Lego Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Batman Oreos

February 17, 2017 by Kelly Dedeaux

Every chance we get, we love to create as a family and when we can create in a way that’s both yummy and nerdy? Well that’s just a bonus! These Batman Oreos were so fun and so easy to make, and they’re both yummy AND celebrate our love of all things superhero!

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I don’t know about your kids, but ours are superhero fanatics (and we are, too), so when I found these gummy treat Batman symbols I knew I had to make something fun for them. And these are so easy that you could create them for just about any holiday or theme – even if you aren’t as in to Batman as we are. 😉

The ingredients are simple and easy to find, which makes these Batman Oreos even better! I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience, but you can also find most of these at the local grocery store.

Ingredients

12 regular Oreo cookies
12 oz bag Wilton yellow candy melts
12 count Batman gummy treat decorations
1 Wilton white icing tube
Optional – 1 Wilton black icing tube

Yields: 1 dozen

Directions

Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Set aside.

Add the yellow candy melts to a double boiler pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth (about 3-4 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl for easier handling.

Fill each cookie mold with 2 tablespoons of the melted yellow candy melts. Place an Oreo cookie on top and then fill up the rest of the mold with additional melted yellow candy.

Chill for 30 minutes to allow the yellow chocolate to harden.

Gently pop each cookie out of the mold and place on the lined baking sheet.

Peel apart the black Batman logo from each gummy candy and place on top of the coated Oreo cookies with a dab of white icing on the back. If you do not want to use the gummy logos, you can just pipe the batman logo on each cookie with a black icing tube.

ENJOY!!

*Store in a single layer, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Will you be trying our Batman Oreos? What theme would you choose?

Legoland Brick or Treat

September 29, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

We were so excited last year when we made our trip to California, as we had a spare day and were finally going to take the kids to Legoland! Neither of us had ever been, but we’d been eager to take our Lego-loving family there ever since they were little. Our day was full of rides, Lego-building and much more. What made it even better was the time of year, because we got to experience Legoland Brick or Treat!

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This was just a fun family trip, not sponsored, so we were free to do everything just as we pleased. Nab your park tickets from Get Away Today for the best deals, then check your dates to see if they’re doing Brick-or-Treat a night you’ll be there. Use promo code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package.

Even during the day, before the fun party starts in the evening, you can find Halloween themed treats, cups and other souvenirs. We got the fun mug, and were very tempted to try one of the tasty caramel apples!

The decor was fantastic – Pumpkins built from Legos, lanterns and lights everywhere, complete with hanging cobwebs. The GIANT lego spider wasn’t my personal favorite, but the kids thought it was hilarious!

They have a little ‘Enchanted Walk’ area that opens when the Brick-or-Treat party starts, but it was too crowded so we didn’t try it out. It looked like more fun Lego scenes and decorations, possibly more treat stops.

Once the party starts, they begin to separate those who have at ticket (wrist band) for it from those that need to leave the park. It doesn’t get super busy or crazy at first, but after a little bit the lines for the treat stops are massive and it’s a bit difficult to get around. To make up for that, though, there’s so much entertainment! From bands and live music, to costumed people walking around on stilts. There’s also plenty of Lego characters, such as FRIENDS, walking around to keep guests happy. The kids LOVED it!

The treat stops were everywhere, and they weren’t skimping on the candy! We finally told our kids we weren’t going to anymore, since they’d already gotten way more candy than we could eat the whole trip! We enjoyed the music, dancers, characters and decor a bit more. The lines for rides were a bit busy, but not too bad.

While we weren’t big fans of how busy the Brick-or-Treating was, I think it was a popular night so not all of them would be that way. It was still WAY fun and worth going, especially if your kids want to dress up and really get into the fun!

Get our Legoland tickets & deals HERE!

Promo code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package

Why are LEGO® sets good for Kids?

January 13, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Our family is completely in love with LEGO^® sets. I don’t just mean a little bit – it’s the activity my kids ask for more often than most any other. We have huge totes and buckets full of pieces – the largest supply being from Hubby’s childhood! Yup, our love of these building blocks goes deep – it was his main thing growing up, and now he’s sharing it with his children. Plus, now we can enjoy LEGO^® Super Heroes at any age! You may be wondering ‘Why are LEGO® sets good for Kids?‘ Here’s the reasons I personally like best!

Since we’re also major super hero fans, the LEGO^® Super Heroes: MARVEL^™ and LEGO^® Super Heroes: DC UNIVERSE^™sets are the PERFECT thing for this group of kiddos – and us adults, too! They bring characters from comic books and new movie releases to LEGO brick form, making great fun for all.

I really wish I’d gotten my family’s reactions on video when I pulled out the two sets we received. You can tell how my hubby and Black Widow responded in the picture above, at least! My boys were equally thrilled, and couldn’t wait to get started on the LEGO^® JUNIORS (Ages 4+) that was the perfect level for them. They had so much fun putting together Spiderman and his helicopter, then played for hours with him, Green Goblin and the rescue force dude that came in the set.

