theclickybricky - Launch Night at Northern Lights

What prompted this?

This is something that has been on my mind for a while. Whether it started out from one of the "family" building activities with the kids (which as usual resulted in both parents building something while the kids were distracted with something else), fond memories of getting a LEGO set as a kid or realising as an Adult I would love to attend something just like this... I am not quite sure.

The offerings for social events for Adults have improved and become less focused on the night out drinking. Coffee meet ups have become popular, game nights have become a thing but generally among specific groups and I have been thinking about how to create a social event that is structured enough to give people something to do together. Sometimes it might feel like a competition, fun or a workshop - it might grow into something much more (I hope so).

But as the time for the first event approaches, I wanted to write a post about what I have been working on and what the first event is going to be like.

What is theclickybricky?

theclickybricky hosts independent events and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the LEGO Group.

theclickybricky is a platform for something that sits somewhere between a social event, a creative challenge, and an excuse to spend an evening building with LEGO® bricks.

It is built around collaboration rather than expertise. You do not need to arrive knowing how to build a particular model, and you do not need to be the person at the table who already owns every set. In fact, the idea is that you will be working with people you have not met before and that the builds will be a combination of everyone's contributions. Some people might have built 100 sets but struggle to build something from scratch, while others might have never built anything but have a great idea for a model. The point is that everyone can contribute and the result is a shared world that is more than the sum of its parts.

The event format may change each evening, but for the launch evening is built around a prompt, a time limit, and a shared outcome. There is also time to explore what other tables have made, vote, and celebrate the results. The finished build is more like the destination but the evening is the journey.

Why build a platform?

Coming from an engineering and product development background, I knew I could build something that would enhance the experience.

It allows us to communicate the format and the event details in advance, but the main features are the planning and on the night tools.

We don't plan to use the platform for participants for every event. Using screens and devices during a social event can be a distraction, so the platform is mainly for planning and booking. The first event is a chance to see how the format works with a real group of people and to learn what works and what doesn't.

The first event at Northern Lights

The first event is Things Just Click at Northern Lights on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

• This event is for adults 18+ and is intended to be a fun, social evening. We will be running many more sessisons in the future for different groups and ages, but this first one is for adults only.
• You can come on your own, as a group, or bring a friend.
• The format is intended to give people something to do together without making the evening feel like a competition that only rewards the best builder.
• There is no pressure, we will be providing direction and structure to the evening, but there is also plenty of room for odd ideas and builds that do not go exactly as planned.
• The point is to have fun, meet new people, and see what you can create together.
• We don't plan on using LEGO sets as part of the event. Anyone can buy their own sets and do these at home, but for our events we will provide a selection of bricks and pieces for everyone to use.
• If you need to find a specific piece, you can ask the other people at your table or the event organisers for help. The point is to be creative and have fun, not to worry about having the right pieces or colours.

We encourage you to buy your own sets and do these at home; it has many benefits, it's fun, much better than doom scrolling and relieves stress.

A different kind of night out

This is something I have been thinking about for a while. It may have started with family building activities, where the children inevitably became distracted and the adults ended up doing most of the building. It may be from remembering how exciting it was to get a LEGO set as a child. Or maybe it is simply that, as an adult, I would enjoy having an event like this to go to.

Whatever the starting point, I wanted to create a social evening that was structured enough to give people something to do together without making the whole thing about drinking. Coffee meetups and game nights already offer good alternatives, but they often attract specific groups. I wanted to see what would happen if the activity itself gave people a reason to talk, make decisions, and build something together.

That idea became theclickybricky.

theclickybricky hosts independent events and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the LEGO Group.

How theclickybricky works

theclickybricky sits somewhere between a social event, a creative challenge, and an excuse to spend an evening building with LEGO® bricks. The format is built around collaboration rather than expertise. You do not need to arrive knowing how to build a particular model, and you do not need to be the person at the table who already owns every set.

In fact, the idea is that you will work with people you may not have met before, combining everyone’s contributions into one shared world. Someone might have built a hundred sets but struggle to make something from scratch. Someone else might never have built anything before but have a great idea for a model. The point is that everyone can contribute, and the result should be more than the sum of its parts.

The format may change from one event to the next, but the launch evening is built around a prompt, a time limit, and a shared outcome. There will also be time to explore what other tables have made, vote, and celebrate the results. The finished build is the destination, but the evening is the journey.

Why I wanted to build the platform

Coming from an engineering and product development background, I knew I could build something that would support the experience. The platform gives the event a clear home, communicates the format and details in advance, and provides tools for planning and booking.

I do not expect participants to use the platform throughout every event. Screens and devices can become a distraction during a social evening, so the first version is mainly about helping people understand what they are booking and helping us organise the event. The launch night is also a chance to see what works with a real group of people, and what does not.

It would be easy to build a large list of features around private events, themes, and custom experiences before the first session has happened. I would rather learn from the room first.

The first event at Northern Lights

The first public event is Things Just Click at Northern Lights on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 7:00 PM. You can find the details and save your spot through theclickybricky.

This first event is for adults aged 18 and over. You can come on your own, as a group, or bring a friend. The aim is to create a fun, social evening without making it a competition that only rewards the best builder.

There will be direction and structure, but there is no pressure to produce a perfect model. There should be room for odd ideas, unexpected solutions, and builds that do not go exactly as planned. The point is to have fun, meet new people, and see what you can create together.

We will provide a selection of loose bricks and pieces for everyone to use rather than building from boxed LEGO sets. If you need a particular piece, you can ask the other people at your table or the event organisers for help. The aim is to be creative, not to worry about having exactly the right piece or colour.

You can, of course, buy your own sets and build at home too. It is fun, a useful break from doom-scrolling, and a good way to spend an hour doing something with your hands.

What I am still working on

The first milestone is getting a group of people into a room, giving them a prompt, and seeing whether the idea works when everyone starts building. Some parts of the format will only become clear once people are actually around the tables.

I want to learn whether the timings feel right, whether the prompts give people enough direction without limiting them, and whether the platform has done its job by the time the event begins. If people can arrive knowing what to expect and then forget about the website while they enjoy the evening, that will probably be a good sign.

The bigger question is what comes next. theclickybricky might grow into different sessions for different groups and ages, or it might stay deliberately small and occasional. I do not need to decide that before the first night.

For now, I am looking forward to seeing what people build, how the tables work together, and whether the idea in my head makes sense once it is shared with a room full of people.