Yesterday I posted about the FREE Lego Mini Build events and download. If your kids are into Legos, click over and download so your child can make a Lego bouquet this weekend. We’ll wait.
Now that we’re all here, I can tell you all about our last visit to a Legoland park.
I have to say that I’m not sure who loves them more, me or my kids. We took our first to his first Legoland visit when he was 15 months, so you know he wasn’t the one doing the asking. But we were in Denmark… how can you NOT go to Legoland if you are in Denmark… right??
Today I’m going to share some pictures from Legoland Windsor, though, which is just a bus-ride away from London and a perfect day trip. We took our kids in the summer of 2009, when they were 3, 5 and 7.
We got there soon after the park opened and maximized every second.
The boys, remembering Legoland trips from the past, (We did go back to the one in Denmark later. And we’ve been to the one in California, too.) made a beeline for Lego Driving School and my daughter, who was three at the time, wasn’t too far behind them. Once they told her all about it, she couldn’t wait for her turn.
On the way there, we zipped by this guy, who was breathing smoke:
and stopped to check him out for a bit.
And being the cool parents that we are (sometimes) we stopped at the candy store to begin our day with candy. Um hmmm… we loaded ’em up with gummies and treats right from the start.
(Do I still have any readers left after that confession?)
We continued our trek to the Driving School and the kids took the slides while my husband and I took the steps.
The Driving School is actually divided into two parts by age. But they both do the same thing.
First the kids learn the rules of the road:
Then they get behind the wheel of a Lego car:
Then get their own Lego Driver License complete with their photo as a souvenir. Of course I had to buy the little plastic lanyard so they could each wear the licenses with pride.
After that, we took in a great puppet show that kept all the kids laughing.
And then headed into a VERY Indiana Jones-like ride:
Although there was quite a wait for this ride, the waiting area was filled with Lego creations, so it wasn’t too bad.
And the ride was fantastic, with lots of great Lego characters and an opportunity to blast the bad guys… does it get any better than that?
Later in the day we did a little different version of driving, this time on-screen:
First you ‘build’ your car and driver on screen, then you move into another room and race:
We all LOVED Miniland, wehere you can see just about any of the world’s icons recreated in Legos. Seeing as we were visiting London, we especially enjoyed this scene featuring the London Eye and Big Ben.
And we got a preview of the Edinburgh Castle, which we visited later in the week:
These creations are so intricate and lifelike… just much, much smaller. In Miniland you’ll see working water ferries, trains, buses, lights and a cheering crowd in Wembley Stadium.
We also saw the Crown Jewels. (Well, sorta.) Here’s a preview:
I am still amazed at how truly family-friendly every one of their parks is. Legoland goes beyond what is expected in terms of helping families feel comfortable in their parks. Yes, the staff is friendly, yes they have good, non-fussy food, and yes, they have special mom-relief and nursing rooms, but they have so much more. I couldn’t resist taking pictures of these kid-sized sinks in the bathroom:
(The LegoLand hotel in Denmark also has kid-sized sinks, changing tables, a Lego play table and kid-sized showers in the rooms!)
The signs to get to the bathroom take into account EVERY language by using clever icons:
And, of course they have a massive Lego store for bringing home the best souvenirs:
This is just a tiny taste of what we did that day. We also rode the rapids of the Viking’s River Splash, got lost and found in Loki’s Labyrinth, enjoyed the Fairytale Brook and let the kids run off some energy in the Pirate Training Camp.
Legoland Windsor is arranged by theme, and and also has a special area for the younger set. But the whole park is built for all ages.
If you are planning a trip near London with the kids, take a day to escape to Legoland Windsor and let their Legos come even more to life. Your kids will thank you. And you’ll have fun, too.
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