Lego Land Discovery Center

While dragging the kids around to run Saturday errands at The Home Depot, we were given an advertisement for Merlin Entertainment Groups. They're the people who own and operate Madame Tussades, Sea World and Lego Land. The ad was a "Kids Go Free" promo, so we decided to take our kids to the newly opened Lego Land Discovery Center in Yonkers this summer.

They loved it. Brian and I decided that it probably wasn't worth the 4-hour one-way drive JUST for Lego Land, but as a part of a larger trip to the city it would be totally worth it.

The Discovery Center is like a Lego-themed children's museum. Lots of interactive exhibits. Lots of big Lego builds. Lots of building stations. A few rides, a "4-D" interactive movie... lots of fun for kids Carter and Allison's age. If we lived closer, it'd totally be worth an annual pass, I think.

 In the "Lego Factory"

Mini-Manhatten... made from Legos!

 

 

 Puppy love!

 Its probably time to get our Duplo back out from the basement... 

Carter could do this all day some days... just sit and build.

6!

Allison turned 6 last month. I keep wondering where the time has gone. We threw her a fun art-themed party with her friends. Allison loves art and crafts and is so talented (you should see her drawings! She draws better than I do!), so this theme was perfect for her. 

 

Our easel, out on the driveway for easy location. 

 Table set up for painting canvases. The girls really had fun with this project. 

 Decorated party room. Did I mention that it was a rainbow art party? :)

 Our spread. We served lunch of hotdogs, rainbow gold fish, rainbow fruit salad (which was adorable and I didn't get a photo of it), and a rainbow candy platter. 

 

 We played "Pass the Parcel." Everyone loved that they got to unwrap a layer of the gift (which had the party favors in it for everyone.

 Everyone eating lunch. :)

The cake. An artist's palette seemed perfect and simple for an art party. :) And since we still had leftovers of this on her actual birthday a few days later (and she took cupcakes to ballet camp the morning of her birthday)...

 

 I totally talked her into a simple angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream on her actual birthday.

 My grown-up girl wasn't' much into toys this year. We did give her a horse for her 18" doll, which she's loved. And Carter gave her a Lego Friends set (which he's gotten to play with ever since) but she didn't ask for toys for her birthday this year.

What did she want instead? A watch... perfume (we compromised on vanilla body spray)... jewerly. This one's 6 going on 16 I tell ya.

Happy birthday, Allison! Don't grow up too fast!

Legos: Best Toy Ever or Worst Toy Ever?

Let's discuss...

On the pro-lego side we've got the fact that they entertain the boy for HOURS. HOURS. He'll sit and build, and rebuild. Then build a city to go with his build, and heros and bad guys to be in the city. Plus they're a great imaginative & problem solving toy. Build doesn't work? Find the problem and fix it. Not to mention fine motor skills.

On the con-lego side... They get strewn about the house. Legos are everywhere, in spite of the fact that we have a Lego table for building and a big bin for storing them. Plus they get lost, and if the special tiny piece that he's looking for it lost, its a tragedy. Massive, pre-school level tragedy. And have you ever stepped on a Lego? 'Nuff said!

But here's the real kicker: EVERY single tantrum the boy throws is about Legos. My build isn't working. My build broke. I can't find my build. I want 10 more minutes to build. Allison looked at my build. Lindsey broke my build. I don't want to go anywhere because I'll be bored without my Legos. I don't want to go to bed because I'm not done building. I want that Lego set, and mean mommy won't buy it for me (which is a whole other con: they're EXPENSIVE!).

 So... what do you think? The tantrums have me about ready to get rid of all our legos... because they're the worst toy ever. Except for the fact that they're the best toy ever...