"Modern Lego" is strangely disappointing to me. Kits that are really exclusively about making a specific thing, full of unique parts. I don't remember that from my childhood. I mean, sure, a lego Saturn V is cool. But I can't see it being torn down and built into something else by typical 8 year old kids?

That was my first feeling too. But my kid is 5 and really into Lego, and I have changed my opinion and I now actually think this Lego is really, really cool, because it offers significantly more possibilities (and colors!). The pieces are actually much smaller, in general, and therefore even more versatile.

Modern lego is super boring, totally agree.

I used to love lego, but now the designs are all about big brands, which also happen to have ALREADY toys similar to those. Put on top that lego has way less generic pieces and more ad-hoc per design and it begs the question "why lego"

But did you play with K’nex as a child?

I had a friend with both; I always prefered to play with LEGO at his house.