Chatham Kids Build a Lego Wonderland

In an escape from the summer warmth, dozens of children and their parents chilled out at  for a few hours of Legos and fun on Wednesday.

One after the other, kids rushed to each table, digging their hands into the pools of Lego blocks generously laid out for them. In moments, they were creating masterpieces.

The event, commonly known as Legopalooza, grants youngsters an opportunity to keep their creative minds active throughout the year. The public event is free of charge and is moderated by Laura Weinbrom, the head of children services.

“Put simply, Legopalooza is an activity where we take out thousands of Legos for children to play with,” said Weinbrom. “It's also a way for the children to share and display their creations.”

According to Weinbrom, Legopalooza was inspired from a similar activity that another library hosted. Weinbrom played along with the idea and started accepting donations for Legos.

The library's collection grew nicely, providing enough pieces and blocks to go around. As time went on, the sheer intake of Legos actually became somewhat overwhelming.

“We usually have 20-year-olds come in with bins of Legos, stuff that they've outgrown and have no use for,” said Weinbrom. “We've collected so many that I've had to point people towards the Madison Library instead.”

According to Weinbrom, Legopalooza is a monthly activity, held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. During the summer, the event is held twice a month, while during the school year it is held once a month. On average, about 50 children attend Legopalooza each month, together with their parents and caretakers.

Weinbrom typically runs the event downstairs in the meeting room, but also relies on local volunteers to serve as chaperones for the children on weekdays.

“During the school year, we usually try to host the activity on Sundays,” says Weinbrom. “We do this in the hope that dads will spend their Sunday afternoon with their kids and still have enough time to get back home and watch football.”

After a few hours of tinkering and building, kids shared their creations upstairs in the children's section for all to see. According to Weinbrom, the creations stay on display until the next Legopalooza, when a new batch will replace the old.