The concept of death is difficult to explain to a child, but maybe it can become much less so with this strange LEGO playset that lets you recreate funerals.
The playset was the idea of Bestattungsmuseum, a Funeral Museum in Vienna’s famous central cemetery, who wanted to help young ones understand and cope with the death of their loved ones.
In an interview with Bored Panda, museum spokesperson Dr. Florian Keusch said that it was in 2016 when they released their first product made out of LEGO components. “First it was a historical tram, which brought dead bodies to the Viennese central cemetery and was used in Vienna between the first and second world wars. This tram was for collectors, and then we made a truck and a historical hearse.”
It wasn’t until 2018, however, that they decided to use the toys as a means of helping children overcome their grief. “So we were brainstorming,” Keusch said. “[And] we have developed the crematoria, the cemetery with an excavator, the mourning family with a female and a male dead body and a skeleton and a historical horse buggy.”
They even partnered with Wiener Landesverband für Psychotherapie (Viennese Association of Psychotherapists) to make sure that the toys were really helpful for kids to process their loss.
So far, the “LEGO Crematoria” is gaining overwhelmingly positive reviews.
It’s important to note that this is not an official product by LEGO; but rather, a playset made from LEGO components. There are currently three new sets available, with prices ranging from 50 to 90 euros.
What do you think, would you buy this for your children?
All photos from bestattungsmuseum.com
