Every first Tuesday of the month, Lego stores across the country host the FREE Monthly Mini Model Build and the Lego store in Penn Square Mall is no exception. Ever since my son became interested in Legos, I have wanted to take him to this event. Finally, we got the chance to attend. November's build will be held on Tuesday, November 5th 2013 at 5pm at the LEGO store in Penn Square Mall.
The Monthly Mini Model Build provides a free themed, mini-model to kids while supplies last. The recommended age is 6 & up, but the clerk gave my 3-year-old daughter a card as well so she was able to build with her brother. As long as the kids are able to do most of the building themselves and will not eat the bricks, there is some flexibility in the age limit. I probably would not have brought my 3-year-old by herself, but tagging along with brother worked out just fine. Kids are given their model to build and ushered in to a seat at one of the tables set up complete with instructions.
Since we were going to be coming all the way from Norman, I wanted to make sure we would be able to get one of the limited quantity of sets. I called ahead to investigate. The clerk on the phone was very helpful and told me that people usually start lining up after school and that getting there a little early was a good idea. She mentioned that there would be a wait. Armed with that information, we packed iPods, coloring books and crayons and set out on our journey.
When we arrived at the Lego Store at 4:15pm, there was already a line of people about five stores long (including some who had brought camping chairs for the wait). So my kids and I whipped out our best criss-cross-applesauce and started reading and coloring like most everyone else in line. At about 4:45, a clerk came along with cards we would use to redeem for our models. At 5pm the line started moving slowly and at 5:20, we finally got our turn. The kids unpacked the Legos at the table and began to build. By the time we left the mall at 6:45 after doing some shopping, there was still a line, but everyone had cards and there seemed to be no shortage of building sets.
The Pros:
The staff was very friendly and helpful during the long wait. Even though the line was long and seemingly endless, there were enough models for everyone who had showed up. The models are cute and change each month and they are FREE. Who can resist FREE Legos? It was fun to be in an atmosphere at the Lego store building with so many other Lego Lovers.
The Cons:
No matter what, you are going to have to wait for a while…most likely, a fairly long time. Knowing this in advance, I was able to come prepared with books and activities. If I had not brought anything for the kids to do, I’m not sure we would have lasted more than ten minutes in line.
My advice? Come prepared with activities and books to keep the kids (and yourself) occupied. If you are driving from far away, it would be a good idea to come early to guarantee that you are able to get a model, but if you live close or just happen to be at the mall, you could probably get away with coming later after the initial line has gone down a bit.
Happy building!
