kids. 

So what do I do? The next best thing! We bought a gallon of black paint. Flat. Nothing too fancy. And because I couldn't remove everything from the room indefinitely, I carefully started painting the ceiling by hand with the biggest brush I had in my crafting supplies. Time consuming, sure, but totally worth the final effort. 

Each time I got to painting, I set timers or had the kids time me. About 20 minutes was my goal. Once or twice I was able to push it to 30-40 minutes. By then, my hands and feet had that painful tingling and numb feeling. As well as arms and neck that hurt from being upward turned for too long. 

My starting point was around the light fixture as my husband was planning to install a new fan/light combo that he chose. I slowly circled outward from there. And it looked much like those psychiatry ink blots.

So my kids came up with ideas on what the shapes looked like. My youngest would give me a 5 minute story to go with her ideas. And then a friend pointed out that it looked like the Nothing from The Neverending Story.
This is where I learned that my husband had never seen that movie! Which then prompted me to borrow it from the library and have a family movie night. My kids laughed at it and said it was cool, but weird. My husband thought it interesting. He laughed at the boy reading and said it reminded him of me.
My three older kids started chipping in to help me. It made the progress go by faster. And we had fun talking while we worked. Shapes and blackness kept spreading along the way.
Notice those shapes going from the ceiling to the wall? That was not me making a mess. Nor was it accidental. I did that on purpose with the idea that it would look like the roof had been torn away to let the galaxy in. I'm no artist, but I think it worked out alright.
The finished product of all this work was a scene better than I could have thought. See those white flecks? This is what happens when you paint over the popcorn texture by hand. It is nearly impossible to cover all the angles. So you are left with parts that look like stars shining through the darkness.
The final part of the job was to get the outline of a moon left white. My husband had to do this. My attempt had it looking like a stretched out half moon.
Now that my moon is in place, the entire ceiling is finished and we are ready to add some exploration vehicles!
Oh, didn't I tell you? We have these LEGO sets that were space themed. They have been sitting in their boxes for years. Just never had a place to display them. But we had this great idea. What if we could hang them from the ceiling? What if the land vehicles are parked on the shelf under the night sky? 

But then...

Before I could finish this post and share it with you, there was a bit of an accident. A hole was punched through the ceiling during a wiring attempt for another home project. So now we have a black hole. *Pun totally intended!* It was an interesting patch job that I hope not to have to repeat. How well can you tell the difference??
Eventually, my husband and I will start hanging the rocket and satellite builds. Then I have to figure out the shelf for the ground vehicles. But for now, I think we have a pretty unique setup going. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I love hearing from you. Any ideas on how to improve this?

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Beating the Never-Ending Summer Blues

I feel like summer has been going on since Spring Break. Technically, my kids had school (albeit at home), starting about 2 weeks after Spring Break ended. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, home has been our prison of a sorts. I have gotten creative with challenging their minds. Free time has been filled with reading, writing and as much learning as I can get them into without exhausting them. I recreated this one game I saw on Pinterest (see my blog post here).

What to do when boredom strikes....

Sadly, that game has gotten too repetitive. We started a challenge every night at dinner where I would ask questions. Mostly from history, though I threw in some geographical ones too. I was amazed how few things my children could answer. They know only the things we have taught them on World War 2, Lewis and Clark, the Boston Tea Party, the Vietnam War, the Great Wall of China... My younger son actually said he thought the Great Wall of China was built to keep out the Mexicans! *palm to forehead here* They just finished 4th grade! But I digress. I started them reading books and writing reports on historical events that I find important. I also got a book on geography for them to study over the summer. And while this is all great stuff, I can't overwhelm them with learning all the time. Not unless I can make it fun.

So off to Pinterest I went again. My searches always bring up great ideas later on. And that is where this next challenge came up. It involves Lego, which my children have lots of. You will also need a timer and an account with Teachers Pay Teachers. Don't worry, this printable is completely free! The LegoLibrarian is a genius. I plan to head back for other challenge ideas later.

Here is how the game works:

Each child gets to build an island. I gave my kids 20 minutes to do so with any Lego pieces they wanted. Once the timer dinged, I handed each one a handful of pieces more and took the rest away. I set the timer for 15 minutes more after letting them pick from the challenge cards here.
When that time was up, my husband and I had each child explain their island and how they overcame their challenges. Today was the first time we did it and it was a success. 2/3 kids really put in the effort to add details.
The challenge for this kid was to build a trap to catch a thief.
My daughter had to find another way to make food for her island.

So give it a go! And don't forget to share the fun with us. Let me know in the comments below how your kids liked it or what you think is best about this little game!

Saturday, November 30, 2019

4 Huge Reasons That Lego DUPLO Are a Must Have

Toys are more than just entertainment in our home. We believe that they are a way to create imaginative play. A way to grow and learn. From geology to the circuit building sets, and then to the Lego bricks! All of these things have been welcomed into our home for play that is meaningful.


