The Global Trade War is to strip off children and families from their rights to free movement this holiday season as billions may be forced worldwide to ditch travelling plans as US Tariffs Impact The Global business Travel sector.

 

US Tariffs are causing Airlines to cancel dozens of flights daily: The sharp decline of travelling since US Tariffs statistics shows:

 

“Four months into the President second term, his policies are upending tourism worldwide. Nine charts show the toll on global travel Flight: Trump’s $12 billion Wipeout.”

 

Airline tickets have become a luxury as US Tariffs continue to put a strain on travel and hospitality worldwide. The impact of tariffs on the hospitality and travel sectors is real: it is palatable and undeniable on balance sheets, booking trends.  The higher the cost of aircraft components and maintenance equipment, the higher the Airlines expenses.

 

 

This summer, as parents, DO NOT let ‘’US tariffs” spoil your holiday or steal away your children’s “joie de vivre”.  Not being able to afford airline tickets for that dream destination for a summer break might sound like a kill joy! 

 

But it is not: you do not have to end up in debt just because you are desperate to travel to copy a neighbour or a colleague!

Especially because after a summer holiday, you might fall short with the reality of bills, and school fees.

 

When things get out of hand, out of your control, as parents your duty is to protect your household and to keep it at bay of depression.

 

Modelling positive attitudes and behaviour in general is KEY and failing to offer a dream holiday to your family doesn’t make you a bad parent especially if you think of valid and cost-effective alternatives.  

 

 

As parents you should be mindful of your mood and or state of mind: showing a depressing attitude will have a domino effect on your children, your household as a whole. 

 

Not being able to afford plane tickets for your children to that dream summer vacation destination may seem like a downer!  But far from it! As a parent, you are mature enough in age and experience to understand that you don’t go on vacation to look good or copy your neighbour or colleagues.

 

That, in addition to plane tickets, a decent hotel, restaurants, and subsidies, it is preferable to have a generous financial cushion of a few thousand euros to afford a vacation.  It is customary for everything to go smoothly during a summer vacation.

 

But what if whilst abroad for your summer holiday, you exceptionally, or one of family’s members were victim of a stabbing, theft, accident, or a health emergency? (Medical coverage is very low worldwide)

 

(Medical density is very low worldwide) you will also need to be able to subscribe to this optimal all-inclusive  travel insurance policy ( Anything that happens  kind of policy), all risks, medical expenses, repatriation, luggage , which covers your family and yourself! Therefore, as a responsible parent, it is your duty to make judicious  choices to protect your children and yourself.

 

 

Especially since, after the summer holidays, you will have to face the realities of daily expenses: rent, transport, bills, school/Universities fees, etc.

 

Not being able to offer your family a dream vacation this summer does not make you a bad parent, especially if you have a cost-effective, viable, and efficient option.Our editorial is aware that:

“Going on holiday may prolong human life expectancy.”

That according to a study conducted over 40 years in Finland, the absence of holidays would be associated with a very high risk of premature death. Going on holiday would have the effect of compensating, balancing, redeeming, all the efforts made to have (or to achieve) a healthier lifestyle.

 

But, as a reminder, things in life don’t always go to plan! 

 

 

Remaining calm enables you to see the glass of water half full rather than half empty.

 

Remaining optimistic this summer enables you to consider   The Building block LEGO toy as the ultimate alternative all in one educational toy that will enable you and your loved ones to enjoy this summer holiday to the fullest.

 

The all-time classic LEGO Brick of all age group ranges can be played alone, with friends and or siblings, … and grandparents.

 

Below are the reasons why The LEGO educational toy is our editorial favourite selection.  The MUST HAVE TOY! Not only for summer but as one of the first toys ever a parent, a tutor, a family member, a friend could introduce to a child.

 

 

 The Building block LEGO toy history in brief

 

The word LEGO originated from the Danish phrase ” leg godt”, which means “play well”.

 

It is believed The LEGO Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891–1958),

a carpenter from Billund, Denmark who began to make wooden toys in 1932.

 

In 1934, his company came to be called “Lego”.

 

Fun facts:

 

Did you know?

 

The LEGO rose to fame in the mid-20th century.  LEGO notes age ranges on their packages.

 

Lego is a plastic building-block toy that has captured the imagination of children and adults alike for over 88 years.

 

Legos are often made of natural materials, with no distracting noises, they teach one skill at a time, are rooted in reality, serve an objective, and a goal wrapped in the outcome.

 

Lego teaches independence, encourages repetition, promotes STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) , learning cause and effect.

 

 

 

BEWARE!!! 

 

When buying Lego, remember to buy the larger ones for babies: tiny Lego pieces are NOT suitable for babies.

