This S.T.E.A.M activity inspires creativity, friendly competition, and problem solving skills all while having fun and making memories! Add a little LEGO® learning into your holiday traditions with this Easter inspired activity.
There are two versions that allow for different experiences. Both are simple, require little materials, and encourage creativity, innovative thinking, and problem solving! That being said, Version 1 will be more ideal if you have three or more participants, where as Version 2 can easily be done with just one! Either way- you decide!
Materials:
- Misc. LEGO® bulk pieces
- A timer
Set Up:
Version 1
- First, gather together everything you need from the materials list.
- Second, create a list of 4-7 different Easter themed items, animals, etc. (for example: Bunny, Basket, Chocolate, Cross, Egg, Chick, Ham, Flowers, Family, the list goes on and on)
- Sort out 6-18 pieces for each build and then put aside the same exact LEGO® bricks for each build per person who is participating.
- Call over your sweet babes and start building!
Version 2
- First, gather together everything you need from the materials list.
- Choose 6-18 pieces for each participant. (You will want to give them the same exact number of pieces to start out with.)
- Call over your sweet babes and start building!
Let's Play:
Version 1
Choose which design to build first! Set the timer for 3-10 minutes (depending on your kiddos age level or how challenging you want this activity to be) and watch them make magic. The only rules here are that they must build the Easter themed object you told them and within the allotted time you gave them.
Once the timer beeps- time is up! Stop building and enjoy some show & tell as you compare and contrast everyone's different builds. Take time to discuss the highs and lows:
- What challenges did they face when it came to building the pre-determined object?
- How did building against the time on a clock impact their creativity?
- Why did they build their design the way that they did?
- What pieces did they leave out (if any) and why?
- Which LEGO® pieces do they wish they had?
- How much more/less time do they wish they had had to build and why?
- Compare and contrast how differently each person's build was and consider why.
After some brief discussion, encouragement, and lots of laughs announce the next "design" you want them to work on and start again!
Version 2
Introduce the activity and their objective: To build as many Easter themed creations as they can within 10-20 minutes with only the pieces given. Start the timer and let their minds run wild! We encourage you to build along them to experience what they are, encourage them when they get stuck, and to cheer them on for each unique build they create.
Hot Tip: Consider briefly pausing the timer after each build to snap a quick picture to keep track of what they built and document all of the fun!)
After the timer beeps stop building and discuss how things went! We've included some ideas for discussion below! (This is where pictures would come really in handy.)
- What challenges did they face when it came to building a creation?
- How did building against the time on a clock impact their creativity?
- Why did they build their designs the way that they did?
- Which LEGO® pieces do they wish they had for building?
- How much more/less time do they wish they had had to build and why?
- How many creations were they able to come up with?
- How difficult was it to keep their creations on theme?
- Which build was their favorite, and why?
- Which build was their least favorite, and why?
We hope you enjoy this activity as much as we did! Check out our "Consider this" section for ways to extend this activity or adapt it to different learning levels!
Consider this:
- Inviting additional family members or friends to join you in this challenge via a zoom or Facebook call!
- Choosing a book to read first that highlights the designs they will be building.
- Having your kiddo write a short story about one of the creations they built!
- Working in teams on builds to spark skills in communication and team work.
- If you chose Version 1, have an older kiddo calculate how many versions of an object can be built with the same amount of pieces. Discuss principles of probability and how it is used in real world situations.
We can't wait to see everything that you do with this activity! Share your experiences on social media, tag us, and use the hashtag #LEGOsteamwithBAM so we can see all the fun that you had!