We love LEGOS. Their open-ended play possibilities make them the first choice on every birthday wish list and the kids never seem to be bored of them.
As if that weren't enough, their educational benefits are nothing to scoff at. They can be used as unit blocks, visuals to addition and subtraction stories, and even manipulatives for problem solving:
Sitting back to back, one person makes a creation and gives verbal instructions to the other on how to duplicate it. The person following the instructions is not allowed to look or ask any questions.
As you'll quickly learn, assembling a simple duck or spaceship is one thing. Telling someone how to do it is a whole lot harder. The possibilities of each step of instruction are many and easily misinterpreted. Coming up with a solution is a wonderful exercise in logic and problem solving.
Simple games like the example above are easy and fun for kids to play around with. As the concepts get more complex, you can design other activities using the bricks — making mosaics, making arrays, exploring probability, or even constructing bridges under specific variables. The possiblilies are endless.
From now through August 2009, Lego Education is hosting a competition for designing an activity using the Lego Smart Kit. You can obtain a set by filling out and sending in the form at their website.
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