If building things with Lego bricks in the real world wasn't enough, children will soon have the chance to construct Lego creations in a virtual world.

According to a Washington Post report, Lego is developing Lego Universe, a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) that will launch next year and allow players to create custom Lego versions of themselves and interact with others in a world made out of the plastic blocks.

As players spend time in the Lego Universe, they will earn coins that allow them to purchase bricks and build their ideas. An in-game feature will allow the players to purchase the necessary parts to bring their creations out of the virtual world and into real life.

"The physical experience is our core, the digital experience will never replace the physical experience, but it's a nice add-on," said Mark William Hansen, who is spearheading the project for Lego.

Lego currently has Lego Factory, a program that allows users to envision Lego creations and order the necessary pieces to construct them.