The app works best with collections of 150 bricks or more. Once you select an item to build, it offers you all the instructions (bye, bye Lego books!) and even shows you where the pieces are from the scan (no more wondering if the dog ate that missing piece). The app then counts all the pieces and offers suggestions for what you can build with your stockpile. Once you download the app, you spread all your Lego pieces on a table and scan them. The app is called Brickit, and the concept is very simple. Recently, some hardcore Lego fans created an app that thankfully addresses a lot of my Lego woes. Whatever happened to just “making stuff up” and building odd-shaped houses with whatever pieces you have? My relationship with Lego has clearly changed, and I don’t think I am alone. They love having a plan or a manual to work from.

On occasion, we have lost the book which explains how to make said elaborate boat or train, and my kids are distraught. After some fruitless searching, we begin to wonder if this piece even exists or if the dog ingested it. As a parent, I have wasted countless hours of my life searching for some tiny speck of a Lego brick that my kid needs to complete some elaborate boat or train - and he of course cannot find it.

For one, there are just so many fiddly little pieces these days, and it’s not just because I’ve gotten bigger and clumsier.

Lego is a funny thing - If you loved it as a kid, you might not love it as much as a parent. To opt out of the pro version, click the 'skip' option in the top right of the screen. Editor's note: The Brickit app is still free, but they also offer a paid pro version with extra features.

Lego build it app