Pry Legos apart with a manicure tool
From Amy:
My son Henry is 4.5 and is in love with LEGOs. He is a little too old for Duplo, but a little too young for regular sized LEGO, mostly because he can't figure out how the heck to pry them apart once they've been stuck together. I was in the shower one day and caught a glimpse of a little manicure set my mother in-law got me for Christmas. One of the little implements is a cuticle-pusher-backer (can you tell I am well versed in the art of the manicure?) that looks kind of like a little shovel, only rounded. I tested it out and it works great as a tiny little crowbar to help Henry get those LEGO pieces apart instead of using his teeth (yikes!).
I've never even figured out why cuticles need to be pushed! Lego prying? That I can get.
Related: Keeping Lego sets organized: Ziplocs and cookie sheets
OMGosh...you sound like me. Cuticle pusher backer! LOL. Oh...and the other part...the part that uses 'things' as tools. Gets it done.........
Posted by: val | 24 April 2008 at 02:22 AM
Don't underestimate the need for something to pull legos apart, even after your children are older! My son is 8 and loves his lego sets. Some of those pieces are very small, though, and once together neigh impossible to separate.
Great hack! :D
Posted by: Sue | 24 April 2008 at 05:12 AM
I'll need to look for something to use - my fingernails usually take the punishment.
And, yes, some cuticles don't stay back and grow out with the finger, eventually ripping into sore, bleeding hangnails. I've got one kid who really needs weekly manicures to prevent it. Doesn't get them, but....
Posted by: Jill in Atlanta | 24 April 2008 at 05:31 AM
Or you could get the cheap tool that Lego makes for that purpose:
http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=630&LangId=2057&ShipTo=US
I remember using it as a child, it works way better than trying to shove thin firm objects between blocks.
Posted by: silver | 24 April 2008 at 06:36 AM
Store all those lego pieces and throw them in this versacart.
http://www.versacart.us
Posted by: Robbin | 27 April 2008 at 06:11 PM
And when you can't quite get the cuticle pusher backer between the bricks, squeeze a piece of dental floss between them and then try again.
Posted by: Michelle | 18 August 2012 at 02:08 PM