Even with the increasing popularity of video and computer games, one toy is beloved by children of all ages — LEGOs. These little building blocks encourage kids to enjoy play and explore their imagination while helping them develop fine motor skills and learn how to solve problems.
LEGOs can provide hours of entertainment and get kids excited about science. Check out this list of fun science LEGO activities to do at home.
LEGO STEM Activities
Give your kids hands-on practice with science, technology, engineering and math through LEGOs. Many of these activities require just a handful of bricks and a few household supplies, making it easy to create educational experiences and have an enjoyable afternoon with your children.
Fun LEGO Science Activities
Engage kids in the scientific process through one of these LEGO science projects:
- Tin foil boats: You’ll need a sheet of tin foil and a sink of water for this one. Fold the edges of the tin foil to create a boat and place it on the water. Have kids guess how many LEGOs the floating tin foil will hold, then start loading it up with bricks. Each child can create their own boat and compete to see whose creation can last the longest with the most weight.
- Excavation: Freeze a LEGO person in an ice cube and challenge your kids to get them out. You can provide different tools like a fork, toothpick, salt and water so they can test each method to see which is most effective.
- Surface stability: Gather various materials like clay, sand, gravel and dirt — or if you have the outdoor space, take your LEGOs outside. Have your kids build a structure on surfaces made of each material to test their stability. You can blow on their buildings or pour a little water on top to see what effects different elements have.
Technology-Focused Designs
Explore simple machines like wheels, ramps and levers with these projects:
- Design a fidget spinner
- Create a catapult
- Make a ramp
- Build a balloon-powered car
Creative Engineering Feats
Help your kids strengthen their creative muscles through one of these projects:
- Challenge children to build a skyscraper on a small table and see whose tower can last the longest after shaking the surface.
- Have each child design a marble maze and pass them around so everyone can try to conquer their creations.
- Ask your child to build bridges to hold various weights, like books or toys.
Entertaining Math Challenges
Depending on the age of your children, different math problems can be fun to solve with LEGOs:
- Counting bricks and measuring items with LEGOs can be engaging for younger kids.
- For older ones, ask them to build out an equation or practice multiplication.
A Few Artistic LEGO Projects
LEGOs are an excellent tool for visualization, an important skill to have in the STEM field. Challenge your kids to recreate an item from a favorite book or movie, form a fun shape like a heart or build a rainbow. You can ask little ones who are learning to count to make a number out of the blocks or challenge older children to mimic a design you crafted. The possibilities are endless for keeping creativity flowing within your kids.
Inspire Learning and Imagination With Science Explorers
There are many fun ways to use LEGOs at home to inspire creativity and learning for your kids. You can further encourage their love for science by having them attend a STEM summer camp or a STEM after-school club. Science Explorers is excited to offer both options to kids to help them learn and appreciate the world around them. Contact us online today to learn more!
