Arlo, a sixth grader from Dover, New Hampshire, has garnered attention as Boston’s newest Mini Master Model Builder, spending two months crafting a stunning replica of the Boston Tea Party for LEGO’s inaugural global competition.
His intricate creation, showcasing both underwater and above-water scenes, is poised to compete against 27 other young master builders from regions as far-flung as Shanghai and Arizona.
The exciting finale will determine the Global Mini Master Model Builder this fall, and Arlo can hardly contain his enthusiasm.
“I‘m very excited,” he shared during a recent Zoom interview, his shaggy blonde hair casting a youthful impression. “This means a lot to me because I’ve been building LEGOs for a long time.”
From an early age, Arlo has shown a passion for LEGO, starting his journey as a toddler and assembling over 100 LEGO sets.
However, it wasn’t until a visit to the LEGO Discovery Center Boston in Somerville in late February that he first considered entering a LEGO competition.
During that visit, he was working on a piece titled “a celestial hand emerging from the depths of our ocean” when a LEGO employee noticed his talent and encouraged him to enter the Boston Mini Master Model Builder contest.
Unsure of what lay ahead but intrigued by the challenge, Arlo decided to participate. “So I was like, OK, yeah sure, I’ll enter into the tournament,” he recalls. “And I entered in, and I won.”
Kaleb Thome, a LEGO master builder at the Somerville location, was among the judges for the contest, which received about 50 submissions from across New England.
He first saw Arlo’s captivating hand piece just weeks before the deadline.
“He was one of the last ones to submit,” Thome noted. “I immediately knew this might be the one.”
Thome praised Arlo’s concept, describing it as “very mature,” emphasizing how difficult it is to portray hands in art.
“It’s this hand coming up from the ocean,” he said. “I was like, dude, that’s a sick concept.”
For Arlo, the hand was a canvas for his creativity, rather than a laborious task.
“I think the fact that I could do anything,” he explained, reflecting on what initially drew him to LEGO as a child.
When judges announced Arlo as the winner on March 14, he was taken aback.
“I couldn’t tell if they were kidding or not,” he admitted, adding, “But I was definitely excited, no matter what.”
Winning the contest not only awarded Arlo the title of Boston’s Mini Master Model Builder but also opened the door to national competition.
Arlo’s journey intensified as he began working diligently on his crowning project inspired by the Boston Tea Party from late March until May 31.
Two days each week, his parents would drive him to the Somerville LEGO facility, where he dedicated weekends to perfecting his creation.
His Boston Tea Party scene integrates multiple elements including sea creatures, a nod to Spongebob’s Bikini Bottom, and figures reenacting the historical event of tea being thrown into the harbor.
Measuring approximately 10 inches by 20 inches, Arlo crafted the display with meticulous care, even incorporating a character named Arlo dressed in a red shirt.
Thome acknowledged the ambitious scale of Arlo’s work, noting, “How much brick and plate he was able to put down… He really set out some big expectations and goals for himself, and I think he achieved them.”
In the competition, entries must reflect the builder’s home city or region, a criterion Arlo embraced wholeheartedly.
As a fan of historical LEGO sets, he was excited about this opportunity.
“The fact that sometimes they can be like small, little scenes cut into history,” he remarked. “So you basically have your own history book without even having to read.”
After thorough deliberation, Arlo settled on the Boston Tea Party scene, ultimately favoring its grandeur over alternatives like Paul Revere’s ride.
Once he had envisioned the concept, he plunged into the project without hesitation.
“If I have an idea, I’m gonna just put it down,” he affirmed, declaring his commitment to seeing his creations come to life.
After June 30, his impressive project will make its way to Denmark, where LEGO’s masters will assess its merit.
Until then, it will hold a prominent display in Somerville.
Being named Boston’s Mini Master Builder has come with its challenges.
Arlo chose to forgo playing lacrosse this spring, dedicating himself fully to his LEGO project, while balancing a busy school schedule filled with homework in his favorite subject, science.
His mother, Lindsay Humphreys, noted that the commitment has been worthwhile, recognizing the uniqueness of the opportunity.
“It required the commitment, but knowing that it was such a big deal and probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for sure, we were supportive of it,” she explained.
Outside of his passion for LEGO, Arlo enjoys video games and spending time with his dog Bruno, a lovable beagle and pug mix, affectionately referred to as a “puggle.”
Yet, it is the world of LEGOs that truly captures Arlo’s heart, with aspirations to become a LEGO master builder like Thome in the future.
His dream is to own a Volkswagen bus, pulled from his favorite LEGO set.
“Maybe if he can get a job and work towards it,” his mom added, eliciting a charming grin from Arlo.
image source from：https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/16/multimedia/12-lego-master-builder-dover/
