Category: Lego

Building a Lego Fidget Spinner

JSL, Lego

IMG_20170524_194646783The fidget spinner craze is definitely burning hot right now. Everyone seems to want to be spinning some plastic between their fingers. Recently, NHL bought one for himself on a school trip to Montreal. JSL was a bit jealous and wanted one for himself, but no one seemed to have any in stock. What to do? Easy. Build our own!

After a bit of Googling, I found a blog post with instructions on building our own fidget spinner from Legos. One problem: Despite having a giant bin of Legos, we didn’t have most of the parts we needed.

So we improvised. We rooted through the bin for wheels and other pieces that would work. After a few minutes, both JSL and I had a working fidget spinner. JSL then went on to build two more.

At this point, I decided that I needed to share. I made a video and posted it on Instagram showing off my creation.

I made a #Lego fidget spinner.

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After I did this, JSL did his own video, narrating his creations. He was so happy when he heard that people were liking his video. (He thinks he’s famous because he had about a dozen likes. I’m not correcting him. Let him be happy with that.)

JSL presents the three fidget spinners that he made out of #Lego.

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I’ve since disassembled and reassembled my Lego fidget spinner so I can document the process. I leave it here, not as hard and fast instructions, but as a guide. The fun part about making a Lego fidget spinner is making it your own. Sure, it might not spin as fast or as much as the real thing, but half of the fun is building and customizing it.

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Unwinding With Lego Marvel Super Heroes on the Wii U

Games, Lego, Superheroes, Video Games, Wii

Lately, I’ve been working pretty hard.  My day job has been keeping me very busy. (Not that I’m complaining, mind you.  I’d rather be busy than sitting with nothing to do.)  Then, after getting the kids into bed, I’ve been busy with a rather large freelance project.

After all of that work, I need to unwind and relax somehow.  Lately, my method of choice has been playing Lego Marvel Super Heroes for the Wii U.  I’ve been a fan of the Lego games for awhile on the Nintendo DS, but this is the first Wii U title I’ve tried.

lego-marvel

A full review is still coming, but suffice it to say that I love it.  One of the things I’ve always liked about Lego games is the replay-ability.  After finishing all of the levels, you could always play them again in "Free Play" mode.  This title has that, but also has all of Manhattan to explore.  There are gold bricks to collect (over 200), citizens to help, Deadpool missions to complete, vehicles and characters to unlock, and Stan Lee to save (many, many times).  It’s quite daunting how big the world you get to play in is, but it’s also quite fun.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go flying around the city as Iron Man.  Or maybe go on a rampage through the streets as the Hulk.  TechyDad Smash!

What do you like to do to unwind?

NOTE: We purchased Lego Marvel Super Heroes on our own.  I wasn’t asked or paid to do a review.  I just wanted to mention a product that I liked.

The Lego Movie And My Inner President Business

Lego, Movies

president_businessOver the weekend, we took the boys to see The Lego Movie.  We all loved the fun romp through a world comprised of Lego bricks populated by people who could build anything that they could imagine using only the pieces around them.  The villain in the movie is President Business.  Without giving too many spoilers, he sees random Lego creations as chaotic and craves the order of following instructions.  As President Business strived to enforce order, I realized something.  Inside me in a bit of President Business.

My boys love Lego sets.  They also love the minifigs that they get with the sets or in blind bags.  We can’t pass a display without them begging for just one more figure.  When you get a minifig, they come in pieces and are quickly assembled into the character.

However, my boys rarely keep the characters that way.  JSL, for example, has lately been combining various Lego minifigures to create "He-Man" Legos (based on the old He-Man cartoons they’ve discovered).

lego_minifig_mashup

While I didn’t discourage them, I admit that deep down I felt that this was wrong.  Part of me thought they should keep the figures together "the way they were supposed to be."  Watching the movie made me realize that Legos are all about creativity.  Yes, there are instructions and building what the instructions say can be fun.  However, mixing and matching various pieces and sets to create something new can be wonderful too.

You might even say that it is awesome.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Lego Helicopter Construction

Lego, NHL, Photos, Wordless Wednesday

NHL has become quite obsessed with Lego building.  After I built a Lego Harry Potter set with him, he broke out some other Lego sets.  This particular set was given to NHL by Uncle I a few years back.  It had gotten put away and now was the perfect time for it.  NHL, over the course of a week or so, he followed all of the steps and put together a Lego helicopter on his own.  (I only helped with putting the stickers on.)  I’m so proud of my Lego builder!

Lego_Helicopter

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