10 Ways to Teach with LEGO Bricks

We all know that hands-on learning is one of the best ways to teach children. Putting something into their hands that they can quickly turn to play, inspires both imagination and cognitive thinking. Which is why LEGO® Bricks are an ideal learning tool.

Introducing the bricks into a learning environment instantly motivates a child’s desire to participate. Therefore, the engagement that follows creates a learning experience which influences the student toward discovery. This hands-on learning fun can be utilized with all age ranges. Because LEGO Brick fun isn’t limited to littles, or teens. It’s fun for everyone.

Best of all, learning is happening without the pressure that can come from learning within the confines of a textbook.

LEGO Brick Learning Resources

Of course there is no better place to find LEGO learning resources than from the very people who create the product, The LEGO Group, at LEGO.com. Through their LEGO Education division you can find marvelous ideas and kits to expand learning in the classroom.

• LEGO Education for Upper Primary
• LEGO Education for Secondary

1. Teaching Preschool and Early Elementary

With Duplo® Brick learning can start at the youngest of ages. Whether it’s simply through hands on play, even building a simple tower is teaching a small child basic structure, foundations, and the concept of addition or subtraction, even if they don’t fully grasp the meaning behind what they are doing. Here are some additional ways to teach learning to your little ones.

• Free Duplo Alphabet Mats – 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• LEGO Counting Worksheets Numbers 1 – 10 – Currclick
• LEGO Counting Worksheets Numbers 1 – 20 – Currclick
• LEGO Education for Preschool
• LEGO Education for Lower Primary
• LEGO Math for Elementary School – Milk and Cookies

2. Teaching Bible

Because LEGO Bricks are visual, utilizing MiniFigures and Bricks to build the historical representation of Bible lessons allows for building a visual memory in your child. Take a look at these Bible Lesson Ideas for even more LEGO Bible Story tips.

• 18 LEGO Brick Bible Stories – Teach Sunday School
• Faith Builders Bible Curriculum at Nephilim the Remnants
• LEGO Games – Books of the Bible – 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• Matthew LEGO Challenge – Proverbial Homemaker
• Proverbs LEGO Challenge – Proverbial Homemaker

3. Teaching Language Arts

Reading isn’t always a fun activity, especially for kids who are struggling. But you can take the struggle out of the reading process by introducing a fun hands-on reading activity with the LEGO Bricks. Here are some resources that can help you to do just that. LEGO Brick building and imagination go hand in hand. So what better way to inspire creative writing than utilizing that imaginary play to learn the art of story-telling?

• Free Writing Prompts with a LEGO Theme – Homeschool Encouragement
• Free LEGO Writing Prompts – Great Peace Academy
• Hands on Spelling Practice with Legos – 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• Learn To Read With Legos – The Educators Spin On It
• LEGO Language Arts – Milk and Cookies
• Lego Spelling Tests – 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• LEGO Word Search – DK
• Workbox LEGO Sight Words – Whatever it Takes Teaching at Teachers Pay Teachers
• Writing LEGO Stories Writing Paper Download – Homegrown Learners

4. Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering 

Teaching science or STEM with LEGO bricks couldn’t be more obvious. Engineering is the basis for the bricks in the first place, mechanics are also a given, but as a child grows older you can even move learning toward robotics. That doesn’t mean you can’t use LEGO Bricks to teach other sciences. Using this simple manipulative you can extend learning in just about any area. Have your child build a cell model, or design a model of the periodic table or a molecular structure.

• Chemical Reactions with LEGO Bricks and a Wet Lab – MIT Edgerton Center
• Design a Car – LEGO Engineering
• DNA Self-Paced Class – Currclick
• LEGO Animal Cell – Homegrown Learners
• LEGO Chemistry – MIT Edgerton Center
• LEGO Club for Homeschoolers – CurrClick
• LEGO® Digital Designer – Free Download from LEGO Brand Retail website.
• LEGO Engineering
• LEGO Plant Cell Model – 62 Bricks
• Outside the Brick LEGO Classes
• Robotic Tutorials – Stemcentric
• Robotics Academy – Carnegie Mellon
• Teaching With LEGO: Science – Milk and Cookies
• Using LEGO Bricks to Understand How Photosynthesis Works – MIT Edgerton Center
• Using LEGO Bricks in the Understanding of Air – MIT Edgerton Center

5. Teaching Math

Teach math concepts with LEGO Bricks is really an easy concept. Afterall, simply adding one brick to another teaches the concept of addition. So taking that basis you can extend math learning concepts quite easily. Below you will find ideas and printables for helping you to do just that.

