Lego Man Gives Kids Chance To Get Creative And Build

For a decade now, The Lego Man has been traveling the Midwest to educate kids, not just on one of the most popular kid's toys in the world, but the importance of being creative. 

Curtis Mork visited the Neligh Public Library on Friday as part of the summer reading program to talk about Legos. He spent an hour teaching the more than 30 kids in the audience the history of Lego, from its beginnings in Denmark as a final effort of Ole Kirk Christiansen to become a successful toy maker to the modern era of Lego as we know it. He explained that after nearly 60 years of production, the Lego brick has always remained the same as the company expands its market.

After a history lesson on Lego, Mork allowed the kids a chance to flash their own creative brilliance. He dumped bucket loads of Legos on the tables so the kids could build whatever came to mind. They also were able to take that time to browse the various sets Mork built himself, including various Lego City and Star Wars sets. The opportunity to see the creative minds of the kids at work is always a highlight for him.

"I get excited to watch them build," he said. "I can always tell which kids are really into it and really thinking about it. Some of them just grab and start piling on the bricks. Others, though, will actually sit there and look over the creation and try to figure out what to do next. Those are going to be the architects and designers."

Mork himself has collected more than 500 sets of Legos, including his two prized collections, the Death Star from Star Wars and a motorized ferris wheel. He spents much of the summer traveling the Midwest for presentations such as the one he did in Neligh. He also recently had the opportunity to travel to Denmark to visit the Lego factory, a true highlight for him.

The Neligh Public Library was just one of many stops for Mork during his first trip to Northeast Nebraska. He has already been to Verdigre and Elgin and is also scheduled for a number of other stops in the area.