As we approach my younger daughter’s third birthday, our dinner conversations frequently turn to the topic of “All the Things a Three Year Old Gets To Do.” She goes from quizzical and uncertain, when I mention the Binky Fairy who comes to take her beloved binkies, to smiley and excited when she hears that she’ll get to share a bunk bed with her sister Lily and that she’ll start preschool soon after. And then? The excitement gets kicked up a notch to ecstatic when I say, “And you also get to drive a car at the Volvo Junior Driving School ride at LEGOLAND.” “I get to drive a car, Lily!” she proclaims to her sister as she jumps up and down, flailing her little arms everywhere. She has been watching her big sister ride the Volvo Driving School ride for a year and a half, and now she’s so close she can taste it. Literally, if I let her, she’d try to taste it. She’s putting everything in her mouth these days).

Nestled in the back corner of Fun Town, Volvo Driving School and Volvo Junior Driving School, are always crowd pleasers, as kids can drive, steer, reverse and signal miniature LEGO^® cars on a trackless course, without the aid of a parent. Even if I could help, my daughter wouldn’t stand for any help though. She’s quite the independent one these days.

Rather than having height requirements, like most of the other rides, the driving schools have age restrictions. Volvo Junior Driving School is for ages 3-5 and Volvo Driving School is for ages 6-13.junio

Upon exiting the ride, the kids will get an actual driver license! For those that want to upgrade, for an additional $5.00 you can get a plastic version with their photo on it. It makes for a perfect souvenir from the day.

Be sure to check out the life-size LEGO model of a Volvo XC90 that sits just outside the Volvo Junior Driving School ride. It is one of my top five favorite models in the Park (I wonder what my other four are? I feel another blog post coming on). If the model doesn’t make you want to run out and buy a Volvo, I don’t know what will, except for the fact that Volvo drivers get preferred, rock star parking in the LEGOLAND parking lot. Sign me up!