• Daily Math Practice – Chaos Appreciated
• Daily Math Practice – Currclick
• Learn About Pi – Homegrown Learners
• Leaning Place Value with LEGO Re-grouping Boards – Great Peace Academy
• Learn to Count with LEGO Bricks – Great Peace Academy
• LEGO Candy Math – Homegrown Learners
• LEGO Perimeter and Area – Walking by the Way
• Making LEGO Bar Graphs – Look We’re Learning
• Multiplying with LEGO Bricks – Great Peace Academy
• Pythagorean Theorem LEGO Proof – Math Geek Mama

6. Teaching Art

Allowing a child to build a representation of a famous piece of art will not only be a great fun way to learn about art but will also bury deep in their memory the intricacies of the piece. They’ll study the original so that they can get it as close as possible. You then, can use that enthusiasm as a starting point to learn more about the artists, the methods and even the history surrounding the piece.

• Teaching LEGO Art Free Printable Lesson – Word Traveling
• LEGO Notebooking (Writing) Pages – Blessed Beyond a Doubt
• Famous Works Recreated in LEGO – Enpundit

7. Teaching History & Geography

What could be more fun that teaching history from the perspective of a Mini-Fig Caesar or George Washington, or how about building the Great Wall of China to represent a geographical study? The idea is just as simple as you imagine or just as complicated as your child’s imagination can take them. Ideas might include map building the states, creating flags from around the globe or stacking the capitols using brick stacking methods.

• All 50 States Summarized in LEGO – 22 Words
• Book of Structures for the Block Center – Fun A Day (Not specifically for Brick building but could be used for a LEGO Learning experience.)
• Exploring History and Geography with LEGO – Milk and Cookies
• Hands-On Pompeii – Adventures in Mommydom
• Learning with LEGO Building an Iroquois Longhouse – Creekside Learning
• LEGO Learning States, Capitals, & Abbreviations by  Outside the Brick
• LEGO Parthenon – Layered Soul
• Making LEGO Landmarks – Homegrown Learners
• American Symbols & Landmarks Game – 123 Homeschool 4 Me
• Using LEGO to Learn Geography – Homegrown Learners

8. Teaching with Unit Studies

Utilizing a Unit Study with LEGO Brick learning allows you to incorporate as many subjects as possible into one cohesive study. It’s fun and the kids just love it. Doing this can take the drudgery out of boring topics that need to be taught but that you want to incorporate some excitement in the subject.

• 31 Days of LEGO Unit Studies – Susan Evans
• LEGO Unit Study and Lapbook – Walking by the Way
• Learning with LEGO Junior – Walking by the Way

9. Teaching with Projects

Sometimes it makes sense to encourage learning that doesn’t quite look like learning. It’s easy to print off a printable; which you will find many of the links here to be. But sometimes you just want your kids to play and not necessarily realize they are learning. Which is where project based learning can come into play. You can introduce a concept to your child then explore how to create that project in LEGO form through research  or problem solving techniques. These are just some ideas, just think of a topic and then see what your kids can come up with.

• Bridge Building Challenge – Frugal Fun for Boys
• LEGO Inspired Electric Playdough Clock – Lemon Lime Adventures
• LEGO L.E.D. Flashlight – Instructables
• LEGO Magnet Maze – Brain Power Boy
• LEGO Zip-Line – Little Adventures for Little Hands

10. Teaching Cooperation

Learning cooperative play is foundational for teaching children how to cooperate within the community they live in. As homeschooler we are ever put under the microscope of “socialization.” Realizing that true socialization is about teaching our children how to function within the society we live in, we can utilize LEGO classes, co-ops, and building clubs to teach cooperation.

• 5 Days of Creative Co-op Classes – Walking by the Way
• 10 Week LEGO Class – Homegrown Learners
• How to Start a LEGO Club – Homegrown Learners
• LEGO Building Club – Walking by the Way
• Team Challenge Builds – Great Peace Academy

LEGO learning is both fun and educational. As a homeschooling These are a just few ideas to get you started, but don’t be afraid to branch out and give it a try in any area of learning.

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