They didn’t even need much supervision because LEGO^® JUNIORS delivers fun, age-appropriate building sets with easy-to-follow building instructions, colorful photos and playful guidance to help to ensure a smooth transition to independent building. Quick start elements and modular bricks, such as walls and archways, facilitate easy builds—giving children out-of-the-box success.

Reason #1 to why are LEGO^®sets good for kids

Storytelling and creative play is inspired by a variety of iconic themes.

My kids LOVE coming up with stories inspired by their favorite super heroes with these sets! It’s so funny to hear them say things such as ‘I’ll get you Green Goblin’ and ‘spider web ahoy’! Hubby and I were grinning ear to ear, remember all the superhero games from when we were little. I’m so glad the love of super heroes is strong in my family!

Reason #2 why we love LEGO® sets for kids’ learning & growth

As children play, they grow confident in their ability to bring stories and ideas to life.

I let Black Widow do the Batman & Deathstroke LEGO^® Super Heroes (ages 5-12) set by herself, and it couldn’t be more perfect for her age range! With just very minor help here and there, she really felt good about herself once it was all done!

Reason #3 why you should let your kids play with LEGO®

Because LEGO^® Super Heroes is a perfect way to introduce the entire family to the land of make-believe & open-ended play. With something for every age, you are never too young or too much of an adult to build your own version of a superhero with LEGO bricks.

Which brings us to our last reason these are such great toys for kids:

Reason #4 to let your kids play with LEGO^® building sets

It really does bridge the gap between generations! We get the grandparents down playing with these guys, building and creating, using their imaginations for new stories and situations. They love it!

What special power does everyone in the family wish they had?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Lego Creations Photo Book

September 4, 2015 by Ashley Soderlund Ph.D.

Hello! I’m excited to back here at Busy Mom’s Helper sharing a fun project with you today. Are your kids into Legos or some other activity that involves creating something? I love all of the ideas you find on pinterest to save your children’s artwork and I do some of those things. We have a little art wall (here’s a tour of our playroom) and I take pictures of some of my son’s artwork to place in our photobooks. My son has fun doing art — but it’s not his favorite activity. Given the choice between building something or painting, he will chose building anyday! I think he likes that he can be precise with building toys and that he can play with them once they are built.

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I’ve also noticed he is really creative when he builds, especially with Legos. Since his very first tower I’ve been snapping picture of his creations because I wanted to capture that creativity. I didn’t really think about what I would do with the pictures and I didn’t really plan to keep taking them. Most of the time I would take a picture and text it to my husband at work, who also has a lifelong love of Legos and loves to see what we are up to during the day. This summer I had the idea to compile all of the pictures I’ve taken of my son’s Lego creations for the past two years into a photobook.

I got the idea because recently my son has started studying the pamphlets that come in the Lego boxes. He loves looking at Lego creations! His best friend always brings over his Lego magazine on playdates and shows my son some of his favorites as well. I thought it would be fun to do a photo book of my son’s own creations. Shuttefly was having a good sale on photo books (right now they are 50% off, that’s better than the sale I had! (affiliate link)

I used their kid’s template Planes, Trains and Automobiles because many of my son’s creations are going things. Tip: click on photobooks and then Kids themes to see a whole host of kid friendly templates.

I did customize the template some just to fit with the pictures I had on the page. I think it turned out really cute. The best thing though? My son loves it! He was so excited to see his old creations and I was so surprised that as we paged through the book he remembered most of them and even had names for them, “that’s my rocket man, that’s my jet pack chug!, that’s my underwater machine!, that’s my jungle!” We have it in the living room and he looks through it often. I think it’s inspired even more creativity in him– he’s recreated some of his old ideas and expanded on them. To see what else we are doing with Legos check out my new series on Lego Scene Boxes!

Thanks for reading!

Ashley

Schedule YOUR next Legoland or Disney vacation with Get Away Today now! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper for $10 off your vacation package!

15+ Legoland Tips for the Best Vacation

August 23, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

Despite having been to Disneyland in California MANY times in my life (and many more to come!), my family has never made it to Legoland. Sad, I know, especially with hubby and the kids being MAJOR Lego-lovers! For our trip coming up in a couple months, our entire first day is at Legoland and we seriously can’t wait! Being the planner that I am, I gathered up 15+ Legoland Tips for the Best Vacation to help us get ready.

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1. Keep Kids Happy while Waiting

Even though I’ve been told the wait times for even the best rides aren’t that long, kids can get pretty impatient when they’re excited. Legoland has Legos set up for kids to play with while the parents wait – awesome, right?

2. There are 3 Sections – be sure to get tickets for what you want.

Just like Disneyland is divided into the classic park and California Adventure, requiring different tickets if you want both, Legoland has the main amusement park, the Sea Life Aquarium, and the water Park. There’s a variety of combo tickets, so pay attention and get what you really want.

3. Arrive a bit early

Many of the reviews I’ve read suggested getting there 30 minutes to an hour before the rides actually begin. This allows time for figuring out tickets, getting some pictures and maybe glancing at the map more than 2 seconds to really get your bearings.

