When you have 7 children you soon get bored of holding traditional birthday parties with pass the parcel, cake and curly sandwiches. And frankly I can't afford to outsource to entertainers, soft play centres or ski-slopes.
I have to think of different ways to celebrate their birthdays cheaply and imaginatively so I was delighted to be asked to take part in an exciting challenge by Carcraft and Lego who asked if we could make a film using Lego City set 60012 containing a coastguard jeep with trailer and a rescue dinghy which would actually float on real water!
You see I had a brainwave. I decided I would hand over the challenge to the children attending my son's 9th birthday party, throw in some pizza and make it a film-making party. Genius! And with a bit of luck we might even win a £100 Lego set too! Bonus!
Well the party guests loved it - they all set to work building the set and props incorporating some of the new Lego my son had for his birthday. Even I got in on the action assisting my Lego-mad friend who is 21 and then some but still loves those little bricks! She insists on following the instructions while I like to go off-piste and make my own stuff. They should make a movie about people like that. Oh, hang on......
My 14-year-old who is studying media for GCSE took over as Director and turned our kitchen into the location. I never realised he could be so, well, directorial! There were complaints of bossiness and meanness from the other film-makers but he got them all organised. Eventually. Sort of.
Set building completed, pizza and cake was eaten then we got onto making storyboards and after a fewshouty arguments artistic disagreements the filming got underway.
DS#3 initially tried the stopstart method using his phone but with many "helpful" opinions from the 12 other participants it all got a bit fraught so he rebuilt part of the set the next day when they had all gone and had another go using a programme he found online.
The finished product is short, but I think, sweet. And it was one of the easiest birthday parties I have ever organised!
Check out the finished video here: (Mobile viewers might need to click this link.)
Many thanks to Lego for making a great product which fires the imaginations of both adults and children. And thanks to Carcraft who I'm told are the country's leading used car supermarket. They have 11 showrooms nationwide where they also service and MOT vehicles by the way.
Disclaimer: I was sent a free Lego City set in order to be able to take part in this competition.
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| Lego City set 60012 |
You see I had a brainwave. I decided I would hand over the challenge to the children attending my son's 9th birthday party, throw in some pizza and make it a film-making party. Genius! And with a bit of luck we might even win a £100 Lego set too! Bonus!
Well the party guests loved it - they all set to work building the set and props incorporating some of the new Lego my son had for his birthday. Even I got in on the action assisting my Lego-mad friend who is 21 and then some but still loves those little bricks! She insists on following the instructions while I like to go off-piste and make my own stuff. They should make a movie about people like that. Oh, hang on......
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| Set-builders hard at work. |
Set building completed, pizza and cake was eaten then we got onto making storyboards and after a few
DS#3 initially tried the stopstart method using his phone but with many "helpful" opinions from the 12 other participants it all got a bit fraught so he rebuilt part of the set the next day when they had all gone and had another go using a programme he found online.
The finished product is short, but I think, sweet. And it was one of the easiest birthday parties I have ever organised!
Check out the finished video here: (Mobile viewers might need to click this link.)
Many thanks to Lego for making a great product which fires the imaginations of both adults and children. And thanks to Carcraft who I'm told are the country's leading used car supermarket. They have 11 showrooms nationwide where they also service and MOT vehicles by the way.
Disclaimer: I was sent a free Lego City set in order to be able to take part in this competition.
