6 ms·

My preference towards free-play, and opinion against guided-play (following manuals) used to be similar to yours. But my sister made me realize how much that my

My preference towards free-play, and opinion against guided-play (following manuals) used to be similar to yours. But my sister made me realize how much that my earlier guided-play was essential to develop my fundamental building skills that allowed my later free-play to thrive. My sister inherited my Lego box but with no manuals, so she only ever knew free-play, and she describe her experience with Lego growing up as frustrating and fruitless, of wanting to build things but not knowing how to even start, because she lacked many fundamental skills. So I realized a basic truth of pretty much all skills and hobbies: guided play or formal training are not enemies of free creative play, quite the opposite, they fosters creativity by opening many new avenues. Every musical composers or great jazz improvisers started by playing someone else's music.

solardev 4y ago
Well put.
sircastor 4y ago
I once tried to join in on some jazz riffing at Christmas. In spite of being a capable player, I really could not successfully contribute. I didn’t have the appropriate practice of improvising to be successful. I really should’ve learned those blues scales my music teacher had given me. I guess my point here is, you’re right. The fundamentals are important. Both the guided and the free.
carlivar 4y ago
When was this? As a kid in the eighties, there were few unique bricks. Squares, rectangles, varying thickness. Maybe two types of wheels and tires (these were prized above all). I wonder if the specialization of bricks since then has contributed to that "totally lost" feeling. I look at our pile and it's mostly specialized doodads and widgets for who knows what Star Wars thing a few years ago.
- drewbeck 4y ago
  As an 80s kid I made a lot of the same spaceship over and over, even with the limited set. I coulda used some more ideas!

solardev 4y ago

Well put.

sircastor 4y ago

I once tried to join in on some jazz riffing at Christmas. In spite of being a capable player, I really could not successfully contribute. I didn’t have the appropriate practice of improvising to be successful. I really should’ve learned those blues scales my music teacher had given me. I guess my point here is, you’re right. The fundamentals are important. Both the guided and the free.

carlivar 4y ago

When was this? As a kid in the eighties, there were few unique bricks. Squares, rectangles, varying thickness. Maybe two types of wheels and tires (these were prized above all). I wonder if the specialization of bricks since then has contributed to that "totally lost" feeling. I look at our pile and it's mostly specialized doodads and widgets for who knows what Star Wars thing a few years ago.

drewbeck 4y ago
As an 80s kid I made a lot of the same spaceship over and over, even with the limited set. I coulda used some more ideas!