4. Apple Fries are a Must Try

Supposedly the Apple Fries at Legoland California are the BEST, and many have said we just can’t avoid trying them on our visit!

5. Pay Attention to the Height Requirements Beforehand

Some of the rides are specifically meant for smaller children, so if your taller kids are looking forward to one of those they may end up disappointed. Same with the littles that really want to try a ride you must be taller for. Just plan ahead and they’ll know what is a YES and what is a WHEN YOU’RE TALLER.

6. Notice the Little Things

All around the park are figures, accents, decorations and more built out of Legos – this is such a fun thing to really see! From a Lego shark laying in the water on a pirate boat ride to an entrance archway from all Lego pieces, be sure to notice these random and fun accents.

7. Start with your Favorites First

As with most amusement parks, it gets busier as the day goes on, so it’s wise to try and hit your most-anticipated rides earlier in the day. Also, the water parks get busiest in the afternoon (hottest time of day, so makes sense) – so if you want less crowds perhaps you should start there.

8. Don’t wait to Shop After

The shops stay open after the rides are closed, so many think it’s wise to save your souvenir shopping until then – problem is that EVERYONE has the same idea! Most recommend shopping throughout the day, otherwise it’s total chaos and harder to keep track of your kids in the masses. Glad I read about that otherwise I would’ve been stuck in the rush!

9. Minifigure Trading

Just like pin trading at Disney, Legoland has Minifigure trading – let your kids pick out some minifigures then have fun trading with staff throughout the day.

10. Take Advantage of Child Swap

If you have kids that are too small/tall to go on something, they do offer child swap. Those going on the ride just tell the member at the ride to get the pass, go on the ride, then pass it to those waiting with the others so they don’t have to wait in the full line twice.

11. Don’t Carry Your Purchases All Day

Instead of lugging around bags of Lego stuff all day, leave it with the store clerks and you can pick it up in the Market at the end of the day.

12. Use the LEGOLAND app

I’ve been told this is great at checking current ride wait times – gonna give it a try when we go so we can avoid the busiest ones and make the most of our time!

13. Bring Snacks & Stay Hydrated

They allow snacks and water bottles to be brought into the park, so do that to help save your money. Don’t forget to drink plenty so you don’t have a miserable time dehydrated!

14. Preferred Parking isn’t Usually Worth it

Until I read many, many reviews saying that with the small parking lot, preferred parking (that gets you practically to the gate) isn’t really worth the $20 charge because it isn’t much walking anyway.

15. Buy your Tickets from Get Away Today

Every dollar saved is great while on a vacation, and after comparing the online prices of Legoland and those that Get Away Today offers, GAT is the winner! Use Promo Code: BusyMomsHelper to get $10 off your vacation package!

Bonus Tip from Legoland Themselves: “if you have any questions throughout the day be sure to text us at (760) 203-3604 and we will respond to you during your visit.”

Also find out which Heartlake City Friend you are!

Other fun in California!

Happy Kids on an Airplane Without Electronics

June 27, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

The kids and I recently went on a trip to visit our families in Utah, and although the flight was making the travel part much easier, I was worried about the kids. It’s not a horribly long flight, except we did have TWO due to a plane change in the middle. That long sitting still in a plane doesn’t do well for these littles! Luckily I brought along a ‘secret weapon’ so I could have Happy Kids on an Airplane Without Electronics!

If you know us, you know we absolutely love LEGO® – hubby grew up all about building and creating with them, and still has totes of them that we love to play with as a family. I love the imagination it brings out in my kids – but I never considered taking them on a flight before, at least until I heard about LEGO® JUNIORS Suitcases!

Each of these come in a neat little suitcase (easily carried by the kids, which means less in YOUR hands) and inside are packed sets and simple-to-follow instructions.

My boys needed just a tiny bit of guidance as we put them together – but Black Widow did just perfect by herself!

Once we got the sets built, they didn’t need any help at all playing and using their imagination with their new pieces!

They were really excited about the little people that came in each set (2 sets per suitcase, if you were wondering).

They were happy to use their creativity to come up with fun stories, games and their own little worlds the entire flight – making it a much nicer trip for everyone! I always feel better when they’re using creative thinking skills and building confidence in themselves WHILE having a great time.

LEGO® JUNIORS is designed to give children age 4-7 a great first building experience with the LEGO brick through iconic, fun and easy to build models. And it doesn’t have to be ‘pink for girls’ and ‘rescue planes’ for boys – they love them ALL!

If you’ve got an upcoming trip – whether it’s on an airplane, car or boat – don’t leave home without it! The LEGO® JUNIORS Suitcase is the perfect travel companion to keep your youngster entertained this summer. Filled with an assortment of LEGO bricks and exciting role play components the suitcase is extremely portable— opening up a world of play possibilities anywhere you go!

I know, these photos are far from the best – but we were on an airplane with weird lighting and sun blaring in any open windows so I think I deserve some slack here 😉

Where would YOU like to take these fun LEGO® JUNIORS Suitcases this summer?