Lego fun planned at Kids Fun Fest
Brooke's Block Party is located at the corner of Crawford Avenue and Fourth Street in Connellsville.
Robbie Deason, 8, plays with some of the Legos at his mom's business, Brooke's Block Party, in Connellsville.
Brooke Deason (left) holds her 9-month-old daughter Kaitlyn while chatting about Legos with her son, Tommy, 18 at Brooke's Block Party in Connellsville.
Brooke Deason (left), holds her daughter Kaitlyn while son Robbie, 8, (center) checks out a Lego and oldest son Tommy, 18, looks on at Brooke's Block Party in Connellsville.
Kaitlyn Deason, 9 months, plays with a brick with her mom, Brooke Deason and brother, Robbie Deason, 8.
In 2013, Brooke Deason of Connellsville opened a business she said was basically to provide a space for her son’s robotics team to meet. But three locations and five years later, that business has blossomed into not only an expanded robotics program, but a popular place to help build young minds.
Brooke’s Block Party, a unique Lego learning and play space, began in the Connellsville Community Center.
“The robotics team had been meeting in the Carnegie Free Library, but when they put the cafe in, we lost our space to meet,” said Deason, who’s son Tommy had been an active member of the team.
She then opened the first Brooke’s Block Party, which hosted thousands and thousands of colorful bricks for area families to enjoy, as well as a place to host birthday parties and educational programming, such as the robotics team.
Deason will bring those colorful bricks and creative ideas to the first-ever Kids Fun Fest at the Uniontown Mall on Aug. 18.
A year after opening, Deason said she realized the business was really taking off and there was interest in keeping the robotics team active. In fact, a junior robotics team was developed.
Deason said she opened the business first using her son’s extensive Lego collection and buying sets wherever she could find them online at reasonable prices. Soon, she said, donations started pouring in, and she found herself shopping clearance sections at local big box stores. What resulted was a massive space of colorful bricks and wide tables in a comfortable atmosphere for children and Lego lovers alike to dig into their creative imaginations.
Brooke’s Block Party was briefly moved to a location in Uniontown, but in the fall of 2017, Deason brought the business back to Connellsville and it is now housed in a building at the corner of West Crawford and Fourth Street. At her new location, Deason is busy with the two robotics teams, offers build times, hosts birthday parties and develops educational outreach programs in the community.
“It is a hands-on activity that keeps kids off of TV,” she said.
Deason said building with the Legos and learning about the engineering behind them offers a chance for children to learn while having fun.
“Through the robotics, they are involved in STEM. They are learning how to solve real-world problems through it,” she said. “They are involved in engineering, and getting lessons in team building and research.”
Deason said plans this year include offering more free-build times as well as participating in Fun Day at local schools and coordinating with educational officials for more field trip opportunities. She said she hopes to expand programming to more preschool-age children and continues to run both robotics team, which currently has 20 members.
She said while running the business, raising children from ages 18 years to 9 months, and working for the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce can make for some hectic days, she knows the importance her space provides to area children and doesn’t see slowing things down any time soon.
“It is giving kids in our area a tool to succeed.”