The country’s first Lego Certified Store opened a couple of weeks ago, and fans of all ages have already claimed it as their very own Lego paradise.
“The reception from the customers is overwhelming and humbling,” said Patrick Pesengco, who has been distributing Lego in the Philippines for the past eight years.
The store is a big hit with kids and their parents, and that’s exactly what the people behind the store want: to see families bonding over bricks.
Patrick said, “The Lego brand truly believes that the power of creativity and imagination starts with the enjoyment of play.”
In this increasingly Internet- and gadget-dependent world, Lego wants people to go back and find joy in the basics.
Here are Inquirer Lifestyle’s 10 commandments for parents taking their kids to the Lego store:
1. Don’t rush. Make sure you have plenty of time. The Lego Certified Store isn’t a shop-and-go kind of place; there are a lot of things you can do inside.
2. Get your wallet ready. Lego Certified Store has shelf after shelf after shelf of Lego sets—from Disney Princesses, Marvel and Jurassic Park to The Hobbit, Creator and The Simpsons. They also sell exclusives that you wouldn’t be able to find in other stores in the country.
3. Add the Monthly Mini Build to your schedule. Every month, the Lego Certified Store holds Monthly Mini Builds, an event that gives kids from ages 6 to 14 access to exclusive kits that they can assemble in the store. The best part? They get to take it home for free, no purchase required. Patrick said, “The Monthly Mini Build symbolizes the sincerity of Lego’s belief in the power of creativity and imagination.” The next Monthly Mini Build is scheduled on May 29 (5-6 p.m., and 6-7 p.m.).
4. Arrive with a fully charged camera (or smartphone). There are 3D Lego sculptures, murals and displays with a Filipino touch that you and your kids will surely want to pose next to and take pictures of.
Relish the moment
5. When you’re done taking pictures, keep away your gadgets and focus on relishing the moment with your kids.
6. Explore every corner of the store. Check out the spot for engraving; you can get personalized Lego keychains there. Stop by the Pick a Brick corner where you can choose specific bricks to add to your kids’ collection (P649.75 for every 100 grams). Go to the Build a Mini corner and make minifigs to represent all the members of your family (P499.75 for a set of three).
7. Let your kids play. There are tables, chairs, bricks and blank Lego walls that they can use in the store.
8. Have fun. Unleash your inner child. Sit with your kids, play with them and let the bricks remind you of your own Lego-building days as a child.
9. If your budget allows, choose a set you’d like to purchase and take home the Lego fun with you.
10. Go back. Patrick promises more fun at the Lego Certified Store. “There will be events at the store every other weekend and more collections coming in,” he said.
Visit the Lego Certified Store at the Park Triangle, 11th Avenue corner Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (beside Kidzania).