LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2019

Build your Happy Holidays with the new LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!

My daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic! Last year, we counted down the days to Christmas with the 2018 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar and are going to have so much fun doing it again this year! The LEGO Friends 2019 Advent Calendar looks like it is packed with fun holiday-themed surprises!

LEGO Easter Basket

Create a LEGO Easter Basket that any LEGO fan will love!

If you're looking for a unique gift idea, this LEGO Easter basket is filled with items that LEGO fanatics of any age are going to love! Because there are so many awesome LEGO products out there, you can go as minimal or as grand as you want to suit your needs and budget. I put a different LEGO basket together last year for my daughter and she absolutely loved it!

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2018 + Free Printable LEGO Gift Tags

Count down to Christmas with the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar and download Free Printable LEGO Gift Tags!

My daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic, and loved opening up the 2017 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar last year. We can't wait to count down to Christmas again this year with the LEGO® Friends 2018 Advent Calendar, with 24 buildable surprises inspired by the 5 LEGO Friends!

Since this is also the season of giving, I've also designed some Free Printable LEGO Gift Tags for you to add to all of your holiday gifts this year! Happy holidays!!

Free Printable Harry Potter Activity Pack

Set the scene with LEGO Harry Potter sets & enjoy this magical Free Printable Harry Potter Activity Pack!

To all my fellow Harry Potter fans (young and old), I've got a fun post for you today! When we received this new LEGO Harry Potter set, I felt that same surge of excitement as I felt when I purchased my first Harry Potter book. Putting this LEGO Harry Potter set together inspired me to create a Free Printable Harry Potter Activity Pack to share with all of you!

Free Printable Dinosaur Jokes

Kids will be ROARING with laughter with Free Printable Dinosaur Jokes inspired by LEGO!

DIY Chevron Friendship Bracelet

Celebrate National Best Friends Day with a DIY Friendship Bracelet tutorial inspired by LEGO Friends!

Today is National Best Friends Day, and what better way to celebrate than with the LEGO Friends group?! These girls are great examples of being a good friend and supporting each other. We've got some fun, new sets that you can get in the LEGO Friends line, as well as an awesome DIY Friendship Bracelet tutorial so that you can tell your own BFFs just how much you appreciate them!

LEGO Minifigure Party with Free Printables

Thanks to LEGO for sponsoring this party! As always, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Throw an awesome LEGO Minifigure Party with these simple tips and free printables!

Earlier this year, LEGO celebrated the 60th anniversary of their bricks with a handful of play sets, which we shared to go along with a LEGO Challenge Game. 2018 also marks 40th anniversary of the LEGO Minifigure! To celebrate the occasion, 16 new LEGO Minifigures were released in mystery bags on April 1. We decided to celebrate the occasion here at home by throwing a LEGO Minifigure Party with friends!

While "Pinterest-perfect" parties are the goal most of us strive to achieve, our budgets don't always agree with our party plans. I know I'm not the only one in this predicament, so I wanted to share some simple tips, FREE printables, and more about how we were able to throw an awesome party on a budget should you feel inspired to have your own LEGO Minifigure Party!

Officially called the Party Series, these new minifigures are dressed up in wild costumes! Each LEGO series set usually includes 16 minifigures, but this series is extra special because it includes the police officer minifigure that was the first ever created in 1978! You can find the LEGO Minifigures packaged in mystery bags available online or in stores for $3.99 each.

Want to see what we got in our 12 Party Series mystery bags? Watch the video my daughter made opening them all up to find out!

I started with my personal favorite, party favors, to begin my party prep. I created some free printable party favor bag toppers to attach to the top of the favor bags. Print out the toppers on regular copy paper, cut them out with a paper trimmer, and fold the toppers in half.

In each treat bag I added in one LEGO Minifigure mystery bag, and some adorable brick candy that your guests can build AND eat! After the bag has been filled, close the top of the bag and place the topper over the bag. Staple or tape the topper in place.

For a little more LEGO fun, I found these awesome mini popcorn boxes! The favor bags fit perfectly inside, and the box can hold any other goodies that your guests want to take home with them. I especially love how the favors looked on the party table and helped tie in the LEGO theme!

I embellished some chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with these fun Free Printable LEGO Cupcake Toppers adorned with LEGO minifigure heads. I cut them out easily with a 2" circle punch.

To place the toppers on the cupcakes with ease, I cut a paper straw into 1/4 and attached the pieces to the back of the cupcake toppers with tape. Stick the straw into the cupcakes, and just like that you've got LEGO-themed cupcakes!

