LEGO bricks teach children the basics of design and construction, from reconciling form with function to creating sturdy foundations that can withstand baby brothers. Aid the education of budding builders with today's Groupon: for $12, you get one adult or child ticket (up to a $20.50 value) to LEGO KidsFest at the I-X Convention Center. Choose between the following dates:

• Friday, Novemeber 4, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6, from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

LEGO KidsFest’s numerous play areas treat tykes of all ages to a weekend of hands-on fun, games, and life-size LEGO models. The Construction Zone allows children 5 and older to break ground for a wonder built with standard-size LEGO bricks, and toddlers can drag themselves over to the DUPLO Build Area to master the basics of construction using the larger DUPLO bricks, which easily accommodate tiny hands. After locating a master builder and watching a professional in action, kids can customize their own LEGO racecars and then roll them down ramps to the finish line or escort their youthful creativity to the monochrome build areas to make the ultimate statement by building with bricks in a single color. At the Mystery Mural Build, brick stackers contribute tiles to a small portion of a LEGO mural that will only be unveiled in its entirety at the end of the festival. For even more advanced brickitecture, wrap your detachable yellow barrel-head around Creation Nation, where attendees can help build an enormous map of the United States.

Older fest-goers seeking a different kind of hands-on play can create and build their own LEGO board games, with customizable dice and rules that can be changed from game to game. A concession area offers the chance to sip a cup of coffee and rest digits while daydreaming about donuts, admiring the fruits of your own LEGO labors, and gazing in awe at the complexity of the life-size LEGO models, which in the past have featured Batman, Indiana Jones, SpongeBob SquarePants, and C-3PO.

Children 2 and younger are admitted for free to LEGO KidsFest.