One thing that worked in nudging my kids in that direction was to give them some "difficult" design constraints: build me an airplane using only 7 pieces. They didn't think it was possible, so I showed them it's possible with only 2 pieces (and airplane noises).

They got it and off they go, and now they are a little more freed from only building kits.

We were the lucky recipients of a gargantuan bag of prior-loved legos, so my kids only know to build mashups. But! Their minds were blown at Legoland two weeks ago and requests are understandably coming in for sets. Feels odd to purchase a set when having pieces is not our problem, but are they the right pieces?

When I was a kid basically my only toy was Lego, and it was just a huge bin of hand me down pieces and stuff scraped from garage sales. The rare time I got a new set I’d have fun making it and then break it down to feed the main bin, with interesting new pieces to add for future making.

Anyway I was pretty constrained on color choices so most of the building and vehicles I built looked like this, for this reason and also because I just didn’t care that much about the colors and more how stuff fit together.

So one time there was this building I built and I was super proud of it and showed my dad and the first thing he said was how it didn’t look good because all the colors were mismatched. And then I always tried to make the colors match but I don’t think I had as much fun playing with Lego anymore.

(Also, thanks Dad?)

I too grew up doing "freeform" lego. We didn't have kits, just a big bin of different pieces. I don't think, however, that freeform is better or somehow more pure than building kits. I just think they feed different urges for different types of personality. My wife loves to make lego models from kits. It gives her the same zen-like peace that other people might get from crocheting, painting miniatures or woodworking -- basically any hobby that requires patience and precision.

It's so cool that such a simple "toy" not only invites creativity but fosters these cooperative projects that end up completely transcending the mere arranging of interlocking bits of plastic. A recent example of this for me and my family is what my granddaughter accomplished with them for her final sophomore English project: a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet.

I think that if Ole Kirk Christiansen (the inventor of Lego blocks) were able to look down at all the beautiful things his invention has brought into the world he would spend at least half his time with a big smile on his face. That would hopefully make up for his remaining time spent apologizing to all the parents who have stepped on one in their bare feet at 3 in the morning while walking to the bathroom.