Not just child’s play

Ujala Chauhan

Christmas morning was among the most exciting mornings for many of us — the large Christmas tree illuminated by the protruding sunlight, and joy slowly filling the house.

Opening the gifts was arguably even better; ripping open the multicolored, puzzle-decorated wrapping paper to find a bright yellow box inside.

“Legos!”

The immediate shrill of excitement would ring through the house.

We opened the rest of the gifts; the yellow Lego box remained right by our sides. We eagerly waited for a chance to take out the colorful blocks inside. We would build cities, bridges, people, and more. Hours would be spent reveling in the feeling of constructing objects with our own hands.

However, as they’ve grown older, many feel that those things that brought us so much joy have become the basis of stereotypes.

“I used to love playing with Legos,” said junior Emily Hamanaka. “But now, people view playing with Legos as something only ‘nerds’ do. They forget that, at some point in their lives, they built Legos too. It’s a perfectly normal hobby.”

Despite Hamanaka’s view that Legos are commonly made fun of, they provide an activity that enhances the brain and captivates its audience, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

As NLM states, building Legos increases “spatial competencies that foster strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills.” It also enhances problemsolving skills, for example, when two blocks don’t fit together or something needs to be rebuilt in a

different way.

As such, the work required to assemble Legos builds one’s concentration span. According to the NLM, when one gets “lost” in the activity of building, their ability to focus develops.

According to Michael McNally, Lego’s North American director of brand relations, many adult fans hold conventions, organize group meetings, and buy and trade bricks online. They account for about 5% of total Lego sales.

“I build with Legos in my free time,” said Carlmont parent Felipe Salgado de Almeida Leme. “I love it. I have ADHD, so building Legos gives me something to focus on.”

According to the UK Children’s Wellness Centre, playing with Legos is an excellent pastime for those with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder for various reasons, including creative prompting.

“Whenever there’s a Secret Santa at my workplace, I always ask for Legos,” Leme said. “In fact, just recently, there was a team bonding activity at my work where the whole group worked together to build the house from Up. Many adults, even professional engineers, build with Legos.”

However, because of the stereotype surrounding adults who play with Legos, his hobby does not go without judgment.

“Some people find it odd when they find out that I build Legos at the age of 50. But that doesn’t bother me,” Leme said. “But that doesn’t bother me.”

Still, it can be difficult not to succumb to prejudices and biases, as Hamanaka knows well.

“I don’t think building Legos is anything to be ashamed of,” Hamanaka said. “Going home after a long school day and finding comfort in building amazing things with blocks is no different from going home and turning on a TV show. They’re both ways for people to relax. Why should people who play with Legos be stereotyped for their interests when people who do something like watch TV aren’t?”

The intention of breaking stereotypes is one of the reasons TikTok influencer Flynn Castles started his account.

Castles posts videos about things he’s passionate about, including his profound interest in Legos. I want people to know that no matter their age, having hobbies like building Legos is not something one should be ashamed of,” Castles said. “And you should be kind to everyone, no matter their interests.” Castles aims to serve as a role model for many people insecure about their interests, including a handful of Carlmont students who build Legos and/or watch Castles’ videos.

“I first found Castles’s account after one of his videos popped up on my TikTok ‘For You Page’,” Hamanaka said. “I love seeing his videos about his LEGO sets, and it’s very validating to see an adult that isn’t ashamed of sharing his passion with such a large audience.”

Castles makes a variety of videos about Legos, one of which is him showing a collection of his favorite builds.

“I’m really into Star Wars,” Castles said. “My pride and joy is this Lego Millenium Falcon I built. I will love it more than any child I ever have; I’m just saying.”

Castles loves to spend time building Legos; it’s de-stressing for him. He wants to share videos of him doing things like that to show his audience that it’s perfectly normal to do so and feel the same way.

Hamanaka, among others, is grateful for his message.

“I wish society wasn’t so quick to judge people based on their interests and hobbies,” Hamanaka said. “But, unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. People like Flynn have helped me realize that it doesn’t matter what other people think of you as long as you’re content with yourself.”

Art by Urvi Kulkarni