Lego Challenge #2: Quick Bricks

This challenge was a quick one. No special theme here...I just grabbed bricks and tossed them into a bag. I don't have pictures of the individual pieces for this one, but I can share what we created. (Also, I haven't posted our results from Challenge #1 yet, but will soon.) The rules of the game were the same - build whatever you can using ALL your pieces and everyone has the same set of bricks.

The first model was built by LegoBoy, who initially wasn't sure what to do with the bat LegoMom threw in. :) He created the Flying Vampire Car with a magic blaster on the back. Pretty awesome for a 6-year-old.

This is LegoMom's model. The family thought it was neat that part of the model was the road for the ice cream truck.

And finally, the Parade Float by LegoDad. He saw the colors of the bricks and wanted to make a bird, and didn't let the wheels in the bag stop him. The bat is a bug for the bird to chew on. Impressive! Three really different ideas of what to do with the same pieces - love it! Which is your favorite?

Harry Potter Hogwarts Lego Game Rules

If you'd like more detail on the rules for the Harry Potter Lego Game, I found this link from Lego that allows you to view the rules as a pdf. Just follow the link and choose the game you want the rule book for, then click the download tab. You can read all the instructions that come with the game. This is a nice way to preview the games before you buy them. If you scroll down a little further on the page to the features box, you can view a demo of the game that's really well done. It should answer any questions you might have.

Here's the link: Lego Rules

But remember, this is a game where you're encouraged to come up with your own rules. Here's two that my family have put into play:

The "Malfoy" Rule - Replace one tile on the die with a green tile from your own Lego stash. We usually replace the '3', since 3 shifts is a little complicated for LegoBoy. Place the Malfoy microfigure at the front door. When the green tile is rolled, move Malfoy one space. When Malfoy lands on the same space as another player, he steals one homework from that player's Common Room and returns it to the proper classroom. You may want to have Malfoy return to the front door after this, or he may end up stalking one particular student. Can't trust a Slytherin, now can you?

The "Hermione" Rule - Replace one tile on the die with a pink tile from your own Lego stash. Place the Hermione microfigure at the front door. Remember Hermione's Time-Turner? Each time the pink tile is rolled, move Hermione one space. When she lands on the same space as another player, that player can turn back time, and undo the last move of any other player. So for instance, if Ravenclaw just picked up their magical creature on their last turn, you may now "undo" that, and send the homework back to the proper classroom.

We hope these rules get you started creating some rules of your own!

Review: Harry Potter Hogwarts Lego Game

If you haven't played a Lego Game yet, this is a great one to try. It's for ages 7 and up, however we got it for LegoBoy, who is only 6 and a Harry Potter fan.

First of all, the game comes unassembled just like any other Lego set, so be sure to allow time to build the game (about 20-30 minutes) before trying to play it. Once you have it built, it will look something like this:

Each corner of the board represents the Common Room of one of the 4 houses of Hogwarts. The goal of the game is to be the first player to visit each classroom, collect a homework, and return to your Common Room. Your turn consists of rolling a die, completing an action, and then moving your microfigure one space.

Since this is Hogwarts, things are a bit tricky. The 6x6 gray plates with brown pieces on them are staircases, and they move. They can be rotated or shifted, depending on what you roll. The 6x6 tan plates represent the classrooms you have to visit. They can also be rotated or shifted.

As far as the mechanics of gameplay go, they are relatively simply. Our 6-year-old can handle most of it just fine. He finds the shifts a little tricky to execute, and doesn't realize that sometimes the best move is to block your opponent, rather than try to help yourself. Even so, he's beaten us at the game several times :) There is plenty of strategy involved, which keeps it interesting for adults.

One of the best features of the game is the fact that you can create your own rules. There are additional microfigures included of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy. You can use them in your game if you like, and make up rules for what happens if you should happen to run into one of them during the game. I'll post some of the rules we created in another post. This keeps the game fresh and fun.

We really enjoy playing this game. It changes as you play it, keeping you on your toes the whole time. This one is great for the whole family.

Lego Challenge #1: Fun Forty

So what is a Lego challenge? It's an activity that's fun to do with your kids. I selected 40 Lego bricks from a fairly recent Lego set. The challenge is build something using ONLY those 40 bricks. The bricks for this challenge all come from set #7948 Outpost Attack in the Knight's Kingdom line. If you have the set, you can play along too, or substitute some other pieces if you don't.

Below are close-ups of the 40 bricks for this challenge. We'll post pictures of what we build...and if you send me your creations, we'll post those, too. Happy building!