Building Blocks Are More Than Just Fun!

Using building blocks (or Legos) to create images and designs is a SUPER popular activity in my kindergarten classroom and an easy one to set up and maintain.  My students love the challenge and fun of Legos building blocks, and I love the fact that it promotes fine motor skills.  But the benefits go far beyond that . . .

Building with their little hands has helped my students develop creativity, build spatial awareness, problem solve, develop planning skills and it has them using mathematical thinking.

I found that my students loved working Legos, but often didn’t have any idea what to make with them.  Free building is GREAT.  Don’t get me wrong, and I encourage that with my students as well.  But there were those students that needed something to get their creative juices started.  I like offering students a task card with a picture of a design to use as a guide when building.

If their design doesn’t turn out exactly like the picture or if they use different colors, it’s still ok.  Valuable skills are still being utilized.

My students love this activity and are completely engaged with these challenges.  Every month they anxiously await, my next set of cards to see if they can build the new designs.  You can just set the task cards in your building center or place them on a ring.  I tend to just place them in a tub with my Legos and base plates so students can select the design they would like.

What you need for this station:

•  A plethora of Legos in many colors and sizes and/or Lego-compatible building blocks (I stole a bunch from my sons, scoured garage sales, secondhand stores,  local Facebook Kids Sales Groups, or you can buy them at your local department store or through Amazon.)
• Task cards
• Building base plates

I have a year-long bundle in my store if you’d like to check it out.  Find them HERE on TpT or HERE in my blog store.

Each set has 24-25 task cards included.  So you’ll have a wide variety to last you thru each season.

And, if you’d like to try a sample card in your classroom, you’ll find one below.  Just click on the picture and it will take you to a google doc link that you can download and print off to use in your own classroom.

So hurry up and break out those Legos already!!!