Lego Learning Club for home school

I have been leading various age group Lego Learning Clubs at home school co-ops for several years now.  So many children are drawn to Lego bricks, and the “hands-on” work they provides.  It keeps them busy and creative, and it lures them into learning :) 

Lego manipulatives are excellent for fine motor skills, as well as thought processes – eye to hand motor controls, spatial and organization processes….the list goes on.  You can read more in depth here:

Scholastic’s Using Lego to Build Math Concepts

I feel that using Lego at home with our math has really helped my own children become more proficient …..and recently I came across a great website that detailed using Lego bricks as manipulatives to visually depict math concepts, and get some good hands-on work.

I didn’t always use Lego at first in the earliest years of math when we first began homeschooling, I used Cuisinaire Rods w/activity books, and “crunchy math”….yes, Goldfish crackers for manipulatives and eating enjoyment while doing math.  These were and still are fun ways to lighten up math and help little ones enjoy math, rather than build an attitude of dread towards it.

The co-op Lego club I’m recently involved in has served so many purposes for a couple different age groups – the teen group being the largest and comprised of both girls and boys.  They are a lively bunch!  For the first 6-7 weeks I challenged them with Lego building, and free builds, to build the building skills….then introduced, Creationary, a Lego board game using bricks and involving on the spot creative planning and building, and cooperative play.  It has been a great success – they love the game!

We will continue to do Creationary into the winter, then I will move into “concept” learning, and help them to look at bricks as geometric and math related manipulatives.  Lego bricks are great to get the concept of fractions across with….the kids “get it” and more easily remember, and enjoy doing the math!