Lego Comprehension

Kids try to build an identical structure by only listening to each others' instructions! 

Place something in between 2 lego plates, so kids can't see each others' lego building base (no cheating!). Kids take turns giving instructions. They must be very detail oriented (describe color, size, and placement). Also, they have to have good listening skills, so they place the lego in the correct spot! When they're finished building, they look at their structures to see if they are identical. Did they give good directions?!

Lego MMMR

Hand each student a baggie of various Legos and explore mean, median, mode, and range!

Array Studs

1. Have kids classify bricks by number of studs.

2. Then, have them figure out the total number of studs for each group (ex:).

3. Once they have their numbers, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

Number of Bricks with Same Number of Studs

1. Kids classify bricks by number of studs.

2. Then, they count how many they have in each group (ex:).

3. Then, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

Lego Colors

You could also build Lego Towers and classify bricks by color. Then, have kids figure out the mean, median, mode, and range. Set a timer and have kids build the tallest tower they can before the time runs out! They take their tower apart and classify their bricks by color. Using their data (ex: 19 red,  10 blue, etc.), they figure out the m,m,m,r for their Lego colors.

World's Largest Lego Tower - photo via Read N Rock

Lego Stud Structure

You could also have students build towers with various studded Legos. The only rule is their structure must balance on its own. Students try to use as many bricks as possible! When the time is up, they take it apart and classify their bricks by the number of studs. Then, they figure out the m,m,m,r.

Lego Stud Die

Use with Lego Geometry (area / perimeter) and Lego Groups of (multiplication) at a math station! 

Kids take turns rolling the die

Lego Geometry: The child with the largest area wins!

Lego Groups of: The child with the largest product wins!

Save die to desktop and print

Lego Roll

Last year I wrote about learning fractions with Legos. To turn this activity into a math station, I made a Lego Roll game. Kids roll a die to determine what color comes next for their fraction tower. After ten rolls, have kids figure out their fractions for each color.

Another Lego math station idea is to write fractions on notecards and have children create the fraction out of Legos (like a fraction museum). Once they've built all of their towers, they can call the teacher over to check.

Lego Chrome

Build with Chrome: Kids find and explore different plots. They can recreate a famous landmark or just play around! Once they are finished building, they can print their creation and find the area and perimeter of their structure. You can print a 3D or 2D version of your art. Click here for digital Lego Geometry on Build with Chrome. Click here for tactile Lego Geometry.

Web 2.0 - Blabberize!

Blabberize: Totally free web 2.0 tool that kids will have a blast playing around with! Kids make their photos come to life, by adding a mouth and their voice to a picture. This web 2.0 tool is super easy to navigate, even preschoolers can blabberize!

Lego Multiplication: Groups of and Arrays

Make multiplication fun with legos! A lego brick represents one group. Kids count the studs to figure out the multiplication equation. For example 2 lego bricks with 4 studs (2 groups of 4) equals 2 x 4. Then, they solve it! (2 x 4 = 8) 

Kids can also find arrays on legos to help with their multiplication skills. When you look at the studs on top a lego, you see an array! Kids examine the rows to figure out the equation. For example, one lego brick with 8 studs (2 horizontal rows of 4 studs, 2 x 4 = 8)



More Lego Activities from E is for Explore
Place Value
Geometry - Area / Perimeter
Fractions
Basic Math
Counting / Creative Writing
Science - Weathering Process

Everyday Arrays

Take your class on an adventure of real world arrays! First, hunt for arrays in the classroom. For example, open a box of crayons and take a peek inside, an array! Check out the kids' desks and chairs. Are they arranged in an array? Don't forget lockers or cubbies. They're lined up in an array! Pull out a calculator, array! Walk through the hallways. Is there student work hanging in an array? Check out the parking lot. Are the parking spaces lined in an array? 

Over the weekend, have kids hunt for three arrays. They can draw their arrays or take a picture of them. Underneath their image, have them write down the multiplication equation, as well as their array in repeated addition. Remind them, they CAN'T make their array out of Cheerios!!! It has to be an array they just happen to come across. They could find their arrays around their house or at an outing (grocery, park, etc.). Examples: a lego, t.v. remote control, ice cube tray, eyeshadow compact, hershey bar, egg carton, muffin tin, etc.

Lego Bullseye: Place Value

Bullseye place value is a hit in every classroom. To switch it up and make it a bit more difficult, I incorporated Legos. Kids toss Legos onto a bullseye target (this can easily be made out of paper). Next, gather up Legos with different numbers of studs on top. The studs will represent numbers. Kids use the studs on the Legos and the place value rings they land on to figure out their number. If two Legos land within the same ring, then kids count the studs on both Legos. 

I recommend one six or eight studded Lego per toss. Also, a big bullseye mat is always more fun! 

100 Legos: Invention

This activity was inspired by Mrs. Rojas. To put a twist on it, I had kids invent something and build it out of Legos. This gets kids to really think out of the box. 

Give students 100 Legos. Then, have them construct a unique invention. It could be a gadget that magically cleans their room with the press of a button. Or maybe, a machine that shoots out ice cream sundaes! Let their creativity run wild! After they construct their creation, take a picture of it. Then, have kids write about what they built. What does their Lego invention do?

Lego Fractions

After doing Lego Geometry with kids, I thought why not fractions? Make fractions fun with colorful legos! Give kids legos in various colors, then have them write a fraction for each color.

Lego Geometry

I made up Lego Geometry to get my nephew excited about area and perimeter. Kids can create big areas by putting legos side by side, or find the area of single bricks. Tell kids not to stress if bricks don't fit perfectly on the grid paper. They can round up. Have them color the area of each of their legos on their grid paper. (Note: For younger kids, you can have them count the lego studs / dots on top to find area and perimeter).

Lego Weathering: Erosion / Deposition

Beakers and Bumblebees made up an awesome, active lego relay race that reinforces the weathering process!
1. First, 2 teams build a lego landform
2. Next, a member from each team pulls a piece off of the landform (weathering) and brings it to the other side (erosion) to start building a new landform (deposition)!
3. Kids continue taking turns transporting pieces from one side of the room to the other until their original landform is completely weathered away!

Lego Learning Games

1. Walnut Hills Homeschool created a story book with lego scenes kids create. Kids makeup a story line and build a scene for each page in their book. Not only are they the authors, they are the illustrators too! Their lego creations are the illustrations for their book.

2. Graph legos - Happy to be Homeschooling my Children.

3. Lego Addition: Make math fun by having kids add legos! - Sixkents

4. Have kids construct sentences and words with legos. They get to write and build at the same time! - Chalk Talk and Happy to be Homeschooling my Children

5. Make patterns with legos: AB, ABB, and ABC! - Keen on Kindergarten