For additional table decoration, we rounded up some of our favorite LEGO minifigures. Here in front of the decadent chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, we've got a Roman Gladiator, a Retro Spaceman, a Highwayman, and (my personal favorite) a Dance Instructor from Series 17!

My daughter got out her LEGO bricks and built this awesome napkin and utensil holder to put on our party table. It's VERY easy to build, and kids will be so proud to have one of their creations on display for all the guests to see!

My daughter built this little "cup" to hold markers so that the guests could find them easily. It's built the same way as the utensil holder, but smaller and taller! You could also keep this after the party to hold all of your pens and pencils on a desk!

Entertainment for party guests is one of the most important parts of the party. Not to worry, though. I've got you covered! This Free Printable Make a LEGO Minifigure activity is a ton of fun for kids of all ages. Print the page out and your guests can go wild customizing their own custom LEGO Minifigure!

Don't forget to download and print out Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo to play with friends! It's a fun way to add some LEGO minifigure fun to your party! The bingo printable comes with 10 cards in a set, or you can download a blank set to can create your own cards. Kids of all ages will have a great time playing this game!

This party was a ton of fun to put together, and the kids had a wonderful time. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the latest LEGO Minifigures!

Some things you should know before downloading the free printables:

*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (home, school, libraries, etc).

*You may NOT modify, sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.

*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.

*If you'd like to share this project, you may use ONE photo and credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to this post.

Which LEGO Minifigure is your favorite?

Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo

Download and print Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo to play with friends!

Unless you're new here, it's no secret that my family is obsessed with LEGO. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the LEGO Minifigure! To celebrate, I put together this Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo with some of my favorite LEGO Minifigures for you to play at a party or just for fun!

LEGO Minifigure Bingo includes just a few of the minifigures that LEGO has released over the past 40 years, including the Hot Dog Man, Chicken Man, Yeti, and Cactus Girl! This printable bingo set includes ten bingo cards, so it's easy to print and use for parties. It's fun for every age to play, and the calling cards include the names of the minifigures in case you don't know who they are.

Download Free Printable LEGO Minifigure Bingo Set

(Set includes 10 bingo cards and calling cards in a single PDF file)

The blank set works a little differently. You get one bingo card with empty spaces (except for the "free" spot). Then print and cut out the bingo pieces so you can assemble the bingo cards yourself. Just glue the pieces in place and you're ready to play!

This is a great option for little hands that want to be creative, or if you have a larger group of people and don't want multiple cards that are the same. The blank bingo set includes all the same characters as the full set, but you can create your own bingo card setup.

Download Free Printable LEGO Minigifure Bingo Set

(Set includes one blank bingo card, bingo pieces, and calling cards in a single PDF file)

Game Instructions

1. Pick some kind of object to mark your squares (LEGO bricks, candy, glass gems, buttons, etc)

2. Give each player a bingo card and markers (or put your own card together with the blank set).

3. Have each player put a marker over the free space.

4. Have one person choose a calling card and say it out loud. Each player will cover that item on their card with a marker.

5. Once a player has 5 squares covered in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally), call out "BINGO!" and win the game!

Some things you should know before downloading:

*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (classroom, home, libraries, etc).

*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.

*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.

*If you'd like to share this printable, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama & linked back to this post.

To lengthen the life of the prints, I would recommend printing the bingo cards and calling cards on cardstock. All sets are 8.5x11 inches and combined in a single PDF format.

Which LEGO Minifigure is your favorite?

DIY LEGO Clock

This post is sponsored by LEGO and contains affiliate links. As always all opinions are my own.

Make your own custom clock out of LEGO bricks!

It might be a little obvious by now, but we adore LEGO in every style, shape and color at our house. March is National Craft Month, so we decided to celebrate by making something together as a family. My husband has been teaching time to 3rd graders at school, and that inspired me to make a custom clock out of LEGOs. It was so much fun to build, and I hope you feel inspired to get building, too!

You need to start with a LEGO baseplate. We used a green 10"x10" Classic LEGO Baseplate. These can be found on the LEGO website and at most retailers.

You'll also need to get a basic clock mechanism. These are easy to find at most retailers and come in a variety of styles. My recommendation is to find one that isn't too fancy, has long enough arms to fit the clock, and to not spend too much money.