 

Children will choke on them as their preservation instincts always led them to spontaneously put things in their mouth.

 

LEGO is considered the best toy in the world:

It is the world’s most valuable toy brand for the tenth year running, increasing its brand value by 6.5% to USD7. 9 billion.

 

LEGO is an Educational Toy it helps with motivation; it helps children use their imagination.

 

LEGO is a great way to introduce children to complex concepts such as pattern recognition, sorting, counting. As they build and create, they are also spontaneously learning about sizes, shapes, and colours.

 

 

Proven to be great for the brain, LEGO enables children to be good at problem-solving, spatial awareness, critical thinking as they experiment and build a myriad of shapes with different combinations of bricks.

 

LEGO also helps improve memory, focus, and attention span as they plan and build different structures.

 

According to Fortune Business Insights: “The global educational toys market was valued at USD 66.22 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 71.32 billion in 2025 and reach USD 126.02 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 8.47% during the forecast period. “

 

Below are the specific reasons why LEGO remains The Bridge Magazine’s preferred toy. The MUST HAVE TOY! Not only for summer but as one of the first toys ever a parent, a tutor, a family member, a friend could introduce to a child.

 

 

1- LEGO is highly beneficial as it builds up PATIENCE a virtue of paramount importance in children, young adult and adult.

 

 

Following Lego building bricks instructions is a lengthy and a tedious task.

The toy is meant to test human’s patience from childhood.

When looking for a specific crucial brick to complete a figure or a house is nowhere to be found, you must be patient.

 

In a world where children, the youth and adults often beg for external approval, gratification, the building process enables children in particular, the youth and adults in general to understand that success comes at a price.

 

That laying a block after another is not enough: on top of hard work, one has to be patient in order to get good results.

 

If a child started playing Lego at age one for instance, by the time they reach teenagehood, they would have grasped the importance of patience in everything they do as well as in how they interact with their siblings, classmates, colleagues, neighbourhood, the list goes on.

 

 

Whatever our age range, having patience allows us to remain serene, even when everyone around us is panicked or procrastinating in making a decision.

 

Patience allows us to understand that neither the most gifted nor the most honest, the most righteous are not always the first to succeed in life.

Success might be at reach for some, but it can take more time for others.

 

Patience enables us to assess and act with confidence, no matter the situation. 

Lego cultivates patience, a socially and professionally desirable trait.

 

 

Very few people are able to apprehend delays, misfortune without getting annoyed, irritable, expressing anxiety and getting abusive.

 

 

Patience helps humans find their purpose, it strengthens children and makes them resilient and tenacious.

 

The English Poet William Langland in his poem “Piers Plowman,” written in 136O first coine: “patience is a virtue”

 

 

 

2- LEGO is highly beneficial in building up TEAMWORK and SOCIAL SKILLS.

 

Whenever children engage with the building LEGO, they collaborate with their peers in a small or a large group to create figurines or objects together.

 

All children are given a set role; some days, they may be the Supplier, the next the Architect, another day Builder, and then the Supervisor, or the Director!

 

Children follow different instructions   for each role and respect and listen to each other. Building bricks together all encompass focus, sharing, reinforces positive behaviour and social contact.

 

Growing up playing LEGO with peers at school, with friends visiting for holidays, family members or siblings enables children to understand the concept of working on a school project with their high school classmates from different continents and social backgrounds  of interfering with universities lecturers and colleagues, neighbours, from all walks of life.

 

 

There are incredible benefits of playing LEGO building blocks toys experts revealed.

 

 

According to Amy Shelton,

“When kids are building with blocks and Legos, they are using spatial reasoning skills […] These skills not only have a relationship to academics, but to the fields you might gravitate to, and where you are going to excel.”  

 

Amy Shelton, is a cognitive psychologist and director of research for Gifted Talented Children.

 

From a tender age LEGO provides life changing social skills. 

Our editorial tends to stress on how Lego may improve strong Social Skills in children at a time where the youth worldwide need it the most.

 

Our editorial is saddened, shocked and speechless on how swift violence has spiralled worldwide. Disturbing news footages involving more under age knives, drug-related gang, rape killings, hate crimes.

 

 

Not to mention bombs and gas of military against civilians emerging casually from the mainstream media daily.

 

Research shows that children with strong social skills are less likely to engage in crime and violence. They think before acting, they are tolerant, understand others, communicate effectively, and manage their impulsiveness.

 

Lego can be very challenging and daunting. It encourages children and adults to relentlessly work hard to achieve a result rather than hiding their weaknesses and failure behind futile excuses, aggressivity and victimisation. 

