Lego and similar brick toys are known for the countless ways that they can be played with, but it doesn't stop with play! I remember that as a kid, I would be able to trick my mom into letting me play if I played with Lego. I argued that it helps me learn and practice my creativity because of the things I can build with them. For this article, we'll expand on that idea of using Lego and other brick toys for learning!
Of course, you can argue that laptops, phones, and tablets are definitely the top devices that everyone is using for everything right now. They're used for news, playing, and learning as well. However, there is nothing wrong with going back to the basics (and our early childhood) with toy blocks! We have been using these for our collections, but these can also be used for playing or educating our younglings at home now that we have more time on our hands. It's not only fun, but it's also a great hands-on learning tool!
Here are our quick and fun ways of how you can use your Lego blocks and other brick toys for some fun learning with your kids and the young-at-heart!
1. Reading / Language
Bricks can be used to form letters of the alphabet or words! Simply build these out with your kids to refine not only their vocabulary, but also their language skills. Try to start with smaller words and gradually make them longer as you go along.
It's much easier to form words with toys first before getting kids to start using pen and paper!
There's even a Lego Youtube view showing you how to make letters with just a few parts. Cool, right?
It's much easier to form words with toys first before getting kids to start using pen and paper!
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Don’t forget about your mini-figures and sets! These can be used to build scenes from books or stories to help develop your kids’ creativity and imagination through storytelling. Just make sure they don’t eat or swallow any of the tiny brick pieces!
2. Mathematics
This is probably the most popular way to use bricks. You can let your kids count the number of studs per brick and sort them out from the lowest to highest number of studs, or have them count how many bricks or minifigures you have in your hand.
To help develop logic, you can use numerous bricks to create color patterns and then ask your kids to continue that color pattern.
For the bigger kids, you can use a number of bricks to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Fractions can also be taught using different colors and sizes of bricks!
With bricks, you can teach fractions visually! (Something I had a hard time visualizing back in the day. lol)
For the even older kids, you can create 3D shapes like cubes and pyramids with bricks.
3. Science
If you have any animal figures, use them to teach your kids about their habitats and the animal kingdom!
You can also help them create the highest tower or the strongest bridge using the bricks available. Make sure you do this in a more open area in the house (we don't want to lose our bricks underneath tables or closets)!
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| Some adorable animal builds from the HSANHE brand |
You can also help them create the highest tower or the strongest bridge using the bricks available. Make sure you do this in a more open area in the house (we don't want to lose our bricks underneath tables or closets)!
Again for older kids, bricks of different colors can be used to explain the different elements and atoms on the periodic table.
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| You can use bricks or studs to replicate the atomic structure above for yourself or for teaching. |
4. History
If you don’t have any of the historical brick sets, you can create your own local landmarks or other buildings you and your kids are familiar with! Perhaps the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids of Giza, or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
You can also create the different flags of different countries with your bricks!
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| Some of LEGO's Architecture Series builds |
You can also create the different flags of different countries with your bricks!
5. Art
No, we will not ask you to use your bricks to paint! But, you can use your bricks to identify different colors or create different shapes.
Aside from these, your kids can also learn other vital skills from using bricks, such as (but not limited to) motor skills, cooperation, persistence, patience, problem-solving, creativity, and logic.
We won't even include sample pictures for art because it's a highly subjective matter. We encourage that we let kids play around with bricks without instructions and see how their minds bring those toys together.
We won't even include sample pictures for art because it's a highly subjective matter. We encourage that we let kids play around with bricks without instructions and see how their minds bring those toys together.
As seen here, there are numerous other ways we can enjoy our brick collection not only with other toy collectors, but with your own kids! Now that we can spend more time at home, using bricks to learn and to have fun could be a nice bonding experience. We hope that this gives you more ideas on how to make use of your sets or spare parts while staying safe at home.
(And no, this isn't an excuse to your co-parent for buying more toys. *wink*)
(And no, this isn't an excuse to your co-parent for buying more toys. *wink*)
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How else have you used your bricks to learn or teach your kids? We’d love to hear all about it!
References:
The Rutherford-Bohr Model of an Atom
LEGO CMF Series 5 Graduate Student
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References:
Learning With Legos by Homegrown Learners
Ways to Use Lego in the Classroom by Mark Warner, Teaching Ideas
25 Ways to Learn at Home with Lego: Great for Elementary/Primary Grades by Christie Burnett, Childhood 101
10 Important Skills Children Learn From Legos by Katie T. Christiansen, Preschool Inspirations
Top 10 Ways Legos Are Educational for Your Child: Learning with LEGO by Brick DaveThe Rutherford-Bohr Model of an Atom
LEGO CMF Series 5 Graduate Student
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