Kids (and Adults) Let Their Imaginations Run Wild With LEGO DREAMZzz and LEGOLAND California

Come along for a bricktastic creative experience with LEGO!

Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah Scott

Of all of our toys at home (and we have a large collection), LEGO is some of the best. My kids have been building with LEGO since my husband’s DUPLO sets were passed down by my in-laws. They have graduated to age-appropriate building sets and creating their own masterpieces at home.

We often build together as a family too. From LEGO floral sets to mini witches and trains, there’s always a LEGO project that starts with what seems like a million pieces scattered around (if you know, you know).

Of course, we are big fans of the LEGOLAND New York theme park, so when the opportunity presented itself to cover the LEGO DREAMZzz: A Wild Adventure event and experience the LEGOLAND park in California earlier this month, I jumped on it.

The LEGO DREAMZzz Experience

Our first stop was the LEGO DREAMZzz: A Wild Adventure event at the Los Angeles Zoo. The weekend-long experience celebrated the launch of the new LEGO DREAMZzz sets, which hit stores in August.

During our visit to the zoo, we met with LEGO master model builder Chris Steininger who talked about the inspiration behind the new sets.

“It’s all about exploring your creativity in the DREAMZzz world. You can do anything, and there’s no limit to what your dreams can inspire and create,” he says.

My kids got right to work building a super-sized LEGO DREAMZzz creature known as Izzie’s Narwhal. Both of them gathered at different building stations, which highlighted instructions to help build pieces that would ultimately end up forming part of the super-sized LEGO structure. It sparked my kids' focus and unleashed their creativity.

“I grew up playing with LEGO bricks. I’m an example of someone who was a big LEGO fan and was able to work their way into being a LEGO master model builder. We want to hopefully inspire the next generation of master model builders,” adds Steinenger.

While we visited the event in California, there are more unique events taking place in Florida, New York, and select LEGOLAND Discovery Centers this August inspiring kids to run with their wild imaginations and co-create original fantasy creatures for an unforgettable experience.

Our Day at LEGOLAND California

The next day, we were off to LEGOLAND California which is located in Carlsbad, a city in North San Diego County. The STEAM-based theme park has more than 60 rides for kids ages 2-12.

That includes the park's newest addition the Dino Valley. My youngest daughter was excited to ride the DUPLO Little Dino Trail, which included spotting all of the dinosaurs in sight!

Then we got to ride the Coastersaurus (my kids asked to ride this one twice!). The ride was nestled in a prehistoric jungle and surrounded by LEGO brick dinosaurs, which they loved. The dips were fun and kid-friendly (I'm not a fan of roller coasters and this felt like a gentle ride, which was perfect for me too!).

Next up, we visited the LEGO Movie World, and the kids were pumped to try Emmet's Flying Adventure Ride, which features a virtual experience on his ‘triple-decker flying couch.’ The LEGO Ferrari Build & Race was also perfect for both kids since they have two experiences: one intended for toddlers and one for big kids.

Snack and food stations were easy to come by to keep the kiddos well-fed. Throughout the park, there are also build-a-masterpiece creation destinations. Our kids loved building and playing with LEGO in these sections, and it offered a nice break from waiting in lines for rides. Our favorite one was the Coast Guard Build-A-Boat experience where kids can build and then race their very own watercraft.

The park is massive and there’s so much more to see and do. We ended the day with a banana-themed dance party. Yes, really. It was a pretty perfect way to end a LEGO fun-filled adventure.

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