Lego Friends-Legos for Girls!

I am not sure what has taken Lego so long to do this, but I love that they have finally introduced Lego sets for girls.  I have been keeping my fingers crossed for years that they would do something like this and what they have created is wonderful.  These sets are more appropriate for older girls (ages 5 and up) but there is absolutely no reason a parent can't work with a younger girl to help them put them together.  I know I am planning on picking up a set for both my 3 1/2 and 6 1/2 year old nieces for Easter this year.

I picked up a mini set and have begun using it in my therapy sessions and the girls are loving them!  They were excited to see something other than a Star Wars or Harry Potter Lego set in my closet.  The pieces are exactly the same as the traditional sets and the directions that come with each set are clear and very easy to follow.

Legos have always been a part of my therapy session.  There are so many occupational therapy goals that can be addressed using them and at the end, when the product is all completed, the look of pride on any child's face makes the work and time (and sometimes a pretty hefty price tag) totally worth it.  Here are some of the goals might be worked on when using Legos:
*increase grasp strength
*improve fine motor skills
*improve motor planning
*improve visual motor and visual perceptual skills
*improve attention and ability to follow multi-step directions

In addition to all those occupational therapy goals, Legos can be a great opportunity to work on social skill development.  This is a perfect activity for siblings or friends to do together.  You can work on turn taking, problem solving and conflict resolution.  It's also great for children who have difficulty with language; when I work with my children at work, I ask them to describe what pieces they are looking for, where they are going to put them, etc..

I am really excited to add to my collection of Friends Legos and hope that you all get as much excitement out of them as I know I will.  Take a look at this link to see all the wonderful products they have so far for the little girls in your life.  I am looking forward to this line growing and can't imagine it won't be anything but super popular.  Keep your eyes open in your local toy stores or hit up the big chains (FAO and Toys R Us carry the entire line and have really fun displays) to find these great sets.

http://friends.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx