How Did They Survive the Oregon Trail? - A LEGO Tale

I stumbled across this interesting video not too long ago talking about how American settlers survived the Oregon Trail as narrated by Professor P.J. Hill of Wheaton College. The part that caught my attention: it is animated using LEGO stop motion animation.

So, what are your thoughts? Leave a comment below!(Please abide by the comment guidelines)

Results of the Second 2016 LEGO Ideas Review Cycle

The results of the LEGO Ideas Official Review Process for the second qualification period of 2016 are finally here! You can read the official announcement here or watch the reveal in the video below.

 


The project that was selected, Women of NASA by 20tauri, is a very nice project that captures the contribution that five women have made in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and specifically at NASA. This set should go well with the Apollo 11 Saturn V set that was approved in the third 2015 LEGO Ideas review cycle. The fan design has very nicely designed vignettes for each figure, and I look forward to seeing what the official set looks like when it is released. This is a good move, both for TLG and for the STEM community as there is a large push to get more people, especially females interested in the STEM areas. There is a second project, Voltron - Defender of the Universe by len_d69, that is still being reviewed as a potential set. The results of this review will be announced with the results of the third 2016 LEGO Ideas review period results.

There were a couple projects in this review cycle that I was hoping would pass. Those projects are the Plum Creek - Little House on the Prairie and the Modular Construction Site, but I cannot say that I was expecting them to pass primarily due to the size of each project.

 

What are your thoughts? Will you be purchasing a Women of NASA set? Leave a comment below!

Images and video courtesy of LEGO Ideas. 

After a not so Short Break...

Well, my short break turned out to be longer than I anticipated. I have been pretty busy the past few months, but plan to try to get back into the swing of things this month. Stay tuned for future posts!

All Day

Short Break

Thank you to all of you who check my blog here on All Day Bricks on a regular basis. This is a very busy time of year for me, so I plan to take a few weeks off and pick up again at the beginning of next year. I hope you all will continue to check back then!

Happy building and Merry Christmas!
All Day

Bid Red Barn LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project travels way out into the country to visit farmer Fred and his Big Red Barn. According to cmortay, the project creator, the iconic red color that is so often associated with barns comes from the old practice of sealing the wood with linseed oil and rust to help preserve the wooden structure. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This barn is very appealing, in part because of the simplicity of the project, and in part, because of the various little details scattered throughout this build. Barns are generally not too complex, yet they require a certain attention to the minor details because the details seem to stand out more, at least to me. In this model, I see that primarily in the balance of the red and white, and the placement of the white elements throughout the model. Whether that is the white around the doors, or the old window pieces (39) used in white, or the white cattle skull and lamp, they all add just enough white to contrast the dominate redness of the barn making it look really beautiful.

Around one side of the barn, there is a small door that is a bit easier for farmer Fred to open than the heavy doors at the front or the sliding door located around back. I particularly like the tool rack next to the side door as this makes the tools accessible for both the minifigures and for kids as they play with this. Above the sliding door, there is another brick-built cattle skull on the back of the barn, though it has shorter horns and isn't quite as eye catching as the longhorn skull on the front of the barn.

Something that I particularly like about this project, is that it is not just the barn structure, there are also plenty of accessories, from farmer Fred, to the animals, to the tractor and even the hay bales, that complement the barn well. The farm animals include an old barn owl, farmer Fred's trusty horse, a dairy cow and a beef cow. I particularly like the creative use of the croissants as animal business (watch where you step though!). Having this many animals in this project, really adds a lot of playability, as well as adding a great deal of appeal for AFOLs since the dairy cow was only released in one set (7637) and is somewhat of a rare and expensive animal to purchase.

Areas for Improvement
This is a beautiful project, but there are a few changes that might improve this build. First, I would like to see the inside be more accessible for playability purposes. This could be done through removing the roof, or through having the barn (or one of the walls) swing open on a hinge. Second, I would like to see a winch on the pulley arm, just to add a little bit more playability to this. Finally, and this is more personal preference, I am not used to seeing yellow farm tractors. The tractor design is very nice, but a color like blue or green would be more realistic.

Conclusion
The Big Red Barn is a wonderful project with great aesthetic appeal and lots of play value. I think it would make a great set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

 Photos used and review completed with the permission of cmortay.

