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The History of LEGO Blocks

If you are old enough, you remember a time when Lego blocks (or bricks) were not mentioned in the same sentence with movies, games, competitions and theme parks. These plastic, interlocking blocks can be snapped together to make colorful vehicles, structures, airplanes, action figures, even working robots. They come in different sizes (larger ones for younger kids), and they all work with previously manufactured pieces, so a child's collection grows by purchasing new sections. They are like the modern-day version of wooden building blocks.

Early History
- Ole Kirk Christiansen began building a line of wooden toys in the 1930s in Denmark. He called his business Lego. The name came from the Danish words "leg godt," meaning play well. Through the 1940s, he began experimenting with producing plastic children's toys. He came up with a design called "Automatic Binding Bricks." The Lego blocks children play with today are a direct modified version of the original bricks.
Design
- The planned design of Lego blocks is part of a universal system. Through years of variations in new products, the blocks work with previously purchased products. In other words, Lego blocks purchased in 1958 still work with blocks purchased this year. The precision in design forms an exact hold when the blocks are snapped together. They stay together to form an item until they are purposely pulled apart.
Process
- The Lego block manufacturing process begins as plastic granules. These granules are turned into blocks through an injection molding process. Huge machinery that brings the plastic material to a very high temperature are used to create Lego blocks. Most of the work is done by these machines, rather than people. The plastic granules are held in silos at the manufacturing plants. Each silo holds 33 tons. After the blocks are formed, they cool and are dropped into bins, where robots take them to an assembly location. The first plastic Lego blocks were not made in this manner, of course. It took five years to perfect the process and find the right materials.
Systems
- In the 1950s, Lego began manufacturing plastic props to go with their building sets. These included vehicles and assorted items that allowed expanded play with Lego blocks to include cities, airports, parking garages and other larger architectural designs. These props have become more elaborate as the years have passed. Lego has acquired licensing to make special block sets with themes, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Spider Man, Bob the Builder, Frank Lloyd Wright and others.
Collections
- Collectors look for older Lego block sets. Especially valuable are the discontinued licensed sets. Of course, the older complete sets are sought after, but the individual mini-figures that came in those sets are also prized by Lego collectors.

Construction Toys