Hands-On Activities

You can teach LEGO maths to make what might otherwise be a stressful subject fun and unique. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.

Math doesn’t have to be worksheets and flashcards; it can be colorful, creative, and hands-on. One of the best tools for making early math fun is something you probably already have at home-LEGO bricks.

With just a tray, a few LEGO pieces, two dice, and some post-it notes, you can set up engaging math stations that teach addition, subtraction, fractions, greater than/less than, number recognition, and even how to read a simple clock.

LEGO bricks are perfect for math because they’re visual, tactile, and endlessly flexible.

Kids see the math come alive in 3D form, which helps concepts “click.” Using something familiar and fun keeps frustration low and curiosity high.

Plus, when kids use their hands, they’re engaging multiple areas of the brain, helping them remember what they learn. These 7 Simple LEGO maths ideas help create a wonderful foundation for future learning.

MORE EASY LEGO IDEAS

LEGO IDEAS FOR KIDS

Also, look at these other building ideas.

Lego Ideas for Kids

Use one of these LEGO ideas in your homeschool. Besides, LEGO are great hands-on crafts to teach with.

Brick Shakespeare: Four Tragedies & Four Comedies

Never before have Shakespeare’s plays been depicted in LEGO bricks, and now Brick Shakespeare: The Tragedies—Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar and Brick Shakespeare: The Comedies—A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Taming of the Shrew are available in one extraordinary hardcover.With over two thousand color photographs depicting the most well-known scenes in some of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, this bind-up is the perfect gift for your LEGO- and Shakespeare-loving friends and family!Fall in love with LEGO Juliet on her balcony as Romeo proclaims his love. See the full effect of Lady Macbeth’s manic “Out, out, damn spot!” in a whole new way. Laugh along with LEGO Puck as he mischievously hassles the lovers in the woods. Cast a storm with brick Prospero as he strands his usurping brother on his deserted island.

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Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel...

Enter the magical world of fairy tales retold through LEGO bricks! Filled with creative and whimsical settings built from this universally celebrated toy, this book presents an all-new retelling of the original Grimm’s fairy tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and more! With one thousand color photographs, this inspired adaptation uses intricately designed brick sets to present some of the most cherished and widely told stories of all time.Watch the clock strike twelve as Cinderella leaves her glass slipper behind at the ball, and see just how long brick Rapunzel’s hair can grow as she waits in her tower. Watch the seven dwarfs plot against the evil Queen and her brick looking glass, and try to find your way home with Hansel’s path of brick breadcrumbs

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Lego Tribute to Jules Verne's Books Set 40690, Creator Imagination Library, Book 1

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LEGO 40530 Tribute to Jane Goodall

• Dr Jane Goodall + Chimps

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Also, look at more LEGO math activities.

6 MORE LEARNING LEGO MATH IDEAS

1. How to Teach Multiplication & Division Using LEGO
2. Build a LEGO Number Line
3. Ancient Egyptian Mathematics: Build a LEGO Math Calculator
4. Fun with Math! Probability and Graphing with LEGO® Bricks
5. How to Build a LEGO Balance Scale
6. Hands-On Place Value Math Activity with LEGO Bricks

Finally, look at how to use LEGO to teach basic math essentials.

HOW TO USE LEGO MATHS TO TEACH ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS

For each of these basic LEGO activities you will need the following supplies:

• LEGO Bricks
• A Tray
• Post-It Notes
• Dice

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION LEGO

You will need: LEGO bricks, dice, a marker, and Post-it notes

How to play:

• Draw a + or – sign on a Post-it note.
• Place it in the middle of the tray and a blank one on the far side.
• Have your child roll two dice to get their numbers.
• Have them place the corresponding number of bricks on either side of the equation symbol.
• Then they can work through the problem and write their answer on the blank post.

Learning extension:
 Ask your child to predict which tower will be taller before adding. You can even use different colors to represent each number for visual learners.

FRACTIONS LEGO

You will need: A variety of LEGO brick sizes, Post it notes

How to play:

• Use bricks to show parts of a whole. For example, if an 8-stud brick is the “whole,” a 4-stud brick is ½, a 2-stud brick is ¼, and so on.
• Write Whole, ¾, ½, ¼, ⅛ on post-it notes and arrange on the tray.
• Have your child demonstrate which brick matches each value.

Learning extension:
Make a square “fraction pizza” divided into sections for further practice.

PATTERNS BY LEGO

You will need: LEGO baseplate, LEGO pieces

How to play:

• Create simple AB, AABB, or more complex patterns with 2×2 LEGO bricks.
• Place them on the LEGO base to hold them in place.
• Provide your child with the same set of bricks that you created and encourage them to repeat or finish your pattern.

Learning Extension:

Create a more complicated pattern and have your child complete the next piece or leave several pieces as empty spots for your child to fill in.

LEGO CLOCK

You will need: A  tray, LEGO pieces, and Post-it notes

How to play:

• Write various times on post-it notes to the hour, quarter hour, and half hour for beginners.
• Use 12 LEGO bricks to represent the 12 numbers around the clock.
• Add two long, slim bricks to the center for the hands.
• Have your child move the “clock hands” to match the time you have written on the paper.

Learning extension:
Practice telling time by rolling a die twice, one for the hour and one for the minutes.

GREATER THAN AND LESS THAN

You will need: LEGO bricks, Post-It notes, dice

How to play:

• Draw a V shape like an open alligator mouth on a Post-it.
• Have your child roll the dice to get their two numbers.
• Then have them place that many on the correct side of the Post-it note.

Learning extension:
Say the comparison aloud: “Six is greater than four.” Encourage kids to swap the numbers and restate the sentence.

BUILDING NUMBERS WITH LEGO

You will need: LEGO bricks, a tray, and Post-it notes

How to play:

• Write numbers on Post-it notes and stick them to the tray.
• Have your child build each number with LEGO.. They can either match the number of studs into a tower or build a structure shaped like the digit 3 to become more familiar with the shape.
• For younger learners, match brick quantities to the number card.
  
  

Learning extension:
 Color-code your numbers, use red for odd and blue for even numbers.

LEGO TEN FRAME

You will need: a Tray, small LEGO bricks, a dice

How to play:

• Create the outer border of a 10-frame with either 1 or 2 wide stud bricks, leaving 24 uncovered studs.

• Make the individual boxes by placing 1×2,3’s, or whatever length bricks you have to form the grids, leaving 4 open studs in each box.

• Set out 10 of the same colored 2×2 bricks if you have them; this helps keep it less confusing.
• Roll a die and fill in that many spaces, then roll again to add or subtract.

Learning extension:
 Ask questions like, “How many more do we need to make ten?” or “What happens if we take away three?”