*Disclaimer: I was sent the All-in-One-Box free of charge, for my honest review and to share with guests at a party that I hosted. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed by Lego DUPLO.*

I played with my Lego bricks, growing up. I loved building and exploring the possibilities. And since then, they have only gotten cooler! There are more complex pieces. Additionally, there are bigger ones now that I can let my babies play with. Lego DUPLO are perfect for my toddler. She can't shove them in her mouth and block airways. What she can do is build her castles to the sky. She can build a train that whistles as it runs the along the track through her city. Her characters are animal and human - and always fun! They have adventures together. Buzz Lightyear is often seen riding his "horse" (which is actually a goat) to save the children in a runaway train! 

Why should you check Lego DUPLO out?

As parents, we want our kids to build their imaginations. It leads to more creative thinking later in life. We live in an age where kids are glued to electronic devices starting at an early age. Studies have shown that this isn't helping them long term. They need toy time. Time to play with their hands, increasing their motor functions. Lego bricks are the perfect way to do just that! There are manuals, but after building the set once, I have found that kids can't resist taking it apart and then building something of their own design. This is great! My kids don't just build an object. They build stories in their minds. 

Motor functions - Lego DUPLO are perfect for little hands. Easy to handle, easy to take apart and put together. They are designed with little people in mind. They learn motor control of their hands. A skill that needs to be built and refined through life.

No limitations - There are sets for all kinds of imaginations. Super heroes, farms, trains, wild animals - you know the new Frozen movie? Elsa and Anna are back! They are gender neutral. While I don't think all toys should be, I am glad that Lego are. Trains and animals, vehicles or movie characters - no matter who they are favored by - can be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

 Life skill learning- Imagination isn't the only learning they do. My daughter has a train that has the numbers she can count as she puts them on. We practice saying the colors too. Naming the different animals. Now, I know she is only a toddler, but dare I say we are promoting engineering as well? Let's say she wants to build a great tower. She needs to know how to balance the bricks and connect them well so that they won't just fall over. I know, I know. Big concepts for a 3 year old. But we gotta start them off somewhere, yes? And this is the fun way to do just that. 


What else does Lego DUPLO offer? 

How about a party planning hub? You read that right. They will help you plan out your party! From invitations you can print to the napkin holder, and on to the games! You can check it all out here. There is a gift finder that makes figuring out what your kid would like most, even easier.
I even found items at the local Dollar Tree to use for my Lego DUPLO party. Plates and napkins and little party favor boxes. These were added to the plates and favor bags that Lego sent me and it was awesome! 

Party planning and hosting at its finest!  

Lego DUPLO sent me an amazing party pack to get my on my way to hosting a wonderful party. 
My daughter really got into the party spirit as we prepared for her party. They have little masks you can print. She called them her "friends"! They have a couple more in the variety that are so much fun.
We put the stickers that Lego sent in the bags along with other party favors I picked up. Oriental Trading Company has some building brick themed items that are perfect as well!



Thanks to my love of Pinterest, I came across the idea to make Lego themed rice crispy treats.
Then they played with the All-in-One Box! The good thing about Lego DUPLO bricks are that older kids can really connect with their younger siblings and friends as they play. They bond, as it were. At least my kids did.
There are all kinds of games on the birthday hub that you can play. The tower building one was my favorite. 

I highly suggest you take a look and see what you can come up with! Then let me know what you liked the best. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! 

Monday, August 29, 2016

Lego Americana Roadshow

Another thing we did this weekend, was take the kids to the North Star Mall for the Lego Roadshow. It was a Saturday and Sunday event where kids and adults alike could participate in building a replica of the Liberty Bell as well as go on a scavenger hunt around the mall to various Lego replicas of historical buildings from around America.
These were amazing works of art that resulted from hours of dedicated building.
Once you completed the scavenger hunt, you were awarded a poster with fun information about American history with a Lego twist here and there. 
The Liberty Bell build was fun. We grabbed the parts they listed and took them home in bags to build later.
It will go nicely with my custom Lego museum. 
They have a couple more stops to make when they leave here on Labor Day. You can see where by going here

Monday, June 22, 2015

This has been a fun summer so far

While stores are getting ready for back to school sales, I'm still finishing up the summer activities with my kiddos. The Lego store started giving away the second Lego Star Wars poster in the once-a-month promotion they run. Now until the 28th I believe, buy ANY Star Wars merchandise and you get the newest poster. 
Next one comes around July 20-26. 
Any I do mean ANY Star Wars purchase. I bought a small keychain for $5 to get mine. Plus Carlos hooked me up with a Ninjago dual-sided poster. 
After the Lego store we went to Barnes and Noble to turn in our book list and get our free books. The kids picked out some cool ones. I wish I could've gotten one...
Sadly it's one per child, per summer. They do have a great variety of books though. So get reading! And enjoy the last bit of summer. 

