Serious Play Forum

[Jan]

Is there some practical advice for the following:
I have multiple LSP kits and if you use them heavily (and correctly!) all the kits might be mixed up by the end of the workshop. What is the best way to get them organized again in such a way that at the start of the next workshop (next day?) I can start with similar kits? (note: one kit has 214 pieces…)

[Eli De Friend]

Hi Jan,

I would imagine there are as many answers to your question as there are to the question “How long is a piece of string”. However, there can only be one official answer and that is that each customer should purchase new material for each workshop. If you do multiple workshops with the same customer, the customer can spend the time sorting out the material.
Can I recommend that you sign up to an official LSP training course with either Robert or Per. The answers to your current question and most others are addressed during the 4-day intensive training course.
Good luck,
Eli

[Balint]

@Jan: I have similar problems time to time. It also depends on the type of workshop you are facilitating and the sets you are using. So far my solutions:
1. sorting head: http://www.target.com/p/lego-sort-and-store-storage-bin-head/-/A-13718711
Collect left over bricks, sort out at home.

2. plastic bag + table: I always ask participants not to mix start sets with other bricks, put it right into the the plastic bag I gave them. With a big enough table it should not be a problem.

3. Ask participants: participants usually have questions, would like to talk, not all of them. Sorting time is perfect for the answers + they help you packing. Depends on the situation, but so far it also worked for me.
You can also label the trays/boxes which helps them.

Let me know if you have another idea! :)

@Eli: I have to disagree. In many cases customers can’t afford LSP sets, nor they want it at all. Depends on the country, but usually NGOs and small startups don’t have the budget, maybe for Starter kit/Exploration bag.

[Eli De Friend]

@Balint: I was just giving the “official” answer. :-) If that has changed since the introduction of Open Source, it’s news to me. The LEGO Group certainly has not written to me informing that I can now re-use bricks with my clients. Doesn’t mean I don’t, but…

It’s a bit like asking “what are your techniques for avoiding speed traps, when you’re driving?”

[Balint]

@Eli: ah, ok, i get it now :) I’m quite sure you can use the sets multiple times if u want. There are only rules about the name and logo (beside LSP training docs/rules), I couldn’t find any other legal doc on TLG/LSP sites. To be honest I don’t understand why was it obligatory before to buy new sets every time.

Legal Info

[Manuel Grassler]

Hi Jan,

I understand your issues with sorting the bricks and I have spend a lot of time figuring out what works for me.

As I do not think that it is a good way to buy new sets all the time for the clients either on the environmental perspective or on the practical perspective (what is the client doing with a lot of lego bricks without a facilitation training anyway?) I opted for a good storing and re-use solution.

I’d like to share it with you.

I own the following sets:

18 Starter Kits (6 of them mixed togehter for Identity work)
1 Identity and Landscape Kit
1 Connections Kit
20 Window Exploration Kits
20 Duck Building Kits

For the 12 remaining Starter Kits I use the Lego Storage Bricks

They work perfectly for the Starter Kits (on kit fits in easily) and are smaller than the airy Starter Kit Box and they even stack togehter. Nice for transportation and the fit the theme.

For the Identity and Connections Kits I use the Lego Education Storage Bins

The set consists of 6 Bins and the orange sorting trays supplied with the Identity and Connections Kits fit in perfectly. So your small parts don’t get mixed up with the bigger parts and everything sits neat and tight.

For the Exploration Kits and Duck Kits I use Zipper Bags

This works fine especially for small introductions and regarding transportation.

What I found out in one of my first sessions is that you always need a lot of bricks from the skills building module.
e.g. I did my first Workshop with the Starter Kits for Skills Building, then packed them away afterwards and thought that the Identity Kit would be sufficient for the rest of the activities. The bricks were sufficient for 4 people and 5 hrs. But I experienced that the participants were used to the Bricks from the Starter Kits and were looking for them in the Identity Building Phase. But the Identity Kit is composed of different bricks. So this was quite hard for them to search for something the got used to and then the didn’t find them.

So I opted for pre-mixing 6 Starter Sets together which will be supplied after the Skills Building Phase in a buffet style on the table.

So I everything is sorted and ready for use and I only need around 30 min. after the Workshops for sorting which is ok.

Hope I could help with it.

[Manuel Grassler]

One other thing to keep your sets organized would be to borrow them. There is one service in Berlin which lends the Kits presorted and you only have to send them back afterwards! This may help especially if you are going abroad and need your sets with you.

The fees are quite reasonable.

http://lsp-verleih.prosystemmedia.com

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