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I got a first look at the new Lego Masters Academy and it’s changed the way I parent

We got a first look at the new Lego Masters Academy in Denmark, and with near-constant messages about the dangers of kids in the online world, it gave us a whole new outlook on parenting

At a time where parents are inundated with warnings about the dangers to our kids of the online world and the reduction in free and imaginative play, raising happy and healthy kids can feel daunting. But after a visit to the new Lego Masters Academy at Denmark’s Lego House, I was given a much-needed reminder that all is not lost – and it has genuinely changed how I interact and spend time with my two primary school-aged kids.

We were already a Lego family, with a smattering of neurodivergency all around, but it’s never really been something we’ve enjoyed together, more a solitary pursuit. I’ve learnt there’s a big difference between just whacking up a set by following instructions, and actually sitting down and chatting about how to build the “best castle drawbridge”, or “a fruit bowl with a flat bottom”, to name some recent genuine examples.

There are now several surfaces around our home with various Lego creations on them, and every one of them is an opportunity (which we can’t and don’t always take, of course) to just be together. With the company recently reporting record-high sales figures, I would assume I’m not the only parent with the same idea….

What is the Lego House?

Not to be mistaken with the nearby LegoLAND® Billund Resort, Lego House is officially the Home of the Brick. It’s part interactive museum, part all-you-can-build Lego building buffet, and overall an incredible place to take kids (and adults).

The newly-opened Lego Masters Academy

If you haven’t seen the reality TV show Lego Masters on Channel 4, check it out. It started in the UK in 2017 and has since exploded in popularity, with versions now running in Australia, France, Japan, the United States, Germany, Norway and South Korea, and more.

Teams compete to build the best Lego project, as per the brief, until there’s only one winning team left.

The new Lego Masters Academy at Lego House essentially takes some of the incredible skills you see on the TV show, and breaks them up into teachable segments so even the most basic Lego builder can feel confident veering away from the step-by-step instruction booklets and creating something from their imagination.

What

If you’re not a Lego superfan, you may not know that certain building techniques have names (the Lowell sphere, for example, which is explained in the Level 3 session), but they do.

The SNOT technique is another one, which means Studs Not On Top, and allows the creator to build outwards, on-the-round, and sideways, rather than just stacking high.

What do you do at Lego Masters Academy?

Think classroom learning, but intensely fun. You (and your friends/family), are seated at tables facing a (human) Lego teacher, with a large screen used for instructions above them. The room itself is a thing of beauty, with almost floor-to-ceiling pick-a-brick shelves full of almost every type and colour of brick imaginable.

Both of our ‘classes’ included a mix of guided instructions and free building to a theme – for example, “give your character something to shade them”, and “your figure needs to climb high, build something for them to stand on”.

There are four different levels, focusing on creativity, storytelling, technical building, and teamwork. As of today, Levels 1 and 3 are available to book, Levels 2 and 4 will be coming in 2026.

Level 1 – Family Fun – described as a ‘playful introduction to Lego creativity’. Great for families and casual builders.

Level 2 – Build Me Up – a way to improve on basic building skills and learn how to take things to ‘the next level’.

Level 3 – aROUND the bricks we go – all about refining and improving some of the basic skills (learning the Lowell Sphere and SNOT, for example).

Level 4 – Mastery – perfect for ‘aspiring designers and Lego Masters’ who want to push their skills to the limit.

As well as walking away with some new Lego engineering skills, you’re also able to take home what you’ve built. You might also want to bear this in mind when choosing what pieces you pick to use during the free-build elements of the classes (but don’t let that distract you from the fun of the lesson, the Lego House Store is well stocked with individual blocks.)

Where to eat in Lego House

It’s very easy to take a packed lunch into Lego House and pop outside to eat, but the MINI CHEF restaurant is well worth a visit but we were advised to book our table ahead of our visit.

Diners choose their foods using coloured Lego bricks – red for protein, green for salads/vegetable, blue for energy/carbohydrates – with different shapes identifying different dishes, and the prices are set per meal. It’s a small but varied menu, and adults get to choose from an extra list of dishes (using a special black brick!) and kids get a special surprise if they attach a yellow brick.

The food is surprisingly delicious (our dishes included Scandinavian salmon, veggie meatballs and Danish chicken thigh) and without wanting to ruin any surprises – delivered in an appropriately themed-box via two very special Lego robots.

  • FYI – MINI CHEF will be temporarily closed for renovations from 27 October 2025 to March 2026.
  • Prices as of September 2025 – 229DKK adults, 135DKK kids

There’s also the BRICKACCINO cafe serving fresh snacks, desserts, sandwiches and hot and cold drinks.

How to get to Lego House from the UK

You can fly directly to Billund, Denmark, from the UK’s London airports, but will need to transfer if flying from elsewhere.

Alternatively, there are regular flights to Copenhagen, and then it’s a very beautiful and comfortable two-hour train from the city’s main train station, København H, followed by a 40-minute bus ride.

We did this and aside from adding a few hours to the travel time, the trains and buses were so easy to navigate via the DSB app, that it was part of the adventure, rather than an added stress.

What are the best bits of Lego House?

The Experience zones are split into four sections – Red, Yellow, Green and Blue Zones, and each Zone has a huge number of interactive stations where you can build to your heart’s content.

