Building up a community with Legos

Published 8:20 am Monday, January 20, 2020

Saturday, January 25, will be a day for children and adults alike, a day where the only stress on their minds is to build a better Lego structure than the person next to them.

Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Kelly Kitchens said they are putting the event on a week before World Lego Day.

“We thought it would be fun,” Kitchens said. “Kids can come and be carefree.”

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Unlike other events Parks and Rec typically put on, Lego day will not feature as much physical exercise. Instead, participants of all ages can simply sit down and build whatever their imaginations tell them to make.

“Everyone enjoys building Legos,” she said. “It is a nice change of pace.”

Kitchens said the event is designed to cater to as many people as possible, not just for specific age groups, young or old.

“This really reaches everybody,” she said. “We are going to allow free play.”

The day will not just be all fun and games, however. Participants will also have the chance to compete to see whose structures are better, with prizes on the line for the winners.

Kitchens said not to worry. There will be plenty of Legos for everyone who comes.

“We have borrowed what the library has for their Lego Club,” Kitchens said. “The Recreation Center also purchased some Legos.”

Lego-themed events have been growing in popularity in recent years, Kitchens said, as the existence of a World Lego Day demonstrates.

“It is definitely becoming more prominent,” she said. “People are building things on a grander scale.”

Events like these further Parks and Rec’s vision, she said, because of how wide-reaching they can be demographically.

“One of our biggest missions is to reach as many demographics as we can,” Kitchens said. “There is no reason to stop anyone from coming.”

In particular, the day can help children learn how to think critically and analyze situations.

“It focuses their mind on a particular task,” she said. “It teaches them to think outside the box.”

Those interested can stop by Parks and Rec at 300 W. Mill Street in Elizabethton between 1 and 4 p.m. The event is free and open to whoever wants to attend.