Kids from around Cochrane gathered wide-eyed around a moving Lego metropolis Saturday morning – a prize-winning wonder created from the boundless imagination of one of their own.
“I pieced it together to look like a city,” said 13-year-old Manachaban Middle School student Tupaj Parrado of his mesmerizing “Ball Contraption” piece. “I feel that kids are going to be inspired to put their own twist on it and make it something that they can call their own.”
Parrado’s elaborate concept earned him first prize in his age group – and tons of cool points with other young builders at Cochrane’s annual youth Lego competition at St. Andrew’s United Church this weekend.
In total, 77 entries from 54 children were judged by a panel of five people from the community on categories of creativity, complexity and artistic presentation. Other winners included a complex version of Calaway Park made by a child younger than six, a Ferris wheel and a car battle arena, complete with bleachers filled with cheering fans.
“I think they did a fabulous job,” said co-organizer Sara Perrin of the designs. “Each kid expresses themselves in such a unique way.”
Parrado said it took between two weeks and a month to complete his mechanically-motivated contraption for the contest, and he was thrilled when he moved it to the church Friday night – and it worked.
“It was a good feeling,” he said, adding during one of his test builds he miscalculated the design and “it flung balls all around my room.”
“There were no weird sounds. Usually, if there’s like a clicking sound, it means one piece is running into the base.”
Matthew Wilkenson, 7, and his nine-year-old brother Kyden were impressed by the Ball Contraption, and also both also earned ribbons of their own for their brick-built brainchilds.
“It’s fun to build with because you can change things a lot,” said Kyden. “It’s nice because you can get so many different kinds of people and pieces.”
Wilkenson’s green, working model of a Jeep won second place in the vehicle and transportation category.
“It has suspension in the wheels,” said the seven-year-old, turning the truck over to expose small elastic bands. “I figured it all out by myself.”
Dad Michael said the contest was a great way for his boys to challenge themselves with the classic toy.
“It really stretches the limits of being creative and inventive … They’ll sit and play with it for hours, tinkering away,” he said, adding the blocks provide fun times for the whole family. “I’ll sit down and play with them. I loved it as a kid.”
