Dive down deep with us for this activity as we explore the creatures of our Earth and learn more about where and how they live!
Although this S.T.E.A.M activity is originally designed to educate your younger children, easy adaptations allow it to work just as well for an older audience! Look through our "consider this" section for examples of age appropriate changes you can make, and don't forget you know your children best! Feel free to change up any of the rules and ideas to best meet the needs of your munchkins at home!
Materials:
- Bulk LEGO® pieces
- Any and all LEGO® animals that you already have!
- Tape
- Pen
- Computer/ Smart Device
Set Up:
- Start by encouraging your family band to run around the house and collect all their favorite LEGO® animals!
- While they are doing that, find a good wood surface or tile flooring where you can set up three tape rows to section off your "land, water, and both" categories.
Let's Play:
After your kiddos discover which animals they already have, have them spend some time creating their very own LEGO® creations of animals they do not already have. Once they've had time to utilize their creativity to build animals, explain the general theme and outline for this activity.
Take time together to do some basic research or assign a "category" to research to each participant. After learning the distinguishing characteristics for animals who belong to each category (for example, water animals breathe through their skin or gills), share your findings as a group!
Once you have clearly identified the differences of each category, allow your children to sort their animals accordingly. Pay attention, as they do. This discussion is important to their learning as you can use it as an opportunity to observe what your child has learned, facilitate discussion by asking questions that will help your kiddo individually analyze what they've learned and apply it to this activity, and provide small suggestions or guidance when needed. If you have multiple kids at home, this is also a great opportunity to have them work together as a team to teach and learn from one another!
Consider this:
- Using more specific animal identification groups such as Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Insects, etc."
- Extending this activity by discussing animal habitats! Not only can this be added discussion and toy sorting, but you can also encourage your child to build each habitat too!
- Adding depth to this activity by learning about ecosystems.
- Completing a "KWL" (Know, Want to know, and Learn) chart as part of this activity!
- Going on a "field trip" to study some of these animals in their natural environments and make observations that enhance or support your previous research.
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 all the fun that you had!