This was my family’s first time attending a Brick Fest Live! event. Everyone here is a massive Lego Fan. (I am told by my children that the correct terminology is SUPERFAN, so there you go.) As a result, we were prepared to enjoy ourselves, and that’s exactly what happened. We attended the event in Richmond, which is running through 10/8. You can find the rest of the currently scheduled tour dates here.
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What I loved about Brick Fest Live!
Everywhere you looked, there was an opportunity for open ended, creative brick play. This is Lego at its purest and finest, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it’s something that my children (maybe yours too?) tend to ignore in favor of their obsession with the kits. (The kits are also really great, but they develop a different set of skills and talents than open ended play.) Almost every activity was hands on- even the display pieces were there as inspiration pieces for an activity station. The Neon City in particular was popular with my dudes, and the Sandbox came a close second. We really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to someone from Meeper Bots, as we had not encountered this product before.
My dudes enjoyed the opportunity to play the Lego XBox games, as we do not have an XBox and they have not done that before. In fact, when told we were leaving soon and asked if there was anything else he wanted to do before we left, my eldest asked only to play another round of video games, this time with his brother as partner, since they had only played separately. (Yes, I got all choked up.)
What I’m not sure I loved about Brick Fest Live!
Given how heavily invested the Lego brand is in story telling (I probably do not have to tell you, if you are reading this, that OH EM GEE A LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE IS OUT RIGHT NAAAAOWWWW), it felt a little… weird? I guess? to us that there were no activities that centered around story telling. The nice thing about this is, as I mention above, that it does inspire some really important and wonderful open ended play, but my younger kiddo had his heart set on seeing some Sonic Lego in “real life.” (Is “Sonic Lego” a thing? I don’t know. Nobody promised him this, it was his idea.)
Some of the coolest activities (Meeper Bots, Lego Mini Golf, Lego Derby racing) had long lines. We bailed on Meeper Bots because the estimated wait was half an hour. That is a long time to wait in a line when you’re a kid… a buzzer system like they use in restaurants or something would really help with this. Buzz people five minutes before their slot starts and you don’t have a couple dozen kids spend half of one of their hours at this event waiting impatiently in a line.
Sensory Needs Notes on Brick Fest Live!
I am obviously not a clinical expert, and I’m sure there is some variation from venue to venue, but I want to discuss this. This is an issue that can be a tremendous barrier for families who might like to attend this kind of event. Although I mention above that some activities had a line to wait in, there are many that do not.
There were a lot of people there, but it was not densely packed at any point. There were no quiet spaces in the exhibit hall, but they offer a pass that guarantees the ability to leave and return, and there were plenty of quieter spaces elsewhere in the convention center, so if you have a family member who gets overwhelmed and may need a break, this might be possible for you.
Also, note that the Lego Derby Race has a time limit on the build. This is perfectly reasonable as it’s, you know… a race. But for some kids it may be too much pressure, so prepare them adequately before they decide to stand in line. (I know how it feels when you see them work REALLY hard to do something that didn’t live up to their hopes.)
Want to host a Brick Party for your Super Fan? Here are my tips for doing it on a budget!
Watch the Brick Fest Live! Trailer:
BrickFest Live provided my family with tickets to this event in order to facilitate my review. I was not compensated for the creation of this post and there was no attempt to influence the content of my review. This post accurately depicts my family’s experience with BrickFest Live! but as always, your family’s mileage may differ.
