3 STEM Activities with LEGO Your Kids Will Love
Science and engineering are vital to the growth and development of our world. STEM has become a hot topic in learning focus for children. The best part of all of this is that many STEM learning activities are hands-on and you can bring things your child loves into it. LEGOs make an amazing active play STEM tool.
There are even LEGO STEAM activities to do, adding an element of art into the mix. You can set up your own simple STEM challenge at home, too.
3 STEM Activities with LEGO Your Kids Will Love
Building to withstand an earthquake
Understanding how buildings and bridges are created to hold up against nature is a great mind challenging lesson to learn with children. Start by laying a towel over your work surface. Follow with a LEGO plate to form the Earth’s surface. If building bridges, use two plates.
Have your child build however they please for the first round. Let them focus on creating tall buildings and interesting bridges. Once they are done each of you can grab an end of the towel. Wiggle and shake the towel for 15 to 30 seconds. Discuss with your child what happened when the “earthquake” hit.
Now challenge your child to think up ways to make their structures stronger. Building good foundations and using shapes that add stability to things like bridges. Repeat the “earthquake” and see how you did. Talk through the successes and failures until you create something that can survive.
Create the fastest car
Derby racing is a fun activity for children and you can bring it into your home with LEGO. Gather parts your child will need from base block to wheels. Gathering together several children makes it even more fun. Challenge the children to build the fastest car while you set up the track.
Cardboard boxes going down the stairs is the fastest and easiest track you can set up. Use a little duct tape to hold it all in place. If you want to get really fancy, some plywood and paint can make your inclined track last for a long time and look like a real track.
Solve a problem with more advanced engineering
For older children, you can find great gear and axel sets for LEGO online. These allow your child to take LEGO engineering to whole new levels creating moving machines, workable windmills, and robots. The LEGO Technic 8293 Power Functions Motor Set lets your child add movement with a working motor, lights, and other cool features to their creations. Challenge your child to invent something new to solve a problem around the house. Who knows, your child might end up inventing something to change the world!
Don’t miss the Exploring Social Studies with LEGO post if you enjoy homeschooling with LEGO.
Do you use LEGO in your homeschool?
- 35 Christmas Books for Kids - December 4, 2024
- The Best Homeschool Black Friday to Cyber Monday Deals 2024 - November 26, 2024
- Spring Books for Kids - March 15, 2024