LEGO Food Truck LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview

This project by TheLegoCreator is a Food Truck for the busy minifigures of LEGO City. This particular food truck is conveniently located street side where the residents of LEGO City can stop by on their lunch break, or after work, to grab a quick bite to eat. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project

There are several food truck themed projects on LEGO Ideas that I could have highlighted, but this particular project stood out to me for a couple reasons. First, there are very few food truck projects that include a bit of scenery, which I personally feel is something that is necessary for a set centered around a vehicle to be complete (look at many of the LEGO City shows this is often the case, though there are some exceptions). Not only is the scenery something that makes this a project that could be a set "as is", but it is also very well thought out and designed. I like the street lamps and the little sidewalk sign that advertise for the food truck as well as the standing tables where customers can enjoy the food they just purchased. 

Second, I think this particular project has great playability and numerous details.One of the details that really stick out to me is the purchasing window. I like how the side folds out so easily, and based on the project description it seems like it should stay open without issues as there is a lock pin holding it open, though I cannot seem to get a good view of it in any of the pictures. (If you find it let me know in a comment below!) There is some nice strip lighting under the fold out wall/awning, and the ketchup and mustard dispensers built into the truck next to the window. On the other side, I really appreciate the inclusion of details such as the vent for the grill, and what I am guessing is a small A/C unit to keep the cooks cool as they serve up hot food.

The non customer side also swings open and the roof comes off to allow easy access to the interior, which greatly enhances the playability of this model. The interior is packed full of all the necessities for running a kitchen on wheels. There is a grill, fridge, sink, fire extinguisher (in case of emergencies), soap dispenser, and cabinet full of cooking utensils. Something else that I think adds a lot to the playability as well as the realistic appearance of this model is the side door where the cooks can enter and exit the kitchen portion of the food truck. As a kid growing up, it was doors like this that really made the LEGO models a lot of fun for me because I could open them up and make my minifigures go through to get into and out of the vehicle.

Areas for Improvement

There is really not much to improve with this project. Some people might argue that the predominately white color scheme is too bland, but when I think of food trucks, I think this fits in. Yes, there are some food trucks that are brightly colored and hard to miss, but there are also some that are very basic in their appearance. Though it might be nice just to see what another version of this truck in say, mostly blue or lime green would look like, I also think the white serves this vehicle very nicely.

Conclusion

I must say that I really like this LEGO Food Truck. There is a good balance of details and playability in this project, and I believe this would a wonderful set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of TheLegoCreator.

LEGO Mini Golf LEGO Ideas Proejct Review

Overview
This project is a playable LEGO Mini Golf course by jgrundfast. This mini golf uses five different modules to create fifteen different hole layouts, allowing the user to create their own playable course, complete with putter and score card. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This mini golf course is no Augusta National golf course, but it does offer many challenges for those who wish to become Masters of LEGO Mini Golf. There are sand traps on either side of the windmill, and those pesky rotating windmill blades, a giant clown mouth through which the golf ball must travel, and a ninety degree bend to add an extra element of challenge. I think this would be a lot of fun for kids and adults to play with (I know I had hours of fun with the old LEGO Sports sets) due to the multiple hole configurations and levels of difficulty.

There are several details that I really like about this mini golf system. First, I like how it is designed to be modular as this allows for the user to design and build his or her own sections to create even more hole possibilities. A couple other things that stick out to me are the detail on the windmill and clown hole elements, the windmill looks very believable, and the clown introduces some contrasting colors to break up the monotony of the green course. I also like how there are some additional pieces included in this project that would allow the user to customize the course a little bit.

Finally, I like the playability if this project in general. After all, that is the whole idea of LEGO, to be a "system of play" made up of interlocking plastic parts. But this project takes that a step farther and creates something that can be played out of this system of play which so many of us love to build with. As I mentioned earlier, I have very fond memories of a similar idea in the past with the LEGO Sports series of sets that came out in the early 2000s, and think there are many youngsters who would enjoy something like this now. You can see a video explaining a little bit more about the project below.

Areas for Improvement
Overall, there is a lot that I like about this project, though there are a couple minor things I would like to change. One, I would like to have the option to have eighteen holes combinations come with the project. Adding another module or creating another module with the existing pieces in the project would be a couple different ways this could be accomplished. Second, and this is very minor, I noticed in the video that it was not a smooth action to remove the putter from the tee stand. I think it would be very simple to add a second putter which would help remove any frustration younger users might experience when trying to remove the club from the tee stand.

Conclusion
I really like this LEGO Mini Golf course and the many hours of play that it offers as well as the ability to customize the course to the user, and I think it would make a fantastic set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of jgrundfast.