My eight-year-old son would consider himself a LEGO Master Builder.
“Even when I don’t have instructions, I can build some amazing things, Dad.”
“Sure can,” I encourage, as he sifts through loose pieces of all shapes, sizes and colours, constructing a LEGO maze tower based on his own (points at head) internal architectural schematics.
LEGO has a steady slate of brilliantly themed or licensed-property builds, this we all know. Nathan started early in life with LEGO City sets, ranging in size from the small Ice Cream Van to the gargantuan Ocean Exploration Ship.
Over the years, he moved on to LEGO Ninjago and their awesome Dragon Mech and Ninja Dojo Temple to multiple LEGO Minecraft sets, his interest due to the online open-world crafting game tie-in. LEGO Mario and it’s cool “level up” functionality and plethora of cool, fun characters, was a huge hit with him as was LEGO Dreamzzz, thanks to the fully engrossing animated series. More recently, his love of sports cars has resulted in an expanding garage of more complex LEGO Technic Racing Car sets.
Of course, his Dad is into all sorts of pop culture, so the LEGO Indiana Jones tie-in sets are par for the course. That Temple of the Golden Idol that he put together over a long weekend earlier this year was an instant all-time favourite—for both of us!
There’s no end to LEGO fun as long as a Master Builder has an imagination – and a deep well of pop culture ideas!
Which leads us to an all-new, all-awesome LEGO nod toward the greatest of the pop culture world:
LEGO Marvel.
With a surprise brand new box waiting for him, Nathan wakes up early on a Sunday and it’s just like Christmas morning. Small LEGO pieces clink and clatter as they spill out onto the floor. With twinkling eyes and a smile drawn up like a bow, he sets straight to his work, fungineering one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most popular and charismatic characters: LEGO Dancing Groot.
Straight from the Guardians of the Galaxy series of films, LEGO Dancing Groot comes with an age recommendation of 10+ chiefly because, as Nathan puts it, “This set has some Technik pieces.” The gear pieces from the LEGO company’s more dexterous (and older age) designs take some additional attention, but my son gets through the four bags of bits in about an hour – his younger sister regularly supervising his excited efforts.
When complete, this young Groot exudes cool, complete with sunglasses and headphones and a lever that makes him dance when pulled. Placed strategically next to the character’s more seasonal relations, and LEGO Dancing Groot will be rockin’ around the Christmas tree this upcoming holiday!
In fact why not make LEGO Dancing Groot part of your holiday festivities? Dress him up in all the red, green, gold and silver seasonal garb you can muster – it’s something I know young Groot would be fully into!
LEGO makes some perfect sets for the gift-giving season and LEGO Dancing Groot makes for a wonderfully hip way to light up a kid’s face this holiday season no matter how old that kid might be.
