It’s Lego time at Te Takaretanga o Kura-hau-pō Levin Library

Who doesn't love Lego? Photo / Unsplash

By Samantha Tibbs, Children’s Learning Librarian

Who doesn’t love Lego? Well, that’s easy to answer: any parent who has dared to run the gauntlet of their own Lego-strewn home barefoot.

There’s something unforgettable about the shock of pain from a pointy plastic Lego piece almost puncturing the sole of your foot just as you were calmly and confidently strolling through your lounge, each step loaded with your full weight, making you wince at the thought of it. Pain aside, the tidy-up is perpetual.

Lego never truly leaves you. Under couches, fridges, pets or somehow tucked in your own pockets, you collect tiny pieces any time you sweep the floor and wonder if there are any complete sets left within that overflowing and unrestrained collection. Sometimes, after sweeping the kitchen, you even surreptitiously slide a tiny errant piece into the bin along with the dust then, racked with guilt, find yourself rifling through the rubbish to reinstate it to your child’s collection.

Then, there is storage. I have glimpsed some collections organised by colour, in cute containers even, but not at my house. Large, ugly plastic containers that never leave the living space, despite asking regularly if the Lego could be “put away”. Where does it live? Forever shifting from one inconvenient corner to another.

However, with a deep sigh, I’ll remember that playing with Lego offers a surprising list of benefits, hours upon hours of entertainment aside. It can boost cognitive development, fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination. It encourages problem-solving and resilience, as we can never find the precise piece we are looking for, and we learn to adapt or amend our plan.

It fosters creativity and imagination because children can bring their ideas to life: a fantastical spaceship, a creative creature or the ever-popular realistic house. Open-ended play allows kids to experiment and think outside the box (even if in a box-shaped way). Sometimes there is even teamwork involved. Alongside siblings or friends, even parallel play involves communication, sometimes collaboration and, quite often, negotiation.

The repetitive clicking of blocks together can be calming and meditative and can allow children to achieve a state of flow. This elusive state of mind is associated with increased happiness, higher motivation, greater creativity and better emotional regulation — magic! Finally, there’s the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a project and does wonders for self-confidence and pride. I love hearing the story of a piece from the 8-year-old in our house, from an idea, through a series of problems solved, to a finished masterpiece.

If you, too, have a love-hate relationship with Lego, let us take care of the runaway pieces, and join us at Te Takeretanga o kura-hau-pō at 3.30pm on Tuesdays. If you leave your shoes on, we can even promise you it’s pain free.

Top 10 books

What’s new in young adults fiction:

Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt

A Grim and Sunken Vow (Hollow Star Saga Book 3) by Ashley Shuttleworth

Rubicons (Freaks Book 3) by Brett Riley

The reunion by Kit Frick

Damned If You Do by Alex Brown

Chasing The Alpha’s Son (The Alpha’s Son Book 3) by Penny Jessup

Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury

Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green

The Black Queen by Jumata Emill

The Court of the Undead by F.M. Aden

What’s On

Heritage room:

Volunteers staff the Heritage rooms at Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō Tuesday to Friday at the following times:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 10am to 12.30pm

Thursday, 12.30pm to 3pm

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom Heritage Room has the research librarian available all day every Friday.

Friday, June 21:

Friday Live Concert, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, noon to 1pm

Jim Redmond Crib Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm to 3pm

SeniorNet — Get help with your tablets, phones and laptops

Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10am to noon

Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 2pm to 3pm

Code Club, Shannon Library, 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Queer Quiz Night, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 7pm to 10pm. Bookings essential, $5, Eventfinda

Monday, June 24:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am to 2pm

Storytime, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am to 10.30am

Meet Street, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am to 11am. Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am to noon

H.U.G. Horowhenua Ukulele Group, Main Space, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11am to noon.

Simply Meditation, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, noon to 1pm, koha

Digital Learning: Staying Safe Online, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm to 3pm

Tuesday, June 25:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am to 2pm

Tea & Tales, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 10.30am to 11.30am

Justice of the Peace, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 11.30am to 1.30pm

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm to 3pm, $2

Lego Hour, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 3.30pm to 4.30pm

Wednesday, June 26:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am to 2pm

Matariki at the Planetarium, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō. Bookings essential

Volunteer Central, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am to noon. Crochet & Coffee Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10.30am

Digital Learning: Online Safety — Better Digital Futures, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm to 3pm

Code Club, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 4pm to 5pm

Pō Kiriata Whanāu (Family Film Night), Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 5pm to 7pm

Pop Up Eats Horowhenua, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō carpark, 5pm to 8pm

Thursday, June 27:

Justice of the Peace, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 9am to 2pm

Matariki at the Planetarium, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō. Bookings essential

Sewing Workshop, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 10am to noon

500 Card Group, Te Takeretanga o Kura-hau-pō, 1pm to 3pm, $2

Lights over Te Awahou, Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom, 5pm to 9pm