Speed building games for kids -- A third party seeks advice

On Friday 6 Feb I was contacted by a man from Brooklyn (I'd rather not post his name and e-ddress here, obviously; email or PM me) seeking my advice on organizing a LEGO-based game for kids. Since my primary experience is with QuikWars, I said I'd tap PennLUG's expertise.

My name is REDACTED, I am from Brooklyn, NY and I am trying to put together a benefit for my son's school for autistic children that hasn't been done to death; it occurred to me that a Lego Speed Building competition might be fun and unusual - perhaps two or three teams pitted against each other? Also I was thinking that rather than building a pre-set model, the teams would be presented with a challenging but not impossible surprise figure they have to build from a pile of sorted Lego blocks, using only the standard shapes.

Is this feasible? If so, do you know anyone in the New York City area who would like to participate? Open to suggestions...

Thanks in advance...

You may want to talk to KC, if she doesn't chime in. I think she did stuff at BrickFair with something called "constructionary," but I can't exactly remember what that entails.

One enjoyable game might be a speed "build in a bag" contest. In the smaller impulse sets, all of the parts are usually in one bag, so it is possible to make the model without opening it. Of course, I can see where some would get easily frustrated. Plus, you would have to buy the sets. Still, it is an idea.

P_Thorne wrote:

...I was thinking that rather than building a pre-set model, the teams would be presented with a challenging but not impossible surprise figure they have to build from a pile of sorted Lego blocks, using only the standard shapes....

This is pretty much the premise behind the Lego master builder tryouts. It's certainly feasible, but maybe keep it open to promote fun ("build a model of a US President" instead of "build the best Abe Lincoln"). Constructionary could be a good option as well.

The most obvious game rules would be to assemble a model from a picture and fixed set of bricks -- just like a jigsaw puzzle. Easiest would be to buy N copies of a small set; cheaper would be to design a custom model using bulk bricks from one or more tubs. Depending on the complexity of the model (one layer), a single picture might do; otherwise more. A sample model could be made and photographed; or it could be designed in LDD and images taken from several angles. You'd definitely want to give each contestant their own picture.

If the model is complex enough to need step-by-step instructions, then LDD would be easier to use than LDraw. (Right? I haven't used LDD recently.)

To economize on a tub of bricks, the same topology could be made in color variations -- but that could throw some kids into fits. "His model really isn't the same as mine!"

The specifics depend on the capabilities of the autistic kids.