Grammy on the Go
By Karen Shadrach
At first, I thought playing LEGOs with the grandkids would mostly be about keeping them entertained — a way to fill a cold, snowy or rainy afternoon. But it turned out to be so much more. As soon as we start building, the room fills with laughter, storytelling, and the kind of wonderful chaos only children can bring. In a world where mobile and computer screens dominate daily lives, it’s refreshing to find an activity that can bridge the gap between generations, fostering connection, creativity and joy.
For many, that activity is LEGO, the beloved brick that has been a staple of childhood play for over 80 years. The power of play, as embodied by LEGO, has a unique ability to transcend age barriers, creating a common language that allows grandparents and grandchildren to connect and bond in a way that’s both fun and meaningful.
LEGOs can be played with using either a pile of assorted bricks, or a special LEGO set. Playing with LEGOs is more than just stacking colorful blocks; it’s a hands-on lesson in problem-solving, patience and persistence. When a wall collapses or a design doesn’t work, we learn to try again and to laugh at our mistakes. The grandchildren start to see that every challenge can be fixed with a few more bricks and a little creativity.
If you are playing with a bin of LEGO bricks, you need to begin with a plan, or so we think. One grandchild wants to build a zoo, another wants a rocket ship, and I’m secretly hoping for a sturdy bridge that can hold them both. Soon enough, we’re mixing ideas: a zoo on the moon with animals that ride in rocket-powered carts. The best part is watching their imaginations lead the way and realizing that the fun isn’t in finishing but in creating together.
If you have time to plan, you can purchase a LEGO set and assemble together for a fun achievement to be enjoyed together. There are sets that have recommended ages listed on the boxes. There are many for the 10 plus age group. For the grandkids 5 and under, you can buy a LEGO DUPLO set. These are larger, safer and easier to manage — designed to build early motor skills and imagination. All the sets include step-by-step instructions, but if the manual gets lost, or you still are having difficulty assembling, you can go to LegoBricksinstructions.com. This site provides a comprehensive library of LEGO building instructions, allowing you to search by theme and model number for easy access to the guides you need.
Still need extra help? The best app for building LEGO kits is the LEGO Builder App. This is the official digital-instructions app from LEGO, designed to make building easier, clearer and more fun. It offers 3D, step-by-step instructions you can zoom, rotate and view from any angle. All you need to do is to scan the QR code from your instruction booklet to load your exact set instantly. You can put it in the Build Together mode, so multiple people can work on the same set collaboratively. The app includes thousands of instructions for older sets, so even if you lose the booklet, you can still build. I loved using the 3D instructions… try it!
If you’re looking to make the next LEGO session even more fun, a few ideas tend to spark big smiles:
Have building challenges – See who can build the tallest tower that can survive a gentle shake. Time your builders with a 10 or 20-minute speed build using random bricks.
Go into story mode – Kids love to turn the bricks into characters and make up stories.
Building LEGOs with a grandchild is one of those deceptively simple activities that ends up being packed with meaning. It’s not really about the bricks — it’s about everything that happens around them. Kids naturally experiment, and LEGOs give them a safe space to try ideas, fail, rebuild and discover. When you join in, you’re modeling curiosity and flexible thinking. Shared projects create shared memories. Even a small build becomes “that thing we made together,” and those moments stick with kids for years. You’re collaborating, negotiating, taking turns and solving problems together — skills that matter far beyond the playroom. You are teaching patience and teamwork.
There’s something magical about the sound of a pile of LEGO bricks being poured out onto the living room floor. It’s the sound of creativity waiting to happen — of towers, castles and spaceships yet to be imagined. When my grandchildren come over, that sound signals the start of an adventure we’ll build together, one brick at a time.
Photos by Karen Shadrach
