Toy store owner looks to Lego to reshape city's educational culture
Lego may seem an unusual tool for reshaping the city's educational outlook, but that's the plan for one shop owner, writes Chris Lau
With barely 20 Lego bricks to play with as a child, former IT specialist Chui Wing-kin had little interest in the interlocking building blocks. "It's not that I didn't like Lego, but in the old days a few bricks could cost a fortune," he says.
Chui's two sons are more fortunate, however. They have plenty of Lego, and Chui believes the plastic bricks have the power to expand his boys' horizons.
By the time his elder son, Larry, was two years old Chui says he had already built a skyscraper out of Duplo, a simpler version of Lego made by the same company. By the age of three, the youngster was drawing his own simple Lego instruction manuals.
We always think that the overtly stressful education system in Hong Kong has made a lot of our kids really suffer
"I was so impressed, and that's when I started buying him lots of Lego," says his father, who by that time had also become an enthusiast. So much so that five years ago, Chui took the bold step of quitting his job as head of an IT firm to start up his own Lego shop, AA Place. But he didn't want to just sell toys. "Why can't we provide a space where kids can hang out and learn happily?" he thought. So last year the shop, tucked away on the 35th floor of Hong Kong Plaza in Sai Wan, began providing educational services, including storytelling and filmmaking workshops.
It has long been argued that playing with Lego can benefit children. The biggest advantage claimed is that it can help them become more creative. Some even suggest it helps improve logical thinking skills and boost confidence.
"I believe that Lego can boost kids' creativity, especially at a young age when they have to improvise and build with whatever they have without the user guide. There are no limitations on what they can build," Chui says.
"Kids like to play with Lego together in a way that's fun. It helps them get along with other kids. But, it also gives them an opportunity to play on their own, giving them some quality self-learning time. This really teaches them to think independently."
