Lego Challenge---Playground

We decided to start participating in the bi-weekly Lego Challenge at Lego Quest Kids  this school year.

The current challenge is to build what you think a playground looks like. We had a fun time brainstorming, and each of the kids had many ideas.

Here is what they finally settled upon:

The first playground, built with regular Legos, is a tribute to International Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day (here's a link to their official page http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html ...it really is international! lol) The kids had fun fashioning a playground with a pirate ship as its centerpiece (like a park we visit in Williamsburg, VA). There is a fort also, so the pirates can battle the land guys, whoever they are (sometimes Jedi and sometimes Knights of the Realm).

Tex wants you to know that the cannons shoot soft balls (they had ball-shooting cannons at Miner Mike's in Lake of the Ozarks where we visited this summer) and the rocket (if you can see it) is just one of those stomp-on-the-pump-and-it-flies-high-up-in-the-air types of rockets.

He added a water feature because Busch Gardens, The Old Country has several areas with water to play in and the kids really loved it (we recently went there using our Salute to Heroes tickets).

Tex also included a teeter totter (a favorite in our backyard), a merry-go-round (a favorite from this summer at our family reunion), and seating for the adults who want to watch (though you will see at least one of them, probably their Dad, is having a go at the giant slide).

Lastly, if you look closely at the monkey bars, you will see someone monkeying around.

It was a lot of fun and I think I had as much fun as the kids did.

Ladybug and Cowboy helped build a playground like the one they visited this summer at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. There was a wonderful playground out by the sea lions, rhinos, and elephants. There was an old tram that looked like a train nearby which they also loved climbing on. It is an awesome zoo (the best I've been to). If you know anyone who lives nearby and hasn't gone, please tell them they are missing something special. The zoo had a special admission price for military families that was extremely reasonable (we were able to buy a deeply discounted annual pass for cheaper than admission for all of us).

Notice the train, the climbing wall, and elephant house. They especially remembered those things from the zoo.

Firefly built her own park while the rest of us worked. It has a horse in it because she likes our pony, Merry, so much. We also have a rooster, so there is a rooster on the roof. She said, "Our backyard is like a park!" and to us, it is. The kids have two metal swingsets, one with a teeter totter, the other with a double ride-on swing, a trampoline, and multiple ride on toys to play with (all of which were kindly given to us at various times).

Firefly had NO help from anyone (she said, "I can do it myself!"). I love it!

A week later, Cowboy called me in and said, "Mommy, I made something for you." I went in to the kids' room and he had made another playground. Here it is:

I guess he must have liked doing the Lego Challenge. I can't wait until the next one.

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Here is one final photo:

This is what happens when you spend too many hours building with Legos...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...hahahahahaha!

Those swirly things over his eyes are...you guessed it...Legos!

Bring out your inner child. Play with Legos.


Have a blessed day,

Heather