 

Especially in our era, where people are getting accustomed to the ” either take by force or destroy what some covet or envy   in others ”  or the “use and drop” culture tends to be normalised by a handful of envious and mean people or   politicians and a few of the ultra-rich . 

 

 

 

Lego prevents children growing up from becoming self-centred, narcissists, supremacists, xenophobic, racists, tribalists, bitter humans who feed their ego with stereotypes.

 

 

Building strong social skills also means Lego moulds the personalities of those innocent little souls in an all-inclusive meaningful way. Preventing children from seeing others as second-class citizens.

 

 

 

For instance, when children start it at an early age, (an age crucial in shaping humans’ personalities) to mingle with their peers by playing Lego, in a preschool setting, they understand that:

a child with a different culture and social background can be the one to find that important final piece of the Lego. 

 

That next time it could be their turn to win or that it may not even happen. This will prevent children from seeing adversity in others, rather complementarity. 

 

As they grow older, they will not be phased if the best in statistics, pure mathematics, science, economics, and physics is an aboriginal classmate or an Aztec descendent … and vice versa.

 

 

They should not be phased if their younger brother or sister is gifted or best at everything they do , if their sister or brother happen to be their parents’ favourite child  , the list goes on … 

 

They will not   become bullies  at home, in a playground, or an office setting.

They will rather apply that team work collaborative state  of mind crucial  for a winning team.

 

Where they simultaneously share their knowledge as they learn from others by listening  to others,  following  instructions being disciplined in order to grow, strive and blossom as a member of a  team . 

 

 

A crucial skill where each part of the chain gets involved to improve their environment and make progress in whatever they set their mind to or their goals.

Interacting with Lego in a group enables children to acknowledge, to welcome and appreciate everyone’s effort no matter how small.

 

Growing up playing Lego enables children to learn how to be all inclusive and avoid discrimination thus ensuring they can also be good at conflicts resolution. 

 

3- LEGO is highly beneficial in building up LANGUAGE and Communication   SKILLS.

 

Building blocks with family or a group of friends enables children to learn how to communicate with others.

 

Rather than seeking attention using micro aggressions, bullying techniques, crying, screaming, throwing out objects to bring out the “me first” kind of “selfish and self-centred victimise” behaviour hidden in them, children learn how to articulate and say out loud their thoughts, their needs.

 

They are bound to, in a disciplinary kind of way to listen to each other, hence developing interaction and language skills as they go along, bringing new ideas, negotiating and making compromise.

Children who chose to play may get more creative with the stories, adding in characters and dialogue which enable them to build a foundation of language understanding and development.

 

 

4- LEGO is highly beneficial in Spatial Awareness, Problem solving and mathematics.

 

Being able to follow instructions, riddles, hidden messages are skills of paramount importance to build up as a child, that will benefit humans throughout their journey on earth.

 

A child playing at interpreting encrypted information, growing up will easily make a difference between a compliment and a mockery. A microaggression or an instruction or an advice… the list goes on.

 

Lego enables children to understand patterns, the notion of quantity, symmetry, the location of the bricks, this helps to enhance their mathematical skills and spatial awareness providing them with new ideas in their quest of problem solving.

 

5- LEGO is highly beneficial in Experimentation and creativity.

 

Lego can be classified as a kind of art. Children involved with the process of building the bricks may unlock their genius in creativity, storytelling, children are given the opportunity to free style, to create individually, in pairs or in groups.

 

Children’s memory could be metaphorically compared to a sponge: ready to absorb and experiment everything: but unfortunately, the world surrounding children is full of injunction.

At home they would like to touch the burning cooker, the white sofa with their filthy hands, plunge their hands freely in the toilet or sink without being told not to.

 

But Lego provides them the golden adventurous opportunity they often dream of, by enabling children to let their creativity, their imagination and self-expression flow, the opportunity to experiment, test out and build new ideas.

 

 

6- LEGO is crucial for children Physical Development.

 

Playing with LEGO has been proven beneficial for improving fine motricity skills by enhancing dexterity and strength in the fingers.  The different amounts of pressure used to put together the Lego pieces, is an amazing exercise for children’s fingers.

 

They start learning to hold a pencil and control the pressure applied when writing.

 

These little humans need that skill to develop their ability to hold a pencil to draw, later on a pen to pass an exam paper.

 

Because, even though computers are introduced in work places at a later stage in human’s life, one may not achieve a good grade for their GCSE white paper if they fail to put their thoughts and knowledge when given a pen and a paper.

 

Do not wait until a gifted child has failed an exam because his or her fingers were trembling during two hours of their sitting exam due to the lack of fine motor skills to understand how crucial fine motor skills are.

 

Especially nowadays where children are skilled at using their fingers to scroll electronic gadgets as soon as they stop being breastfed.

