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Lego Lovers creates insects (and other things) from the minds of children

By Edward Stratton
Published: April 29, 2011, 12:00am

Jordan Parkes sat on the floor of the meeting room, snapping together yellow Lego blocks into a chassis, vaguely aware of what she wanted to build.

She and tens of other kids showed up for Three Creeks Community Library‘s monthly Lego Lovers event, which gives children a theme and related books providing examples. April’s theme was insects, and hardbacks covered in grasshoppers and spiders loomed over a floor full of children who mostly fashioned whatever came to mind.

“I really like that we get to have fun with Legos,” said Parkes. “I think it helps kids see some interesting stuff that other people have done that they can get interested in.”

Jordan’s brother Joshua introduced her and mother Julie to the Lego Lovers event when he led a tour of the library as a boy scout. Julie said she warmed up to the event immediately, lamenting about some other Lego events at YMCA that can cost $75.

“We can come and have something fun to do, and it’s free,” she said. “it gets them interested in experimenting. They get to spend time with other kids that they wouldn’t necessarily connect with.”

Organizer Andy Parsons and other volunteers came in early to spread out totes of Lego blocks around the room for kids to work with lids as working tables. He gives the children about an hour to finish their creations. At the end, volunteers decide which projects to put on display around the library. According to Parsons, the current average of 60 children per night is slow.

“The first month, we had 250 fliers,” he said about the January debut of Lego Lovers. “The day of the event, we were down to three.” He added that the first event drew more than 90 children, outstripping the capacity of the meeting room.

Three Creeks’ program started in January, although the downtown Vancouver library has been organizing Lego challenges even longer. Most of the Legos are donated by Friends of the Three Creeks Library.

Anna Johnson and her family moved to Hazel Dell in December from San Diego, where they had memberships to the LEGOLAND California resort.

“It’s a nice activity when it’s rainy outside,” she said as the rain poured down outside. “They get to work on their motor skills.”

Legos, video games, trading cards and movies are just some of the ways Three Creeks gets people into the library to enjoy its main attraction:books.

For more information, visit the library’s event page.

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