The children will have a blast pairing STEM concepts and creativity with these LEGO engineering challenges! Make sure to add them to your list of engineering activities for kids today!
Related: Building a Castle Engineering Activities for Kids
There are so many fun LEGO activities out there for the kids to try! And in my opinion, LEGO are an excellent tool full of so many educational opportunities.
And what better way to put the LEGO to use in your classroom than by setting up some epic engineering challenges?! These activities are so versatile that you’ll be able to work at least one of them into any preschool theme you can think of.
What is Engineering for Kids?
You may be wondering, “What exactly does engineering mean for preschoolers?” or “How do I teach engineering to my students?” I think the answer is far simpler than it seems.
Have you ever witnessed young children building tents with the carrots on their dinner plates? Or creating epic forts out of their favorite blankets (or your favorite couch cushions)? And all of this completely unprompted?
That’s because children are natural-born engineers. Most of them have an innate desire to create, design, and build. And they’ll use anything they can get their hands on to do so.
Consequently, teaching engineering to preschoolers isn’t something we have to be too concerned about. But we do have the distinct responsibility to encourage those interests to develop.
I know sometimes the thought of incorporating those opportunities into our lesson plans on a regular basis can be overwhelming. But it is absolutely manageable if you have the right resources at your disposal.
So, I’ve created this list of LEGO-based engineering activities that can be used in your preschool classroom all year long.
LEGO Engineering Challenges
Check out the list of my favorite LEGO engineering activities and STEM challenges below!
Watch out! These cute little creatures have been known to nibble on little fingers as the kids feed the LEGO monsters in this fun sorting game.
Have the kids play the roll and build LEGO game independently or by taking turns with their peers and comparing creations!
Combine the preschool concepts of literacy and engineering as children embark on the story time LEGO building challenge.
Kids will have the opportunity to practice those ever-important fine motor skills as they navigate the LEGO bridge-building STEAM challenge.
Your students will have a blast learning about the scientific method as they build their own LEGO boats!
Children will have a chance to practice a variety of early literacy skills with the LEGO beginning sounds activity.
Kids will usually try to build the tallest thing they can imagine with their blocks. But I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the kids’ creativity as they make a 2-dimensional work of art in the flat LEGO challenge.
Appeal to the kids’ sweet tooth with a LEGO Candy Machine! My son and I made a candy machine of our own and it was a big hit!
The children will be so intrigued by making (and using) the LEGO Duplo paint machine! I can’t wait to try this one!
The preschoolers will get their fix of race cars AND balloons when they build their very own LEGO balloon car!
The LEGO rainbow is the perfect engineering activity to include in a weather, color theory, or even a St. Patrick’s Day theme!
See how far your class can launch small (and soft) manipulatives using the functional LEGO catapult!
Bonus LEGO Challenges with Printables
Don’t worry – the engineering fun doesn’t end there! The next few activities on the list each include free preschool printables.
Technology is everywhere you look in this day and age. So, put your students ahead of the technological curve as they practice coding a LEGO maze.
Culture, geography, history, and engineering are just a few things the kids will explore with our book of world structures printable!
From science to literacy, and everything in between, your class will cover a variety of preschool concepts with the LEGO printable challenge cards.
Invite the children to work independently, or in groups, as they follow various prompts to complete the LEGO challenge math activity.
Kids will make connections between a common fable and its LEGO engineering counterpart when they build houses for the Three Little Pigs!
As you can see, there are so many different ways you can use LEGO in the classroom for engineering challenges! And these activity ideas are just the tip of the iceberg.
Which of these engineering LEGO activities are you most excited to try out with your students? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
LEGO Kits and Materials
Now that you have some great LEGO engineering challenges in your preschool arsenal, you might need a few ideas for materials to stock up on. Of course, the first thing you’ll need is, well.. LEGOs! But here are some other LEGO materials and kits that might come in handy:
- LEGO DUPLO set
- Set of classic LEGOs
- LEGO baseplates
- Storage for LEGOs
- LEGO kits
- Accessories for LEGOs
- LEGO Minifigures
So, we all know LEGOs are amazing. But there are also lots of other building sets that are perfect for preschool engineering activities. Check some of my favorites out below!
Done-for-You Preschool Resources
Let Preschool Teacher 101 make your planning a whole lot easier! We’ve created countless fully-developed preschool lesson plans and supplemental resources for teachers just like you.
If you loved the Lego engineering challenges, this STEM challenge bundle is sure to please:
Click on the images below for some well-loved preschool lesson plans:
If you liked any of these products, be sure to swing by and sign up for the waiting list of The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today! Our members have access to our lesson plans, supplemental resources, trainings, and more.
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