Possibly one of the most popular forms of construction toy, LEGO has been around for quite some time. The word Lego was introduced to the world in 1932 by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen to describe his wooden construction toys on which modern-day Lego is based. The word is derived from two Danish words ‘leg’ and ‘godt’, meaning ‘play well’.
The History of Lego
The early form of Lego was a simpler version of the automatic binding brick that we know today which didn’t materialise until 1958. Although not an entirely original concept it was Lego who managed to transform the concept of interlocking bricks into a commercially viable child’s toy.
What made Lego’s concept more successful than other similar products was the unique stud and tube fixing system which made the structures more secure and stable. There are, apparently, over 900 million different ways of combining 6 standard Lego bricks.
Lego Today
The Lego company has not rested upon its laurels and has continued to develop and innovate different ways in which there product can be used. Lego offer something for all ages from toddlers, schoolchildren and teenagers to adults. The company has developed many pre-designed model sets which allow children to create specific models and the advanced Technics range allows older and technically minded children the opportunity to create some fairly sophisticated life-like models which still employ Lego’s basic interlocking design concept.
Now one of the world’s best selling construction toys, Lego has won many awards including the Toy of the Century by the Toy retailers Association in 2000.
