Legos can be found in millions of homes all over the world. Modern day Legos have been produced for just over 50 years, however, the history dates back further. The Lego group as it is known today was founded in 1932. Ole Kirk Kristiansen was the original founder, the company is now owned by his grandson. Lego means “play well” when translated from Danish, the name fits the company perfectly.
Although the Lego Company has come a long way since its original days, the philosophy remains the same. Their mission statement is “Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” Lego manages to do this every time. Giving young children the chance to be creative, and produce amazing designs. Lego is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toys. Children spend over 5 billion hours every year playing with some form of Lego toys. Although the pieces are different, every Lego piece is compatible with each other, allowing legos to be put together, taken apart and then rebuilt into a completely different item.
There are over 20 billion Lego bricks produced every year, they are also the world’s number one tire manufacturer. This is due to the 306 million Lego tires they produce every year. Although the original design for the Lego was very basic, it has now developed into collector’s sets and themes such as batman lego’s and star wars legos. Lego operates 45 retail stores and four Lego theme parks worldwide. There are also four designated Lego Land discovery centers, two in Germany, one in the USA and one in the UK.
The original LegoLand was opened in Denmark in 1968 and is still the largest today. The English one followed in 1996 and has increased in size over the years to include 12 different areas. The Legoland California opened in 1999 with Germany’s LegoLand being the final park to open in 2002. Although all of the theme parks are Lego orientated, they are in fact only part owned by the company. In 2005 Lego sold a 70% share of the amusement parks to the Blackstone group. The actual parks have remained the same and the theme has never been altered.
The LegoLand theme parks are aimed and marketed at younger children. They do have a number of roller coasters and themed rides, however, they are far from thrilling. The parks are split into different zones, including the incredible model village. This area includes models of scenes from around the world, as well as famous landmarks. All of the areas in Lego Land are based around the different sets that you can purchase. The rides do vary from park to park, although there are some that are consistent throughout, just check the legoland website for more information.
Within the parks there are stores for you to be able to purchase Lego merchandise. Clothing, books, games and films are all available. The Lego merchandise continues to be as popular as the best kids toys- the Lego bricks themselves. The parks on average receive over 1.4 million visitors every year, and continue to be one of the most popular theme parks for younger children. Your child will be having fun, learning, and being creative all in one place. Developing their imagination, to help them become a happy person. They will gain so much from one small Lego brick, combining logic with creativity.
