July 27: LEGO bricks at Aurora Public Library

Chicago Area LEGO Users Group to display at Aurora Public Library

AURORA – Members of the Chicago Area LEGO Users Group will display their creations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 27

 at the Main Aurora Public Library, 1 E. Benton St.

All ages are welcome. There is no registration and the event is free.

John Thornton of Lombard, president and founding member of the Chicago Area LEGO Users Group (ChiLUG), said he started building with LEGO bricks about 40 years ago, when he was 6. Today, he is a safety director for an engineering consulting firm.

This will be the second time the group has visited the Main Library. In May, members gave a presentation to the library’s LEGO Club before the kids dug in and began building.

The LEGO Users Group was formed in early 2012 and immediately began visiting hospitals and libraries to bring the joy of LEGO building to children.

“A lot of guys have normal day jobs, but had built things and didn’t throw them away or sell them at garage sales. They have their creations at home and decided to get them out,” Thornton said. 

Thornton builds ships and vehicles. Another member of the group builds trains, and one concentrates on sculptures.

Kids and their parents might see the following creations on display at the library on July 27: an octopus; HALO video game paraphernalia; a steam shovel based on the children’s book “Are you my Mother?” by P.D. Eastman; spaceships; ice-like landscapes; a slot machine; and trucks and Trons.

“Libraries are a perfect spot for us to display, especially since Aurora Public Library has a LEGO builder’s club,” Thornton said. “My motto is: ‘Everything to keep the television off. When kids can use their imaginations and fine motor skills, there is nothing better than that in my book.

“I always encourage reading as well. To me, it’s a win-win. Get kids off the couch. Pour the LEGOs on the floor or crack open a book and enjoy that. Get away from the electronic wizardry that has permeated their lives.”

For more information, call the library at 630-264-4123 or go to ChiLUG’s website:  ttp://chilug.webs.com/