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Ideas for using LEGO for learning

by Beverley Paine.

Every so often I dream up mind stretching activities for the children to do with their Lego, although in all honesty they generally come up with plenty of their own. However, doing this seems to satisfy my need to be seen to be 'teaching' them something! As my children grew up in a houseful of Lego, totally engrossed by those brightly coloured plastic bricks, I found it useful to use Lego in their curriculum too.

Here are some of the activities we've done over the years. Sometimes I'd write the instructions on card or paper and leave them to it - other times I'd be doing the activity too and having fun! Most of these are fun with more than one child.

  • Build a bridge to support three Lego cars, with a span of at lesat 30cm.
  • Build a self supporting tower one metre tall, which can support a weight at the top. Determine how heavy the weight can be.
  • Build the highest tower you can from a pile of bricks in a set period of time.
  • Select 50 bricks and build something using all the bricks - describe it and its use, function or purpose.
  • Make a car game - using a big pile of assorted Lego bricks (make sure there are car bits in the pile first!) Each person rolls a dice and picks up pieces of Lego as per the number on the dice - roll three, pick up three pieces. They then start building. Everyone rolls and builds until everyone has a finished car. You have to use all the pieces you select.
  • Build a boat that can carry three Lego people that floats in a sink full of water.

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The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

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