The new Lego Life app is a game-changer
Lego just took play into the 21st century with an app that lets kids share their creations on a safe social media network.
Photo: Lego
Parents know how tech-savvy kids can really be, especially when it comes to using a tablet or wanting to have their own social media accounts. Lego knows this too, that's why they've created a super kid-friendly app called Lego Life, a social media network made just for kids aged 13 and under.
Launching Jan. 31, the app lets its users connect with other like-minded Lego fanatics so they can share their cool creations in a safe space.
However, the app is more than just about kids uploading photos of their cool creations.
Your kid can create and personalize a 3D minifigure avatar that she'll use for her profile. Once that's done, a username will be generated at random—options will be given but she'll ultimately have to choose one favourite. The usernames generated are cute and quirky so that they don't give away any personal information. Some example are usernames like DoctorGraciousOstrich, EsquireTwinklingChipmunk, and NurseAnimatedCauliflower.
Once your kid has created an avatar, she'll be able to explore the different groups she can join and curate her dashboard according to her interests and friends she's added on the app. There, she'll be able to get news and updates when a group, channel or user uploads new content.
The keyboard is super kid-friendly, too. It's not a regular keyboard, and by that I mean that you actually can't type words with it. That's right—you can only comment on photos through emojis. Lego also made sure that no potentially negative emojis were included in the app. No trolls allowed!
When posting photos, the Lego Life app functions like Instagram: You can add a description to your photos or hashtag them, and other users can like the photo or comment on it (using only emojis). There's also a search bar that will curate uploaded photos based on what your kid's looking for. Lego also has moderators who will remove any non-Lego-related photos or inappropriate photo descriptions.
Photos can be posted to specific groups, too. So whether your kid's big on Lego Friends or Lego City, there's a group for her.
She'll also be able to keep her creative juices flowing with the various building challenges that the app comes with. The best part is that users get rewards—like cool sticker packs to use within the app—for each building challenge they complete.
Though Lowe suspects that Lego Life's main users will be ages eight to 12, he says that the app will still be user-friendly for kids under eight, as there will be loads of videos and exclusive content to watch. Lego Life's goal is to be the single app that unites all Lego brands—including the newly announced Lego BOOST. The app will be available for free in Canada on Google Play, Apple, and Kindle in both English and French.
Read more: 9 ways Lego has changed since we were kids The trailer for The Lego Batman Movie is here 10 clever ways to organize Lego
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Emily is a content and social strategist, writer, editor and producer based in Toronto, Ontario. Her work can also be found in Chatelaine and on FLAREdotcom.