Tag: Lego

Families at Edinburgh Zoo learn about online safety through NSPCC and LEGO Group partnership

Children and families at Edinburgh Zoo learned about online safety while playing with LEGO® bricks, thanks to a new partnership between the NSPCC and the LEGO Group. 

The event was the first of a series in Scotland as part of the Build & Talk campaign, which encourages important conversations with children on topics such as gaming, managing screentime and being kind online – all while being creative with LEGO bricks. 

Other upcoming Build & Talk events were scheduled for Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick and Play Day East Ayrshire in Kilmarnock today (August 6).  

NSPCC Scotland’s Local Campaigns team set up a stall at Edinburgh Zoo last week. Dozens of children and families visited the stall to have a go at some of the LEGO Group’s activities and talk about gaming safe online. 

At the stall, children were encouraged to take part in challenges such as building their favourite character from the game they were currently playing.  

Lou Chauvin, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer, said: “It was wonderful to see so many families engage with online safety in a fun, natural way.

“By combining play and conversation, we’re helping parents and carers feel more confident talking to their children about life online—and children walk away with practical advice in a way they understand. 

“Edinburgh Zoo made for the perfect place to start our sessions in Scotland. We are incredibly grateful for their support in helping to spread this important message.” 

To find out more about the LEGO Group’s online safety activities and advice, click here, or to discover tips and guidance from the NSPCC regarding speaking to children about online safety, click here. 

LEGO® fans unite next weekend as Brick Fest Live comes to Edinburgh

UK’s First Ever Brick Fest Live Comes To Edinburgh

Edinburgh Royal Highland Centre Lowland Hall 4 – 6 May

For the first time ever, the world’s largest hands-on LEGO® event of its kind catapults from the US to make its UK debut in Edinburgh this Spring.

Brick Fest Live will open at the Edinburgh Royal Highland Centre Lowland Hall on 4 – 6 May, with over a million LEGO® bricks on display and ready for play!

Brick Fest Live allows families to enjoy mind‐blowing creations from all over the world made entirely of this timeless toy. Children and adults will be amazed by life-sized LEGO® models and hands-on building activities assembled to set the imagination free.

Brick Fest Live will also feature an enormous marketplace where avid builders will be able find rare collectibles not available anywhere else.

Michael Clapham, Show Producer, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring the smash hit Brick Fest Live all the way from the USA to venues in the UK for the first time ever.

“This is an event for all the family as well as hardcore LEGO® enthusiasts. And if the hugely successful American events are anything to go by, tickets will sell out fast!”.

In addition to seeing the most life-size models and participating in fun building challenges, Brick Fest Live attendees can:

  • See life-size models
  • Help Build a Guinness World-Record Setting Floor Mosaic
  • Express your creativity at the hands-on build zones
  • Race your brick-built car down the 35’ long derby ramps
  • Shop Hard-to-Find LEGO® merchandise
  • Build walls of LEGO® mosaics built by attendees
  • Enter the GLOW ZONE and build with bricks that shine under blacklight
  • Play in a Brick Pit with hundreds of thousands of LEGO® bricks

Edinburgh Royal Highland Centre

Lowland Hall

4-6 May 2024

Tickets now on sale: brickfestlive.co.uk

TICKET INFO:

£18 General Admission (timed entry)

£25 FLEX (Arrive anytime)

£35 VIP

VIP Package includes:

1 hour VIP-only access (Sat 9 am-10 am and Sun 10-11 am).

Exclusive Brick Fest Live Accessory Pack

VIP Lanyard & Commemorative Badge

Exclusive Brick Fest Live Pin

Flex Option: VIP ticket holders can enter the building at any given time during the day. Come and go as you please!

Local High Schools to take part in nationwide Hydrogen challenge

Secondary school pupils will compete against thousands from across Scotland to build the best green-hydrogen powered Lego vehicle to highlight the role the fuel could play in tackling climate change.

More than 700 pupils from across the city will have just two hours to design, build and race a green hydrogen-fuelled vehicle of their own design as part of the nationwide Scottish Schools Hydrogen Challenge.

And over the next two weeks, competitors will be challenged to design vehicles that can travel the furthest on the zero-emission fuel, for a spot in the regional final at the Assembly Rooms on October 8th.

The three best teams from the regionals will then take part in a grand final in Glasgow during the COP26 climate conference in November where they will be pitted against pupils from Fort William, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth and Stirling and Glasgow.

Councillor Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Engaging and empowering young people on climate change is vital as Edinburgh transitions towards net zero by 2030.

“Green hydrogen has the potential to prevent millions of tonnes from being released into the atmosphere. This competition is an excellent opportunity to engage young people ion innovating for a net zero future whilst also creating a learning environment which will drive higher levels of creativity and improve peer collaboration.”

Councillor Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, added: “We know that climate change is a subject which is really important to young people across our city.

“This national challenge not only provides young people with opportunities to apply learning from STEM subjects to this competition but will help to highlight the role that new technologies such as green-hydrogen play in helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.

“It will also provide the finalists with a unique and memorable experience of competing at COP26 during the global conference and show we can be inspired by the solutions to climate change.”

Pupils from James Gillespie’s High School, Broughton High School, The Royal High School, Leith Academy, Liberton High School, St Augustine’s High School, Portobello High School and Drummond High School will all take part in the national challenge which is run in partnership with  Arcola Energy, ITM Power and ScottishPower.