Legos are a great resource for learning, especially because they encourage kids to get creative with what they are building, making them the go-to toys for many teachers and parents who want to try and teach a certain topic to their kids in a fun and exciting way.
Because of just how many types of Lego blocks there are nowadays, the possibilities for what you can make really are endless, which is why if you have a tub of Lego next to you, you should always be trying to come up with fresh new ways that you can utilize them to teach your kids something new about the world, no matter what subject or topic it relates to.
To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the very best ways you can use Lego as a learning resource right here, and don’t worry, you won’t need too many bricks at your disposal, as long as you have a small tub, you’ll be good to go!
Create A Lego Zipline
If you think about how ziplines actually work, there is plenty of science behind them considering that they rely on both gravity and friction that must work together for the person to travel across the wire safely and securely.
You can gain a general understanding of how zip lines work in real life by creating one with Lego, and the best part is it can be done with just a few blocks, a Lego Minifigure, and a fairly long piece of string.
Tie the string to a door handle and stretch it across the room before tying it down onto another object. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the second time you tie it down, it must be attached to an object that won’t shift around easily, so decor handles tend to work the best.
You will also need to make sure that the zipline follows a steady gradual decline as it goes along without becoming too steep. Build the top of the container around the wire, lift the Minifigure up to the highest point, and let go to watch the zip line work its magic in Lego form.
Lego Math Activities
It’s no secret that a lot of kids don’t like learning math, so an easy way to make this subject a lot more enjoyable is by using Legos to visualize what it is you’re teaching, whether it’s addition, subtraction, or even multiplication.
There are plenty of ways you can go about this, one idea is combining together a huge clump of bricks and then asking the kids to remove enough blocks until there is only a certain number left, such as there being a multiplication of 5 for example.
You can also print out laminated cards with instructions such as “create 5 even numbered towers using all the blocks,” or if you want to take things to another level, you can even assign colors to certain numbers, so if yellow was 7 for example and red was 5, you could ask students to try and make a specific number using the correct combinations.
Erupt A Volcano
This miniature science experiment is a great way to create a visual representation of how volcanoes work in the real world. All you need to do is set a jar in the middle of a large Lego floorboard and ask the kids to build up the volcano so that the jar pokes out of the middle.
Once it’s ready, pour 2 teaspoons of baking powder into the jar, add in a sprinkle of vinegar, and the ‘magma’ will erupt over the top and travel down the sides of the exterior. While this occurs, make sure to explain how the magma is formed from the rocks slowly melting which then forces its way up the magma chamber.
Word Challenges
This activity is great because it doesn’t matter what stage of literacy your kids are currently learning.
Whether you want to use fewer blocks to create longer and more complex terms, or you want to encourage the kids to spell out their own words which they may have learned in the most recent lesson, the choice is entirely up to you.
Prepare A Lego Graph
If you’ve been analyzing some scientific data or results recently, rather than asking your students to draw it out in a book with a pencil and ruler which might cause their engagement to waver, instead, pull out a large Lego tray and ask them to display the results on there instead.
This way, the kids won’t dread the work they will have to do after the experiment itself, and instead, they can look forward to an activity that is way more fun and allows them to get a little more creative with their color and size choices.
Make A Countries Flag
Lego isn’t only great for teaching about science, math, and literacy, you can also use it to learn a little more about geography too by getting everyone to create some flags.
While you can let everyone get creative and test their geographical knowledge by asking them to make their own flag forms from scratch, you could also make things easier by asking them to only make flags from countries belonging to a certain continent or region.
Keep in mind that you might need a little more bricks than usual depending on the design of the flags you are focusing on for this activity.
Use A Scale For Balancing
Creating a balancing scale (see also: DIY Outdoor Balance Scale)with Lego is extremely easy, and is a great way to teach kids about gravity and mass by placing specific objects on each side to demonstrate how and why one would outweigh the other.
Simply make a small tower planted into a Lego board and rest a long 2 x 16 brick along the top, but make sure that it isn’t attached to the other bricks so that it can measure the weight.
Place your objects on either side, pay close attention to how the scale moves, and ask the kids what they would need to do for the outcome to be different before they can then try placing objects on themselves that they feel should weigh the same.
Summary
When you think it’s time to take a break from the worksheets and textbooks, bring out the bucket of lego and try out some of these educational games that will encourage your students to get creative and think outside the box while they learn.
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