Lego Store FREE Monthly Mini Model Builds - information

[atmail35]

I thought I'd post some info on the free monthly mini model builds at the Lego Store. They are held the first Tuesday of each month, beginning at 5PM. It is for kids aged 6-14. A new model is available each month.

Instructions are available here for 7 days after the event:
http://shop.lego.com/promotion/Default. ... lddownload

This is all YMMV:

Stores seem to handle it differently. The store we go to has kids line up outside. The store associates hand out a small business sized card to each kid. This card is your "ticket" to get the model. At 5PM they start letting people in to get their models. You can stay and build it in the store or take it home. Our store lets probably 25-30 kids in at a time. People are building them all over the store. Our store posts copies of the instructions throughout the store. They do not give you a copy of the instructions.

I have heard some stores require the kid to build the model in the store and as kids finish, more kids are let in. I have heard that the wait can be over an hour.

I do recommend getting there early and waiting in line. Most stores have a 250 limit.

At our store I've seen kids as young as 2 or 3 getting the models. They aren't that strict with the age thing. My daughter has been going since she was 5. I do think it is more apprpropriate for ages 5 and up, maybe 4 if your child has been playing w/ Lego for a while. Some of the models are pretty unstable and hard to do and the little ones get frustrated. For example the polar bear (Jan)was a nightmare....the legs kept coming off. April's watering can was sort of difficult for the younger ones as well.

The June build is tomorrow, June 7th and it is a graduate.

I'm looking forward to July which is a little lighthouse and is very cute.

Sorry for the lousy picture, but I was excited to see the little lighthouse when I was at the store this morning.


Feel free to post your experience with the Monthly Mini Model Builds. I think this is a great FREE event that the Lego Store offers.

[atmail35]

So if you look at the link I provided above you can see a "shadow" of future builds.

August - looks like an umbrella - maybe a beach chair/lifeguard chair w/ umbrella?
September - looks like a scarecrow
October - looks like a vampire
November - looks like a turkey
December - looks like a toy soldier

Any other guesses?

[vynsane]

So if you look at the link I provided above you can see a "shadow" of future builds.

August - looks like an umbrella - maybe a beach chair/lifeguard chair w/ umbrella?
September - looks like a scarecrow
October - looks like a vampire
November - looks like a turkey
December - looks like a toy soldier

Any other guesses?

Those are pretty good guesses, looks pretty accurate.

My daughter is 4, I thought she was too young, but maybe I'll try to make it to one in the future. Tuesdays are hard, though, until I stop working 2 hours from home. I also live about an hour or so away from the closest store to my house (Palisade's Center).

[atmail35]

I'm going to correct myself, probably the youngest I've seen is 3 and most kids that young have an older sibling/friend with them. My estimate of 2 is probably not accurate, the more I think of it.

I would go with a 4 year old. Although since the store is far from you, I recommend talking with an associate on another day when you are there. I had asked last year if it was appropriate for my 5 year old and they said it was. I think each store is different and it is up to the associates of that store to determine how to run the event. It's also worth asking how they handle the line. I'd be less likely to go with my young kid if I had to wait 1-2 hours in line. The stores that let in 10-12 at a time and have the kids build it take a lot longer than the ones that hand out the sets and allow you to stay or leave. Personally I think half the fun is having your kid build it there.

[cowbug]

My son is 3, I have asked 3-4 times if he could do the build and they have only let him once. I think it just depends on the associate running the build.

[davedave]

Anyone knows the UK June 2011 calender? On their website the one from May is showing.

[lukeskywalker]

So if you look at the link I provided above you can see a "shadow" of future builds.

August - looks like an umbrella - maybe a beach chair/lifeguard chair w/ umbrella?
September - looks like a scarecrow
October - looks like a vampire
November - looks like a turkey
December - looks like a toy soldier

Any other guesses?

august might be a vendor or fruit stand.

[atmail35]

So if you look at the link I provided above you can see a "shadow" of future builds.

August - looks like an umbrella - maybe a beach chair/lifeguard chair w/ umbrella?

I saw the August mini model today....I guess I was close, an adirondack chair! ;)



I have to say the colors are a little dull but I like how it's a tribute to the soon to be opening Legoland in Florida!

[atmail35]

The August build was really great. Although it took a while to be let into the store because the model was a little bigger and had more pieces than usual. I have to confess that we double dipped, we went to our usual store on Tuesday and happened to be near a different store on Wed so we popped in. I have to say I'm liking the fact that they did a 2 day build :)

So in honor of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel here is a quick little scene my daughter and I made. Excuse the "stuff around the sides, she was decorating a frame on this plate and didn't want to take them off.

[vynsane]

That's a great little vignette, great idea to utilize the mini build in this fashion!

[atmail35]

Here is a link to the instructions for the August Build. Apparently my original link is no longer working. Instructions are available through 8/9 only.

http://shop.lego.com/en-US/minibuilds?c ... stuff_txt2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;