My family loves all things LEGO, so we’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Traveling Bricks at Virginia Museum of History and Culture. The exhibition features 100 models of land, air, sea, and space vehicles constructed from nearly a million LEGO bricks. We loved the exhibition for the same reasons we love LEGO – it’s fun, educational, and inspirational.
Here are three reasons to visit VMHC’s Traveling Bricks exhibition with your family:
1) Facilitate conversations to empower your child.
The intricately designed builds are not only beautiful to look at, they’re motivational, too. Throughout the exhibition my children oohed and aahed in admiration at the work, acknowledging the time the builders must have put in. “How long do you think that took?” they asked. And we got to have easy conversations about focusing on something you want to accomplish. How the road to get there may not be easy, but the end product is worth it.
Since my children love to build with LEGOs, this was a simple way to teach about perseverance and hard work. Especially important, I got to talk with my son about how these builders must have had moments of frustration, but they pushed through. This is a skill we’re working on constantly, so I was thankful for this opportunity for a comfortable dialogue.
2) Learn about history while you enjoy the LEGO exhibition.
VMHC and LEGO collaborate perfectly to bring moments of history to life throughout the exhibition. My son especially loved the models replicating the assembly line that worked to produce the first automobile. Since this is something he will learn in school eventually, I love that he is exposed to it now.
Some of our other favorite builds were:
- Titanic – Be sure to look for Leo and Kate at the front!
- John Deere tractor – A hit for any kiddo who loves vehicles.
- Wright Brothers’ Flyer – Another “keep trying” message that tells the story of the development of the first airplane.
3) Inspire creativity in your kids.
One of the best parts of this exhibition is that immediately after walking through, kids can make their own designs. The huge brick pit is both fun and functional, as kids can play in it, and then take out bricks to build with. There are tables nearby for those who like a larger, flat surface for building.
To culminate the visit, kids can name and display their builds on the wall. I love how this brings the entire exhibition full circle!
Traveling Bricks is at VMHC now through January 5, 2025. Exhibitions are include with daily admission: $12 for adults; $$8 youth (ages 6-17); free for children 5 and under.
