Subject:
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Re: Juniorization -- too simple even for kids?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Fri, 10 Dec 1999 15:59:13 GMT
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Viewed:
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632 times
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John,
I feel you are in err a bit on the idea of age recommendations for toys. It
seems as though I see this happen with everyone.
"It says 5-7 on the box. Our child is almost 4, but he is really bright."
The agre recommendations are for safety, not how smart the kid is. That is
why they have big fat duplo, then still big primo and you have to wait until
you are old enough not to place friction pegs in your mouth before you are
ready for technic.
[snip]
>
> Well, my wife brought the box home. And although she's a teacher, and
> is quick to get on my case about the age-appropriateness of various
> things we do with Spencer, somehow she decided that giving him the Legos
> was O.K. I came home to find Spencer playing contentedly, with the
> pieces all over the place. Immediately I was worried. What if he loses
> some? What if he CHEWS some? I was ready to put them away. I even
> told him, "these Legos are too hard for a little kid." But my wife
> insisted that he was enjoying himself, and we should leave them out.
Not too hard - just too small.
>
> And indeed, we had problems in the initial weeks. Spencer took a
> particular liking to minifigs and small, easily-lost "doodads" like 1 X
> 1 trans-red plates, antenna pieces, and minifig tools. More than once,
> I also found one of those trans-neon yellow antenna parts in his mouth,
> mangled. Yikes! I did get a little mad, both because he was
> endangering himself, and because we were losing cool parts!
This is what I mean. A little kid can't put a BURP in his mouth. I have yet
to see people accidentally swallow a 1x4x5 wall.
>
> But we got through it. Now, when I come home, Spencer asks me, "Can we
> play with the *hard* Legos?" He's not interested in big, clunky, Duplo
> models. If I put plates and bricks in front of him, he grabs plates.
> And it's true that he's ready to proceed on to the role-playing, after a
> construction session that was far too short for Dad (who, on the side,
> was trying to complete the retractable landing gear that he wished he
> had figured out how to build twenty years ago). But still, he wants to
> build, not just play.
Now he is asking for more challenging "sets" or at the least, a mix of bricks
that doesn't limit his imagination as much. He still is probably not looking
for the Technic Space Shuttle.
>
> Now, he isn't building particularly *complex* models, but he'll put
> together a ten-piece car or airplane from just his imagination. I have
> to put a suitable selection of pieces in front of him -- confronting him
> with the whole collection at once would be overwhelming. He'll build a
> 30-40 part model, if I assemble the same thing in parallel with him. He
> might need a little help squeezing that plate down tight. And he's
> still not able to assemble something that large with just the
> instruction sheet.
>
> He made light work of the 14-piece McDonald's sets, though, with minimal
> coaching. After be built one, he announced that he wanted to do it
> again. He disassembled the model, and rebuilt it all by himself!
>
> The Duplo hasn't been out of its box since the day the "hard Legos"
> arrived. I'm ready to send it to the attic. (Actually, strike that --
> since it's nominally compatible with standard Lego, maybe I can use it
> for something???)
Yuck! You would use those bricks that are contaminated with baby spit and
dried snot? Run them through the washing machine first...
>
> Our entire collection, up until this year, consisted of standard-scale
> Lego purchased prior to 1983. The new sets that I have purchased this
> year are all System, ages 7-12. So I don't have any of the "juniorized"
> parts that people complain about in the new sets.
>
> My kid doesn't seem to need them. Is he just a really special 3 1/2
> year-old, or are juniorized parts totally unnecessary?
I have seen everyone talk about how smart their kid is. No offense, but I
have not seen a parent say, "This says 5-7. Billy is 9 1/2, but he is kind of
dumb, so this will work."
The facts are such: Your kid was putting small bricks in his mouth. You were
worried he would swallow them, cool pieces not withstanding. I don't think
you told him, "Spit out that Spyrius minifig! Here, eat 1x1 bricks." You
didn't want him to eat Lego. And here it is how soon after and you think that
juniorization is unneccesary? Small bricks are OK for kids?
When your kid gets a set of bricks in his 2-3 age group and it has a bunch of
small pieces he swallows, chokes on and dies, what then? Do you say, "Gee, he
wasn't so bright after all?" No, you sue Lego for not making certain that
their toys were safe for that age group. Then you go out and ignore the
safety warnings for any other kids you buy toys for.
>
> --
> John J. Ladasky Jr., Ph.D.
> Department of Structural Biology
> Stanford University Medical Center
> Stanford, CA 94305
Not to sound condescening, but somebody with a Ph.D. should be able to figure
this out.
Mike Poindexter
I have a B.S. and I use it every day. :-)
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Juniorization -- too simple even for kids?
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| Hi Mike, John-- I miss the Space Datsville conversation, you know. ;) I'd build a Mars Polar Lander, but I'm afraid I'd just lose it. At least I know how many newtons are in a pound of thrust (different probe, but still...). (...) In fairness to (...) (25 years ago, 10-Dec-99, to lugnet.general)
| | | Re: Juniorization -- too simple even for kids?
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| Hi, Mike, Let's skip to the end of your post first... (...) Ouch! Is that any way to talk to a guy to whom you're simultaneously trying to sell 48 black 2 X 3 inverse 33-degree slopes? 8^) I'll have to say that I get this a lot. "You have an (...) (25 years ago, 11-Dec-99, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Juniorization -- too simple even for kids?
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| Hi, folks, Get ready for a rambling post. But there is a point. As some of you know, I'm a recently-revived LEGO enthusiast, who has arrived at this happy state as a consequence of having a 3 1/2 year-old son. Thanks, Spencer! I was quick to buy the (...) (25 years ago, 10-Dec-99, to lugnet.general)
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