The Lego sea animal aquarium was a big hit for our family, where we got to see our Lego fishy creations swim off into a huge animated aquarium. There’s also a Lego minifigure mood changer, where we saw our built characters come to life and dance on a digital stage.

There’s heavy emphasis on the ‘experience’ elements of the House, it isn’t just a shrine to incredible creations behind glass – but there are plenty of these in the Masterpiece Gallery if you want to see what some of the biggest names in AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) have created. Prepared to be wow-ed.

The History Collection explores the history of Lego, and includes hundreds of the company’s most popular and famous sets, as well as explanations about how this simple studded brick became so iconic.

What shou

Of course it wouldn’t be a Lego experience without a Lego store. But this one is unique. Here, you can buy sets that are exclusive to the House, such as the famous Wooden Duck, which was one of the first Lego toys made, and dates back to the 1930s.

There’s also the Lego House Architecture set, true to scale and complete with the iconic coloured roof.

Tip – the store is busiest as it nears closing time (the Experience zones close at 4pm, and the House and store close at 5pm). So, if you’re organised and know what you want, consider heading there earlier in the day so you don’t panic buy or miss out. That said, it wasn’t too busy for us and we had plenty of time to create our exclusive Lego House minifigures as well as pick up the exclusive set, and a pack-a-brick box (or four).

How much does it cost to visit Lego House and what time is it open?

  • Entry to LEGO House : £32
  • Masters Academy session: From £23 per/person per session

Standard opening hours:

  • LEGO House: 9.30am to 5pm
  • Experience zones: 10am to 4pm
  • Mini Chef: 11am to 4pm

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All the UK attractions offering 33% off this summer including Legoland and Thorpe Park

Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor Resort, Warwick Castle, Cadbury World and The London Eye are among those offering money off

Legoland, Windsor
Train travellers can also bag money off Legoland tickets (Image: Getty Images)

If you are wondering what to do with your kids as the summer holiday approaches, wonder no more.

National Rail has an excellent, money-saving scheme which delivers big savings on attractions across the UK. There is money off close to 500 different venues and events, so there’s a really good chance that there’ll be a bargain on offer in your neck of the woods.

You can score savings including two-for-one deals and a third-off entry to top attractions in and around Great Britain. To claim, you just have to take the train.

The scheme is designed to encourage people to get out of cars and onto the rails, a mode of transport that tends to be better for the environment.

READ MORE: Brits urged to check key passport detail to avoid holiday disruption

People Enjoy Bank Holiday Monday At Thorpe Park
The scheme also offers discounts on Thorpe Park entry(Image: (Image: Getty))

To take advantage of the discounts on offer, head to the National Rail website and choose an attraction. Then, download and print the vouchers you find there and use them to buy a ticket at the attraction, or buy a ticket online. Just make sure you save your train ticket to show at the box office.

There are a huge number of attractions taking part, with two-for-one deals on offer at dozens. Including:

  • The Shards’ viewing gallery
  • The Beatles Story Museum
  • Tudor World
  • Howletts Wild Animal Park
  • Grand Pier Weston-super-Mare
  • The Household Cavalry Museum
  • Thinktank at Birmingham Science Museum
  • The Cartoon Museum
  • The Fashion and Textile Museum

Train travellers can also bag a third off many excellent days out. Theme park giant Merlin is taking part and is offering 33.3% off:

  • Alton Towers Resort
  • Chessington World of Adventures Resort
  • Thorpe Park
  • Legoland Windsor Resort
  • Warwick Castle
  • Cadbury World
  • The London Eye
  • Shrek’s Adventure! London
  • Madame Tussauds Blackpool
  • The Dungeons (York, Edinburgh, or Blackpool Tower
  • The Blackpool Tower Eye
  • LEGOLAND® Discovery Centres (Manchester or Birmingham)
  • SEA LIFE Aquariums & Centres (Birmingham, Great Yarmouth, Loch Lomond, Blackpool, Brighton, Manchester, Scarborough, Hunstanton and Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park)

READ MORE: UK’s ‘most walkable’ seaside resort is perfect for exploring on footREAD MORE: Couple spend £40k travelling 40,000 miles down world’s longest road

If you love bargains and want to protect the environment, then there are other schemes that are worth checking out. Good Journey is a not-for-profit, sustainable travel company that is trying to change the way the world travels.

Championing car-free leisure travel across the UK, the independent organisation founded by Nat Taplin launched in 2018, with the support of a coalition of conservation and transport organisations. Good Journey actively promotes green travel and is built on the ethos of widening sustainable visitor travel across the UK and to broaden access to culture, heritage and leisure to everyone — not just those with a car.

According to Good Journey, around half of all CO2 emissions from tourist attractions come from visitors’ cars. Getting more visitors to arrive by bus, train, bike, or foot is therefore key to cutting those carbon emissions. The non-profit organization also hopes to open up access for the 22 percent of UK households without a car (roughly 15 million people).

The Good Journey website currently features more than 500 attractions across England, Wales and Scotland that you can reach car-free, each with detailed travel instructions and a door-to-door journey planner to the point where whether walking routes have pavements or even bus shelters to take refuge if it’s raining, are pointed out.

Available kid’s activities, places for shelter in case of bad weather, and views to look out for on your walk or train ride are also meticulously pointed out. The website can be used to search for discounted train tickets and quieter cycling routes as well.

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