Living in Vancouver, we are spoiled by the surrounding natural beauty, fresh air, and picturesque views. We are also a magnet for many awesome traveling exhibits, conventions, and concerts. Last weekend, I managed to take a whole day off to take my little buddy D on a Fun with Son adventure to one of these events, the Lego Imagine Nation Tour while the girls had a relaxing day at home. Ever since school started, we don't get to spend as much time together doing fun stuff so this is big treat for both of us. In my mind, I expected to spend the day playing Lego with the boy. When we got there, it quickly occurred to me that I would only be watching him play. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
The tickets were relatively cheap ($28 each) and we had been looking forward to this event ever since we purchased the tickets back in August. We had a similar trip to Legoland in Tokyo last winter and had so much fun that we were looking forward to going back soon. Together, we had the whole day planned which included a nap before the event, catching the skytrain there and back, and taking a cab to dinner. Leading up to the event, I thought about when he was 2 years old and only into Mega Bloks. He would put together 3-4 blocks and tell me he built a car or a robot. These days, he would hold a seminar to show me how his complex Lego robots, driven by two Lego men shoots rockets and transforms into a coffee maker so he could make me a drink. I await the day when he builds a running time machine out of LEGO and asks me to come with him so he could tame a T-Rex.
Held at the Vancouver Convention Center between September 30 to October 2, the Lego Imagine Nation Tour is an interactive family event for fans of all ages. Luckily they made a stop in Vancouver as they only planned five stops in Canada. The tour is made up of 14 exhibits and experiences that feature displays of life size iconic characters like Darth Vader, The Hulk, Spiderman, and R2D2. FUN FACT: Did you know there are only 7 Lego Master Builders in the world? Don't worry, I never heard of it either but one of these Masters were in attendance to give a demonstration on Lego building techniques so that the world may one day have 8 or 9 more Master Builders.
The missions and experiences that were introduced varied and caters to a wide range of fans. With limited time, we were only able to get through under half of it but we made the best of our time. Starting at Lego City, I watched as D expertly assembled a speedster that looks like a monster truck with its large wheels, crew cab, and a reinforced bumper meant for destroying anything that meets its path. He tested it numerous times to his satisfaction. After 45 minutes of his improv engineering, he declared that he was ready to race and challenged anyone who dared. I am pleased to announce that he won most of the races and the only car that got destroyed was his own. The genius planners save some space for people to valet their creations so they can come back and continue building if they please.
Next door, was the Minecraft exhibition. D asked me to help him build a fort but as I was collecting pieces, I noticed all the kids were fighting for a 2 cell block with the letters TNT on it. D told me his was rich because he collected more TNT than anyone else. Puzzled, I asked, what is the TNT for? At least half the kids at the booth looked at me as if I were Donald Trump attempting an apology. They told me that it was like money in Minecraft; that the more you have the richer you were because you can blow things up. I still don't know what so great about it which, apparently, means that I am an uncool dad.
Across from Minecraft was the NEXO Knights mission. Here, kids are asked to make a shield for their knights to display proudly during their epic battles. D worked hard at his simple but cleverly named, "My Face Shield," which he said is designed from his own face because he can scare people. The Lego helpers agreed that it was scary and rewarded him with a NEXO Knight catapult Lego set to take home. He was beaming with pride that his Face Shield was appreciated.
After a brief water break (where I lined up for 20 minutes), we continued through the event, where we finally arrived at the Ninjago Dojo design mission. The lineups had been long all day because the kids were to protect their creations from attacking ninjas in a virtual reality platform. We decided that I would line up while D works on his architectural master piece. He told me he would build a bridge to the dojo where he will plant some Minecraft TNT that he borrowed from the other exhibition and set some traps so the ninjas can't touch his dojo. After 45 minutes, it was time to put his ninja skills to the test. He did a lot of chopping and kicking and punching and spinning and slipping and winning. When he was done, he collapsed to the floor out of breath. It was quite an acrobatic display of poorly practiced ninjitsu that only warrants a pat on the back from the ancient warriors of Japan for his efforts.
D was drained as we entered the Star Wars challenge. The coolest part about this exhibit was the life size models of Yoda, Darth Vader, and R2 D2. It was an incredible display of dedication, creativity, and determination for someone to put it all together. Anyhow, the challenge was to build a fighter ship and display it proudly in the Star Wars Galaxy display table. After all we had already been through, this was considered a pretty tame booth. Unfortunately for D, the Force was not with him as he soon passed out on a pile of lego at the Brick Pit.
Although I spent most of the day in lineups or on the sidelines staying out of the way of all the children who were feverishly picking out blocks, I felt we had a great time together. This is a traveling road show that we will definitely return to should they choose to come back to Vancouver! Until then, we shall "Play on."
