Generally if one child in your family is into Lego, then other siblings can’t help but be involved and play with Lego the family already has, or even start their their own collection.

As a parent, if you want to spend more time with your kids and be involved in their lives and you find most of your family really enjoys time to make and create with Lego, then it makes sense to create situations where the whole family can play with Lego together.

Here are 5 of the best ways you can play Lego with your kids and make it entertaining for all.

5 Awesome Lego  Family Activities

1. Freeplay

Basically Freeplay is playing with Lego as a family. In our house we set out a mat or a quilt, pour the loose lego on the floor, all sit around the mat and then dig in.

We usually start by making our own creations but then sometimes we  can end up merging together and helping modify and enhance others’ creations, or make one big model out of seperate companents.

Lego Freeplay is fun and loosens everyone up, so you can share fun and creativity with your kids.

2. Create Around A Theme

In our family sometimes we might take Freeplay one step further and decide on a theme. We might decide on “Space” or “Castle” or “Our local neighborhood” and then all create on that theme.

The blog Lego Quest has a great twist on that theme. Sam, the Blog’s owner, suggests a fortnightly theme for kids to create around and then Lego fans from all over the world create on that theme, take a photo of their creations and then send in their photos to be displayed on the blog.

The themes can be based on current affairs, wearable art, fantasy themes and so much more and the ethos of the blog is non-competitive. Check it out here.

3. Lego Activitites

Lego have a section on their website that concentrates on activities families can do together.

You can download a PDF of the activities on their website. Some of our favorites include:

• Brick-Ture: A Brick-ture is Worth a Thousand Words! Each family member builds  an object – realistic or wildly fantastic – and then another family member tells a story about the object.

• Family Masterpiece: Family members can build a LEGO masterpiece one brick at a time. Pass a bucket or opaque bag full of LEGO bricks around the table as family members take turns pulling out a brick or handful or bricks without looking and place them on the family masterpiece. At the end, each person writes down what they think the object is and then tells the family a story about it.

4. Lego Board Games

Lego have recently released a whole swag of board games (i.e. non-computer games) that use lego pieces somewhere as part of the board/tokens/gameplay.

Some of the games are remixes of time honored games from the past while others are new concepts based around popular Lego themes.

The games often involve initial construction of a Lego “board” or environment and then the players choose a token (normally a modified Lego minifig) to move through or around the board.

There are a dozen or so games out at the time of writing and there will no doubt be dozens more on the way as the line has been successful for Lego.

Our favorite Lego Board Games include:

Creationary

Similar to Pictionary but using Lego pieces instead of drawing. For 3-8 players.

Roll the LEGO Dice to select one of four exciting building categories: vehicles, buildings, nature or things.

With three levels of difficulty you can show off your building skills, while the others guess what you are creating.

Lego Hogwarts

Based on the popular Harry Potter theme this game is for 2-4 players.

Between the moving staircases and secret passages at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it can be tricky to find your way around.

Be the first to successfully navigate the magical castle to collect all your homework from your classes and get back to your common room.

Other Lego Board Games

There are a number of other games, on all sorts of themes and with varying game methods.

You can check out reviews of all the Lego Board Games at Amazon.com.

5. Buy A Big Lego Set And Make It Together

I know, I know. Sounds terribly crass doesn’t it.

But for me when I want to sit in on my kids’ experience of Lego, I sometimes have the desire to buy one of the larger sets and just sit down with them and create it.

There is simply something magical about a big Lego set that makes me feel like a kid at Christmas.

The larger sets take a few hours so we can put on some music, sit by the fire if its cold or out on the deck if it is warm, take breaks for snacks, just enjoy the experience and not rush through it.

We tip the pieces out on the floor (generally ignoring any directions to sort them into color or bag number) and then each of us are attracted to different elements.

My daughter always heads for the minifigures first, puts them all together and then starts playing with them. My son sifts through the pieces to find any stand-out new piece designs or colors and then moves onto the instructions and flips through to see major building points.

Once we have all settled down we open the instruction book to page one and start sifting through the pile to find pieces so we can assemble the various elements together.

Once we have finished building the kids can play. Sometimes I can even keep the set aside from their regular Lego so the parts don’t get lost or mixed up with regular pieces.

We can take it apart when they have finished playing, store it away and bring it out a few months later on holidays or a rainy day, much like you would a family Jigsaw puzzle. This keeps the feel of the set special and we can share the building all over again.

We don’t buy big sets often (maybe twice a year) but when we do I like to make it a family occasion :0)

Some Big Sets We Are Saving For Family Building Sessions

• Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle: A big, varied build with lots of minifigs to play with.
• Harry Potter Diagon Alley: Again big and with beautiful details on the buildings and a whole heap of fun minifigures.
• Lego Creator Space Shuttle: A beautiful set. My son and I love this. Only 3 figures but wow what a great design.
• Lego Creator Grand Emporium: These large creator sets are awesome. High piece count, fine detailing and good for collecting (just try and find the earlier sets for under $500).
• Lego Star Wars Death Star: My guilty pleasure. Over 3000 pieces and 24 figures. And Star Wars…

Past Lego Sets We Have Built Together

• Lego Jabba’s Sail Barge: Wonderful iconic set with a great range of figures.
• Lego Home One Mon Calamari: This was a sentimental favorite of mine. The A-Wing and launch bay entranced my son for hours.
• Lego Battle Of Endor: Great range of figures, a vehicle and an exploding bunker. Plus Ewoks. Say no more.
• Lego Hogwarts (Order Of the Phoenix): The Harry Potter Castles are the best sets to make as a family if you are all into the books or the films.

I hope this list has given you a few ideas on how to connect with your kids if you like Lego, by actively being a part of their world. If your family shares Lego in these or different ways I would love to hear from you.