 

 

7- LEGO is important in managing frustrations and   cultivating perseverance.

 

Being forced to start building from scratch what was already looking like a baby doll, a castle, a kitchen, a tent in a forest because of a little move can be upsetting.

 

But repeatedly building the bricks, having the patience and the resilience to find new ideas to put the bricks back together again and again after they come tumbling and crashing down helps children develop perseverance. It enables them to learn how to overcome frustration.  

 

Building up Lego bricks encourages children being aware, that they have no fear to fail their first, second or third attempt.

By being prepared they are more likely to succeed from their first attempt and if they don’t, they will try and fix the fallen pieces by   trying out new ideas without a fear of failure.

It is crucial for children to understand at a tender age, that things might not  have worked out just as planned.

 

 

 

8- LEGO is important in building up self-confidence

 

Lego builds up self confidence in children not cockiness. (There is no need to ensure they rub their achievement in every one’s face including those who have been struggling to achieve the same goal. that is not self-confidence, that is cockiness)

 

When building Lego after following instructions or free styling from one’s creative ideas, there is always a sense of accomplishment, a sense of pride.  Building a complete figure from scratch enhances children’s self-confidence and self-belief.

 

Parents can tell because, as soon as a child achieves a Lego set they expect parents to congratulate them.

 

Saying something such as: this is amazing!  I couldn’t have built it myself as you did, or taking a picture of it as a souvenir of their achievement, or keeping it safe for few weeks beside a home picture like a figurine, will drive children to try out more complex tasks when they feel ready.

 

 

9- LEGO enables to lower Anxiety and Stress

 

 

LEGO has been proven to lower anxiety and stress, for children and even adults with high-pressured jobs.

They use building blocks as a stress management tool.

 

Children and adults have used LEGO to help ease everyday stress and even serious conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

 

10 – LEGO increases Focus and Concentration in whatever children set their mind to.

 

Just like at home, in a playground, in a class room, in a work environment, a shopping centre, in everyday life, following instructions are key. Following Lego instructions, planning what piece comes next, being able to wait for their turn and listening to others when building as part of a group implies a high level of focus.

 

 

Lego enables children who find it difficult to focus and who are easily distracted to learn gradually to be concentrated on one thing at a time and it can hugely help with children who sometimes need a little extra help with concentration.

 

Travelling for summer holiday individually, in groups and or with your family is good. But flying away for a dream destination when you can afford to do so is even better.

 

People are getting accustomed to ‘US tariffs’ making a very serious issue trendy!

 

Talking about or mentioning ‘US Tariffs ‘is not a zeitgeist! It is not a spirit of time:  as in   whenever one decides to sound trendy, they drop a ‘Tariffs’ related jargon to sound trendy.

 

‘Trade war’ is real and is affecting billions worldwide.

 

 

 

The current global economic state due to the global trade war is proving daily to have transcended the trade, economic /politico jargon, to have changed the world for ever, whatever the angle, outlook or the lenses one may look at it.

 

So when planning holidays, extra-curricular or extra professional activities or any other relaxing activities, if under budget and you are running out of alternative individual or group projects or ideas , playing and building LEGOS might be the ideal solution.

 

As a follow up and update of The Bridge Magazine’s 13th Anniversary celebration announcement, Rachel Tcheungna has published 23 educational books in both English and French which are now ready for global distribution.

 

 

Follow the links below to purchase one or various of The Bridge Books. 

 

 

1)    Global News That Never Fades: From Britain’s News to World Exclusives

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/global-news-that-never-fades-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-ennmdm.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

2) Beauty, Health and Wellbeing Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/beauty-health-and-wellbeing-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-znpgek.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

3) Education Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/education-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-8mve4p.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 4)  Love and Relationship Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/love-and-relationship-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-zn269w.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

5)    True Crimes and Prevention Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/true-crimes-and-prevention-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-vnr49d.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

6) Economy and Investment Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/economy-and-investment-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-4evpye.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

7) Soft & Hard News Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/soft-hard-news-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-r2dywj.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

8) Urban Legend Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/urban-legend-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-k4ne79.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

9) High-Profile People Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/high-profile-people-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-9v5vnj.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

10) Arts and Culture Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/arts-and-culture-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-q764zz.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

  

11) Travel & Tourism Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/travel-tourism-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-w8kj6v.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

12) Politics Global News That Never Fades: The Bridge Magazine Book – From Britain’s News to World Exclusives.

 

https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/rachel-tcheungna/politics-global-news-that-never-fades-the-bridge-magazine-book-from-britains-news-to-world-exclusives/paperback/product-n5954v.html?page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Tcheungna,
Author, Writer of The Bridge Books and
The Bridge Magazine Editor