Building Creativity and Imagination With LEGO - BuildToExpress Giveaway
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 5:00AM
LEGO Education® materials have enriched our homeschool in untold ways.
From learning to write stories, to learning about simple and motorized mechanisms and simple machines, it is safe to say that anything from LEGO Education® is a tremendous learning resource!
The most recent resource we have been using, BuildToExpress, is specifically designed to stimulate your child's creative thinking and imagination.
About BuildToExpress
The BuildToExpress product we have been using contains two parts:
- BuildToExpress Core Set The core set contains 200 elements that developers have carefully selected to peak students' interest in creating metaphors and telling stories. The set also comes with a building plate and a convenient storage container.
- BuildToExpress Guide & Activity Pack The guide and activity pack is what truly makes this a unique resource. While designed for classroom use, we have been using it on an individual basis (but I bet it would be FABULOUS for a co-op class, too!). There is a teacher's guide included, as well as a DVD Rom that includes all of the printables for 30 challenge cards and a challenge card creator.
These two resources together allow my son to use these LEGO bricks to think more deeply about literature we are reading, use his creative skills and imagination, and SO MUCH MORE.
Watch this video from LEGO Education® about BuildToExpress. You can also visit this page to read all about BuildToExpress.
*Note: This is done from a classroom perspective - as I have (and will address later) emphasized, this product can easily be adapted for use in your homeschool.
Challenge Cards
The challenge cards contain different cross curricular topics to get your student thinking and creating.
Since we love literature, I chose a literature challenge card set to share with you - and this was also the first activity Grant did with BuildToExpress.
We used The Sword in The Tree (a book Grant just finished), and talked about the book and Grant began to build.
I love how this first card encouraged him to THINK about the main character and other characters in the book.
Grant built this simple scene of Lord Weldon trying to escape the dungeon in Weldon Castle.
We had a great dialogue while he was building.
*I know from also having a seventh grader that these verbal and creative skills will translate into STRONG WRITING in the years to come!
You can see the remaining challenge cards in this activity - and with each one he talked with me more and continued to build. I can see us repeating this process with future books.
Challenge cards 3 and 4 are IMAGINE and CONCLUDE.
There are many more challenge cards that come in the BuildToExpress Activity Guide, and you can even create your own challenge cards.
What We Love about BuildToExpress
I could write a very long list, but I'll just limit this to a few:
- The set comes in a compact box that is easy to store. The pieces are engaging and A LOT can built just from a free build with the 200 elements included.
- The guide and activity pack help me organize an entire LESSON surrounding the LEGO bricks. Grant doesn't even realize we are working on elements of literature, or a science concept. All he knows is LEGO!
- LEGO Education® leaves no stone unturned. They give you MORE THAN ENOUGH direction, challenge cards, and teaching ideas.
- The potential in our homeschool is something I love, but I also love the potential to use this in a co-op or LEGO club setting. It can work well with individuals or groups.
We have just scratched this surface with this resource, and I am SO excited!
Reader Comments (254)
Just another awesome way to add interest and joy to our everyday learning. My boys LOVE their Legos!
This is genius.
My kids LOVE Legos but aren't thrilled about summarizing what they've read. This looks like the perfect tool to get them expressing themselves!
My three babes love LEGO, and we are working on increasing proficiency with writing. This would encourage their creativity while also helping their writing skills.
This lego set is so cool. I like how language arts is incorporated into the activities. As a teacher and mom I am so excited about this set. What a great idea!
My son is always asking me to give him ideas on things to build and once he builds them, he comes up with these grand stories. He would LOVE this whole set!!!
Our grandchildren would love this giveaway! We have one or more grandchildren with us everyday and this would be a great teaching tool! Thanks for the chance.
WE LOVE LEGO'S!!!!! Not just my two boys, but myself as well. I am a huge fan of the architecture series; they love Ninjago, Lord of the Rings, and of course, Star Wars!!!
My boys love Legos and these teaching aids sound facinating!
I love that this is one of those acticities that kids think is play, but they are learning at the same time! What a great supplement to our homeschool language arts. It is building creativity and thinking and spatial skills too!
Legos are always smile builders at my house. Have not thought to use them for anything beside math ..... Excited about the giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win!
My sons are just now getting into Legos big time. I think this avenue for learning has SO much potential in our homeschool, and I would love to utilize it more, especially for solidifying history lessons!
Would love to incorporate legos in our homeschool.
My kids love legos! They inspire so much creativity! I would do the dance of joy if I win this for my kiddos.
My son would build one of everything that he reads about. He loves making things from the stories that we read in all subjects.
We would love to win this!! We are huge Lego fans.
My son LOVES Legos, but struggles with reading. This sounds like an ingenious way to get him thinking about literature rather than concentrating on the words he cannot yet read.
Oh my. I love this. I could see my boys getting really excited about utilizing this - even the writing prompts.
btw, I couldn't help but notice the Cardinal's shirt peaking through in one of the pics. My hubby is from StL and so naturally, we are die-hards over here...
We love Legos here! This would be a huge hit with my children.
I keep thinking my boys would get a kick out of these...
Have them build as I read aloud or as a visual when narrating. My boys all love Lego!
If we win this set my Lego loving son might decide writing isn't so bad Thank You!!
I have three boys who LOVE Legos! We would be so blessed to win this! Thank you for the opportunity!
This looks like so much fun! What a great way to get my boys to think, read, and write in a creative, fun way with the things they LOVE most -- LEGO bricks :) Would love to win one of these!
Who wouldn't want to learn like this! How fun!