Monday, February 2, 2015

Exhaustion to the max!

As a mom, being tired is nothing new to me. I'm used to waking up several times a night because someone had a bad dream or isn't feeling good. It still doesn't make me immune to exhaustion. I've been running on less than 4 hours of sleep. My husband got this picture as I fell asleep sitting up.
 Plus there's been work (getting ready to walk into a shift today too) and the Super Bowl party. After work the day before yesterday I came home, showered, and got dressed. I decided to nap a couple hours. My husband came in to make sure I woke up on time before my alarm even rang. I think I was going for a Princess Anna look.... 
Because this was what I saw in the mirror.... 
Of course, like any southern lady, just five minutes of mirror time and I was party ready. 
Yesterday after work, I came home to clean the kitchen. I guess even my dense husband could tell I was at my limit as he told me to go to bed for the rest of the day. So after a shower.... I slept the rest of the day. Finally woke up at 1 AM this morning. I suppose that this is normal for people my age. We should be able to handle sleepless nights and long days. A perk of our youth. I for one, however, don't want to get into this habit. It's a pain in the head and back! And it takes away from the enjoyment of life. I could barely listen to what my kids were sayingor didn't even have the desire to talk to a close friend of mine. Now that the sleep monster is satisfied, I feel a bit guilty. So tonight, even though I work in the morning, I'm taking the kids to the mall for the free Lego build! Check your local Lego store for their event starting at 5PM. Better get there about an hour early as the line gets long and the supplies can be as limited as 250 people only. This month, it's a space shuttle! 
Enjoy your day and get your sleep! 

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Making this weekend special

I not only got out of work early on Friday, but had the whole weekend off. There were a few family events (free of course) that I couldn't pass up. 
The Lego Store at the North Star mall, for instance, had a pre-Black Friday VIP event. It was one VIP card holder and a guest going in 9-10 AM (before opening) to get free bags of goodies and special extras. While my husband was there with the middle son, I took the oldest and little lady to stand and wait by the Disney store. We had run into a friend who let me in on the knowledge that the first child at the door would get to "open" the store.
They also got a free key ornament.
My oldest son didn't want to do it so I took my lady out of the stroller.
She was so excited. I found it amusing that all 3 of us were dressed in Disney style. I had worn a Maleficent ensemble.
Afterwards, we took the kids to the Target Frozen event. Each of the kids got a goodie bag regardless of what they were wearing.
My little "Elsa" was posing and smiling. 
The Cartwheel toy of the day is the Lettlest Pet Shop Style set. 
We also stopped by our friends at San Antonio Plastic Bricks. They have recently moved to a larger retail store front. Definitely going to be amazing once it's completely set up. 
Hope you all have an amazing weekend! Remember those deep breaths as you try to get through the Thanksgiving week next week!!! 

Monday, September 1, 2014

Lego KidsFest

Getting there is tricky. Being there is fun!
The location was difficult to reach, especially for us being from San Antonio. It was downtown Dallas, and not much parking that we saw along the way. Parking was $15 a vehicle for under the garage of the building. 
Outside food and drinks are not allowed. And yes, they search bags. We had to leave our snacks outside the doors at the customer service booth. 
Just inside they had the Lost Parents booth. I love this! Fill out a card with your name and number so that if your child gets lost, they can go there to find you. 
There was so much to do!
Unless you time each activity, I don't see how you could fit every single thing into one session. 
If you completed the scavenger hunt within the Lego Club magazine, you scored a free special Duplo brick. We didn't know about this until the end as we were heading out. They also gave away poly bag sets if you completed or participated in certain events. We did the Challenge event of trying to build boats.
Of course, the one I helped my son build looks more like a raft...
As we finished, they gave us Star Wars Lego poly bags. 
In the Mindstorms arena, my oldest got to control technic robots. 
There were lots of building opportunities. Princess, Duplo,
race cars, and even making memories!
You could add a square to the mosaic boards.
Or to the Lego version of the US as told by the fans of Lego who built squares for it. 
Honest Tea provided snacks. There were also dining areas designated though I wouldn't be surprised if the prices were high. We decided to hold out until leaving to get dinner. 
There were a lot of areas for each theme. Duplo, Duplo Disney Princess, Disney Princess, Mindstorms, Star Wars, Hero Factory, Challenge, Master Builder sessions where you could learn about how they do what they do,
Chima and so many others! We also built some stuff in the Friends section and scored a poly bag just for visiting. 
They gave away Lego Club magazines, Super Hero Batman comics, and some Chima themed stuff. 
We had a great time, despite my 3 very tired kids who began begging to go back to the hotel to sleep. Next year I hope to plan a little better. Things like eating before we go, bringing the baby leash to reign in the baby but still allow her to wander around... What things would you enjoy?