TIPS FOR STARTING A LEGO ® CLUB
"Everything my kids build makes them feel like winners" -Katherine Heiberger

As Katherine Heiberger and her children, Brian and Kelly, played with her father's most beloved collection of LEGO bricks, she was inspired to start a LEGO Club for her son's kindergarten class. A club would allow her family to share the collection of bricks her father amassed during his lifetime, but also use them in a way that was both educational and social. Heiberger's imaginative sessions bring parents and children together in play. The following are Katherine's tips for starting a LEGO Club in your community:

1. Make it a Family Affair. Invite parents and kids to come build together. LEGO is a toy that both parents and kids intuitively know how to play with and can enjoy together. Parents can help the Club run smoothly and be there to encourage and assist kids as they build their creations. 

2. Take Up a Collection. You'll need plenty of LEGO bricks of all shapes, colors and sizes so that the kids can build and create whatever pops into their imagination. You may have enough LEGO bricks to get started but, if not, ask the kids who are part of the Club to bring a small bag of their bricks from home to the first meeting to share with the Club.  Then keep all of the bricks in one place for next time the Club meets.

3. Establish Ground Rules. Katherine's first rule is Have Fun! But with the fun comes the need for kids to act respectfully toward each other to ensure everyone has a positive experience. At the first meeting, sit the kids down and go over the Club rules. You may need to remind the kids at the beginning of every meeting, or ask parents to remind them on the way to meetings. Katherine's rules include:

• Don't take LEGO bricks from other people
• Respect the LEGO creations of others
• Clean up when you're done

These rules help keep the Club fun and teach kids important social skills such as sharing, taking turns and encouraging others.

4. Mark Your Calendar. Talk to the parents to determine a regular time that works for everyone.  This gives kids something to look forward to and helps moms and dads plan their schedules ahead of time. For example, Katherine's Club meets every other Tuesday after school. 

5. Have a Theme. Each Club meeting is an opportunity to explore and learn about a new topic.  Katherine recommends selecting broad themes, such as space, the ocean or transportation, and asking the kids to use their imaginations to create structures from that theme. 

6. Show and Tell. After the kids have finished their structures, have everyone share with the group what they built and why. The key here is that all of the kids listen to each other.