LEGO’s magic has always been simple: give someone a pile of bricks and they will let their imagination run wild. Pieces of plastics that could turn into anything imaginable. However, this changed recently with the new LEGO Smart Bricks. These newest Smart Bricks feature built-in sounds, different colored lights and haptic feedback that responds to how users play to trigger these features. Although these sound like fun improvements, this raises an important question: are these innovations improving play or slowly limiting it?
LEGO Smart Bricks are extremely influential, determining how kids engage in building and playing with what is put in front of them. LEGO’s SMART Play system uses a special brick with built-in sensors that detects nearby SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures. Depending on how these parts are placed or moved, the brick responds with sounds, lights and reactions during play. There is no need for an app or even an Internet connection, and therefore, it even technically falls into the category of non-screen-based entertainment and play.
“My first thought was that it looked cool and different, but I think it just feels like LEGO is trying too much to add technology. It doesn’t look like it will really make building more fun,” junior Marcos Daniel said.
However, there is a significant and somewhat concerning difference in what this type of play brings to children. Instead of encouraging imaginative thinking, these bricks guide children toward interacting in predetermined ways, prompting them to follow built-in responses rather than create their own stories and ideas. While it is understandable why some LEGO fans may find this technology exciting, it can limit opportunities for open-ended creativity that has traditionally been central to LEGO play. This shift may end up limiting kids’ ability to develop independent storytelling and problem-solving skills when using LEGOs.
“I do not build LEGO that much, but when I do, I just want to throw things together and see what happens. With the Smart Bricks, it feels like you have to use them a certain way for them to even matter; that’s not really the point of building,” junior Alessandro Vendrame said.
Another considerable downside is the cost. These SMART Play sets are far more expensive than regular LEGO sets. Even the most modestly priced Smart Play pack costs close to $90, while larger ones cost even more than that. Parents are paying premiums for technology that does not even give full control back to their child. That is a sharp contrast from classic sets that offer endless possibilities without draining their family’s wallets.
“I’ve been building LEGO since I was little, and the best part was always that you could make anything without being told what to do. These Smart Bricks feel more controlling- like the toy already decided how you’re supposed to play,” junior Lawrence Weiss said.
There is also confusion over how useful the SMART Bricks really are; some fans argue the tech does not add much, and the “interactive” sounds and lights are not even high-quality, making them feel like a gimmick rather than enriching. In contrast, traditional LEGO bricks rely entirely on a child’s creativity, offering limitless possibilities without the need for built-in technology.
“They say it is interactive, but it’s really just flashing lights and that doesn’t suddenly make the LEGO bricks creative,” junior David Perez said.
Worse yet, unlike old LEGO bricks that still work decades later, SMART Bricks rely on tiny batteries and embedded tech that might fail or become obsolete. In a few years, these will be expensive paperweights, whereas classic LEGO gets rebuilt into new designs again and again.
At a time when LEGO should be celebrating imagination without limits, SMART Bricks seem to limit it instead. These bricks push kids toward limiting their imagination and pressure families to make costly financial purchases to make their kid happy. While these developments maybe be all in the name of “innovation,” that is not the LEGO many of users grew up loving.
