Aroostook Republican photo/Theron Larkins
Alex Hale and Silas McNeally are both very interested in the robotic car brought in by New Sweden Consolidated School teacher Mr. Easter for the Caribou Library’s first-ever Lego Day. Hale and McNeally worked diligently to get things on the right track, as the robotic car’s laser sensor attempts to navigate its way along the track. For additional photos, please turn to page 10.
By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Many of us can think back to our childhoods and recall some of the different types of toys and games we once played with during our early years. Many years before children were old enough to hammer a nail, or use a saw, they were practicing construction methods with toys, on a much smaller scale, but one that allowed the aspiring architect inside us to display some creativity.
Older generations will most often remember their childhoods filled with large cardboard boxes of Lincoln Logs and the rustic old fashioned log cabins that often resulted from hours of fun, mixed with a little hard work.
For half a century, Lincoln Logs remained the predominant building blocks for children since their introduction in the early 1900s, however, since 1949 there’s been a new children’s toy at the top of the market and they’ve remained a mainstay in the toy industry until this day.
The new toy on the block during the last 60 years is, of course, the Lego. The Lego Group’s flagship product consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts. Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings and even working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart, and the pieces re-used to make other objects.
Since Ole Kirk Christiansen first created the Lego Group in 1949; the Denmark-based company has been on a steady rise, while the development of a global Lego subculture remains strong until this very day. The toy construction set has become a monopoly in the toy construction set industry and has recently overlapped into the development of supporting movies, games, competitions and six themed amusement parks across the globe. As of 2013, around 560 billion Lego parts had been produced. This means, if all Lego bricks ever produced were to be divided among a world population of six billion, each person would have 62 Lego bricks.
On April 23, the Caribou Public Library held their first-ever Lego Day. The large construction project took place downstairs in the children’s library, where all children from grade 1 and up were welcomed to come join in the fun. Children were urged to bring in their own creations from home, while they were also provided the opportunity to build new constructs at the library. Children of all ages packed the children’s library to display their multi-colored projects, while also working together to build new ones.
“This is the first time we’ve ever held Lego Day,” said Diane DuBois, the library’s director. “And, from the large turnout and the enthusiasm on display, it would appear to be quite a success.”
Children brought in their impressive displays of a variety of constructs from boats and ships to castles and space stations, and even a robotic car brought in by New Sweden teacher Mr. Easter, who along with his students built a remote-controlled car with the ability to maneuver with only a laser sensor to guide its travels around the library.
“Many of the children came in to show some of the Lego constructions they’ve built at home, but others came in to simply enjoy a fun morning of building with other children,”said Children’s Librarian Jean Shaw. “Others even brought in large collections of Legos to donate to the library, so everyone could have a chance to enjoy.”