Find the center of the baseplate and mark it with a permanent marker. Use a drill with a 5/16 bit to carefully cut a hole in the center of the board. Push the center of the clock mechanism through the hole in the back of the baseplate and attach the hardware to keep it in place. Put the clock hands on and test the mechanism to make sure it works before you go any further!

To make our clock hands coordinate with the LEGO theme, I created some custom LEGO hands to replace the ones included in the clock mechanism. I uploaded the image (see how) into Design Space and cut the LEGO hands out of yellow poster board with my Cricut Maker machine.

Because I'm so happy that you're here, I'm sharing my LEGO Clock Hands SVG file (for personal use only) for you to use to make your own clock!

The original clock hands were a little too large/wide, so we used some scissors for cutting metal to trim them down. Be very careful not to bend the hands while you cut!

Add a bit of super glue to the tops of the clock hands and stick them to the back of the LEGO clock hands. Lay the hands flat to dry according to glue package directions.

Place the hands back on the clock mechanism to make sure they are laying flat and look good. You can also put the batteries into the mechanism to test it out if you'd like. Carefully remove the hands and set them aside.

Now, for the toughest part: decide on your clock design. The baseplate is your blank canvas. Dump out the LEGO bricks and come up with something amazing. The possibilities are endless, so get creative!

After talking through a few different ideas, we finally decided on this clever design. We used LEGO bricks in different colors, but the same amount of "studs" for each of the clock numbers! For example, a 1x1 brick for 1:00, a 2x2 brick for 4:00, a 2x4 brick for 8:00, and so on! We used other 1x1 and 1x2 bricks paired with the other bricks to get the other numbers.

Once the clock building is done, put the clock hands back on and add any additional clock hardware. Place batteries in the clock mechanism and set the time. Now you have your own custom LEGO clock that you can hang anywhere and change the design of anytime! My family is loving this new clock so much that we decided to hang it up in our living room where we can see it every day.

Where would you hang up a LEGO clock?

LEGO Easter Basket

This post is sponsored by LEGO and contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own.

Surprise a LEGO fan with a unique DIY LEGO Easter Basket!

As much as I love Easter candy, I have been trying to lessen the sugar when it comes to the Easter basket. Themed Easter baskets are so much fun to make, like this LEGO Elves Easter Basket I made for my daughter a few years go. This year, I decided to put together a LEGO-themed basket full of amazing LEGO goodies that every LEGO fan is sure to love.

Free Printable LEGO Challenge Game

Encourage creative building with this Free Printable LEGO Challenge Game!

This post is sponsored by LEGO and contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own.

LEGO just celebrated their 60th anniversary! That's a big milestone, so we wanted to celebrate along with them. This free printable LEGO Challenge Game is a new way to allow for open-ended creative play. Just spin the wheel and follow the prompt for inspiration. Whatever you can imagine, you can build, rebuild and play with all day. Small bricks can inspire big ideas!

What can make the world more fun? Create the answer in LEGO bricks! With the special edition LEGO® Classic World Fun set, you can explore an underwater temple and discover its secrets, before you hop in your helicopter and take off for new adventures. This 295 piece set includes a trident, pair of flippers, helmet, walkie-talkie, camera, map, flying helmet, chicken leg, glass, ice pop, fish, snake, 2 minifigures, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

How will robots help us in the future? Use the special edition LEGO® Classic Fun Future set to explore the joy of creating with LEGO bricks and construct a robot to help with chores, or create the fastest go-cart around and zoom off to the races. There are 186 pieces including wheels, shapes, eyes, a minifigure, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

What is at the end of the rainbow? Celebrate the fun of creating with LEGO bricks in the special edition LEGO® Classic Rainbow Fun set! This set features a mix of bright and colorful LEGO pieces that allow for open-ended creative play. Build a brightly colored plane and take to the skies, or stretch your imagination and create a new, fantastic creature. There are 85 pieces including wheels, shapes, eyes, plus a special edition tile celebrating 60 years of the LEGO brick!

There are 16 creative ideas for you to build when you play the game. For best results, print out the LEGO Challenge Game on cardstock. Cut out both the wheel and the arrow. To get more life out of it, the pieces can be laminated and/or mounted on cardboard. Punch a small hole in the center of the board and at the straight end of the arrow. Use a brad to connect the two to be able to spin the arrow.

Download Free Printable LEGO Challenge Game

Some things you should know before downloading:
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY (home, school, libraries, etc).
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you'd like to share this project, you may use ONE photo and credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and linked back to this post.

