Crafting a LEGO mythology sets can take your learning to a new and creative place that your child will love. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.
Also, look at my page Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook and look at my second free Ancient Greece Lapbook for more ideas.
Greek mythology is full of powerful characters, epic battles, and timeless lessons about pride, strength, and responsibility.
One of the most fascinating figures is Atlas, a mighty Titan who was condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity.
In this hands-on homeschool activity, students combine LEGO building, mythology, and storytelling by crafting their own LEGO version of Atlas.
Too your children will learn about his role in Greek myth and how he connects to other famous gods and heroes.
This project works well for upper elementary through high school, and it’s especially engaging for visual and tactile learners.
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- Craft Lego Mythology Sets – How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas
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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.
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.
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
- Dr Jane Goodall + Chimps
Before we tackle building our LEGO Atlas, let’s find out more about who he was, other key players in Greek Mythology, and find some more great mythology ideas to expand on our activity.
WHO WAS ATLAS
Atlas was a Titan, part of the generation of gods that ruled before the Olympians.
He was the son of Lapetus, another Titan, and a sea nymph named Clymene. Atlas played a major role in the Titanomachy, the great war between the Titans and the Olympian gods led by Zeus.
When the Olympians won, Zeus punished Atlas uniquely and eternally. Instead of being cast into Tartarus like many other Titans, Atlas was sentenced to hold up the sky (not the Earth, as commonly misunderstood) at the edge of the world.
His punishment symbolized the weight of rebellion and the consequences of defying divine authority.
Atlas appears in several myths, including one involving Heracles (Hercules).
During one of his twelve labors, Heracles temporarily took on Atlas’s burden so Atlas could retrieve the golden apples of the Hesperides.
However, Heracles cleverly tricked Atlas into taking the sky back, restoring the Titan to his endless task.
OTHER IMPORTANT GREEK GODS AND TITANS TO EXPLORE
Once Atlas is complete, students can expand their LEGO mythology set by adding gods and figures connected to his story.
- Zeus- The king of the Olympian gods, Zeus ruled the sky and thunder. He defeated the Titans and decided Atlas’s fate. Zeus symbolizes authority, justice, and power.
- Hera- Zeus’s wife and queen of the gods, Hera was the goddess of marriage and family. She is known for her jealousy and strong will.
- Poseidon- Brother of Zeus and god of the sea, Poseidon ruled oceans, earthquakes, and storms. His trident is one of the most recognizable symbols in mythology.
- Athena- Goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, Athena often helped heroes with clever plans rather than brute strength.
- Heracles (Hercules)- A famous hero rather than a god, Heracles interacted directly with Atlas during his twelve labors.
- Prometheus- Atlas’s brother, Prometheus defied Zeus by giving fire to humanity. His punishment mirrors Atlas’s in its severity and symbolism.
Atlas represents more than physical strength. His story opens the door to meaningful discussion. Here are some questions to ask to help your child dig deeper into the story.
How does Atlas differ from the Olympian gods?
What responsibilities feel heavy in real life?
How do pride and rebellion affect choices?
Why do myths often use punishment to teach lessons?
WONDERFUL RESOURCES TO EXPAND THE LEGO MYTHOLOGY ACTIVITY
- [D’aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths] [By: d’Aulaire, Ingri] [October, 1962]
- How to Make a Cool Greek Mythology Triorama With Kids
- How to Make a Trojan Horse Craft | Fascinating Trojan Horse History
- Greek Mythology God and Goddess Cards
- Free Greek Mythology Unit Study and Greece Lapbook & Fun Hands-on LEGO Zeus
- Percy Jackson Collection 7 Books Set (Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, Titan’s Curse, Battle of the Labyrinth, Last Olympian, Greek Heroes, Greek Gods)
HOW TO CRAFT THE POWERFUL TITAN ATLAS
You will need:
- LEGO baseplate
- Assorted LEGO Bricks
For this tutorial, I used tan, white, brown, blue, and yellow LEGO Bricks.
Here is a list if you want to gather them up before you begin. You do not have to follow the number exactly, for example, if it calls for 2×8 bricks, you can use a couple of 2×4 bricks to make up the same amount. If you look closely, you can see where I swapped out a few of my own.
- 24 tan 2×2 bricks
- 4 tan 2×6 bricks
- 11 tan 2×4 bricks
- 7 brown 2×2 bricks
- 4 brown 1×2 bricks
- 7 white 2×2 bricks
- 3 white 1×2 bricks
- 8 blue 2×4 bricks
- 4 blue 2×2 bricks
- 2 blue 1×2 bricks
- 1 yellow 2×2 brick
Also, if you don’t have enough of the tan bricks, you can make it in white as if it’s a marble statue, or use whatever combination of colors you like.
Start with the feet, for this I used two 2×4 tan bricks.
Stack five 2×2 tan bricks on top of each to make the legs.
I wanted to show you that if you are short on bricks you can sneak in another color on the back side to help fill in- hee hee.
Build the abdomen by stacking the four tan 2×6 bricks on top of each other.
HOW TO CRAFT THE POWERFUL TITAN ATLAS
Then, add two rows of white to create the covering using a combination of six 2×2 white bricks.
Add a 2×4 brick to the center to help build up the neck and two 2×4 tan bricks on either side of it to create shoulders and start the arms.
Build the upright arms the same way you did the legs by stacking 6 tan 2×2’s on top of each other.
Add hands using tan 2×4 bricks facing outward.
Create his head by stacking two 2×8 bricks and then centering a tan 2×2 on top and underneath. Surround with your 7 brown 2×2’s and 4 brown 1×2’s to look at hair and a beard.
Carefully attach the legs, abdomen, and head together.
Create an arched “sky” using blue bricks for the sky, white for clouds, and a yellow to represent the sun in the sky. Or you can use black and create a night sky- get creative with this part.
To be sure it will fit properly on his hands, you can lay your Atlas down as you build the arch to be sure it will balance properly.
For him to hold the weight upright, you will need to anchor him on a baseplate.
