Lego and Me
Bean Learning session leader, consultant and co-founder, Sarah Ridgeon, talks about her love of Lego and how a free resource has helped her get the most out of her collection during lockdown.
I’m Sarah and I’m a qualified teacher, a researcher, a session leader with Bean Learning and...a MASSIVE fan of Lego! Interestingly, it wasn’t really my toy of choice when I was a child but I have grown into a huge AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego!), running Lego therapy sessions in schools, visiting Lego sculpture exhibitions and enjoying building it myself at home. I love the mindfulness of building sets from instructions whilst listening to an audiobook or podcast and find this really helps my concentration and anxiety. Recently, a little friend of mine has also got me into building from my imagination and I have enjoyed taking apart my sets, organising my bricks and building from scratch.
Photo: The beginnings of a new build from Rebrickable instructions (left) next to a castle of my own design (right).
Since March 2020 I have been registered as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to Covid-19 and I have therefore been shielding. I co-founded Bean Learning so that I could support young people and their families remotely during this isolating time and the first club I knew I wanted to set up - Lego Club! I have occasionally been fortunate enough to bubble up with my friend and colleague, Jay, but I have spent a lot of the past year alone with my little cat in my one-bedroom flat and Lego has been a complete lifeline for me. Loved ones from around the world have continued to send me surprise Lego gifts to keep me going and I have also managed to create magical worlds from my imagination and build places that take me far away from the confines of this flat!
Photo: My cat Rummikub ‘helping’ me search for pieces!
During this time, I have discovered a brilliant website which I wanted to take the time to share with my fellow Lego Beans:
Using this website I have been able to create Set Lists of all the sets I own (simply by typing in their name or the number on the instruction booklet/box) and the site has automatically generated a list of all the parts I should have in my collection (if I haven’t lost any!). I can then go to the ‘Build’ section of the website and generate a list of 100s of instructions for new Lego models that I can build with the pieces I have. All of these have been uploaded by fellow Lego fans and are mostly free to download, though some come with a small price of around £2-£5. If you don’t fancy creating a catalogue of all the sets you own, you can simply search for one set you know you have and then click ‘what else can I build with this set?’ and again, it will bring up a list of alternative building instructions.
I have been able to build an Arcadian hut, water mill and windmill from my Treehouse set; whales, funky birds, dolphins and transformers using my Creator 3-in-1 shark set; a yacht and a barge using pieces from my Riverside Houseboat; and many many more! And this entire process has been completely FREE!
Photo: Starting to organise my Lego collection…
So, when I have needed a bit of stillness for my mind or a new spark of inspiration for my creations, I have been able to build a brand new model from instructions, completely for free and without leaving my house!
I still love making MOCs (Lego-speak for building from your imagination, literally meaning ‘My Own Creation’!) and actually Rebrickable has helped me with that too - as I have now uploaded all my sets to the site, I can check my online inventory to see if I have a particular piece before I spend several hours searching for it! And it has inspired me to teach myself to use digital design software to create lasting images and formal instructions for my MOCs so that I can upload them and give back to the Rebrickable community. I am hoping to offer a Lego digital design club for young people on Bean Learning soon so watch this space…!
Photo: Me learning to use digital design software by creating a digital rendering of one of my potion classroom designs.
Happy building! x