If you don't want to punch a hole and attach a brad to the game board, you can build your own spinner! My daughter was so helpful in finding pieces and had a lot of fun building the spinner for the game. When you build yours, you can use any colors you want! Have fun with it and get creative.

You'll need:
2 4x4 round plates with holes (party #60474)
6x6 round plate with hole (part #11213)
Connector Peg (part #3673)
2x4 plate (part #3020)
2x2 brick (part #3003)

First, push the connector peg through the hole of the 6x6 round plate.

Press one of the 4x4 round plates into place underneath the 6x6 round plate, with the connector peg through the hole.

To lift the spinner on the board and to keep the connector peg in place, we connected the 2x2 brick underneath the 4x4 round plate.

Set the connected round plates aside. Place the 2x4 plate on one end of the remaining 4x4 round plate.

Push the top of the connector peg through the 4x4 round plate hole, but don't connect the round plates. While holding the 2x2 brick at the bottom, tap 2x4 plate with your finger and watch it spin!

For a finishing touch, we placed the special edition 60 years of LEGO tile over the center of the round plate and attached the printed arrow over the 2x4 plate with tape. When the spinner is placed on the game board, it looks like it was made to be there all along!

Now the game is ready to play! Tap the 2x4 plate to spin the arrow. Once it stops, the arrow will be pointing to 1 of 16 creative options for open-ended creative play! If it lands on a line, spin again or come up with your own rules for playing. You can also play as a group, time yourself, or make it a contest. No matter what you choose to do, the entire point of the game is to challenge yourself to get building!

My daughter played a few rounds and wanted to show off her work for you all to see! Her first challenge was to build a robot. The LEGO® Classic Fun Future set included building instructions, so she was excited to open up the new set and put it to the test. The instructions were easy to follow and she had fun building it.

The car instructions is also from the LEGO® Classic Fun Future set. It was a fun build, and the minifigure fits perfectly. The car moves surprisingly fast! Next time, my daughter and I are both going to build cars and race them to see which one is the fastest.

When it came to building an animal, my daughter's go-to is always a unicorn. Luckily for her, the LEGO® Classic Rainbow Fun set came with everything she needed to build an amazing one! After it was built, she spent quite a bit of time playing with it. Making it fly through the sky, fighting robots, and trying to drive a car...

Last, but certainly not least is the helicopter. It's technically not a plane, but it flies and that's really what counts. These instructions are found in the LEGO® Classic World Fun set, and while they were easy to follow, it was a little more challenging of a build.

Just FYI, the unicorn can ride right on top of the helicopter without a problem...

One of the best things about this game is that is sparks that creativity and open-ended play that all kids need. Visit the LEGO shop to find all kinds of LEGO sets to play the game with. Be sure to watch for the other special edition 60th anniversary sets: LEGO® Classic Ocean's Bottom, the Walmart exclusive LEGO® Classic Limited Edition: Bricks on a Roll, and LEGO® Classic Mission to Mars!

What will you build next?

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2017

This post is sponsored by LEGO®. All opinions are my own.

Count down the days to Christmas with buildable gifts in the LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!

It's no secret that my daughter is a LEGO Friends fanatic. Last year, we counted down the days to Christmas with the 2016 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar and had so much fun that we are doing it again this year! This year's LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar looks like it is packed with fun surprises that are sure to bring in the holiday spirit.

Each day in December, kids can open the LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar to add a piece to their Christmas party scene. Recommended for ages 5-12, the 217-piece calendar has 24 secret compartments that contain its own buildable surprise!

Count down the days to Christmas by opening one door a day. On the inside of each door is an image with basic instructions on how to build that LEGO surprise for the day.

Pour out the package of the day and build it to look like the image on the door (or download the full building instructions). Some days will have more pieces than others, but each surprise will be fun to play with together to celebrate the holidays!

Along with a festively dressed Stephanie mini-doll figure, get ready to build all kinds of surprises including furry friends and their homes, Christmas tree, gifts and more throughout the month!

Part of the fun is opening a LEGO surprise every day. So instead of showing you everything that is in the calendar, we are only showing this sneak peek today. Don't worry though, you can follow us on Instagram every day in December to see what we get to build!

The box also folds out to create a playmat that you can use to build and display each of the builds. Once you've collected all the gifts, visit LEGO.com/Friends on Christmas Day to discover a special combination build!

If you're looking for a fun advent tradition with your LEGO fans, it's not too late for you to grab a LEGO® Friends Advent Calendar of your own. You can find them at most major retailers and on the LEGO website.