Are Legos STEM toys is a question that people ask. Legos are STEM toys because they teach kids importance science, technology, engineering, and math skills through hands on experience and play.
Lego STEM toys are a popular and modern STEM toy brand. They are engaging and fun plus Lego is an established and trusted brand that gives your kids a variety of experiences that can grow with them throughout childhood.
Legos were born in a Danish carpentry shop in 1932. At some point, you likely played with Legos during your own childhood. Lego STEM toys are a lot of fun and generally a fan favorite.
You will be amazed at how Lego STEM toys have advanced since 1932. What once were just blocks for building structures are now entire kits with robotics, and software, and more. Of course you can still get the original Lego STEM toys experience, but now you also have more advanced options for play and learning.
- Lego Mindstorms Robot Building Kids
- Lego Star Wars
- Lego Harry Potter
- Lego Super Mario
- Lego Space Shuttle
- Lego Gadgets
- Lego Treehouse
Regardless of whether your kids play with the original Lego STEM toys or the more modern sets, Lego STEM toys are educational, entertaining, and sure to be a hit with your kids.
This article discusses Lego STEM toys. We explain what is STEM and how Legos advance STEM learning.
Check out our other articles, like our list of best STEM toys for kids and our list of best STEM projects for kids.
So, are Legos STEM toys? The answer is a resounding yes.
If there is one question to answer today, it is Are Legos STEM toys? Yes, without hesitation Legos are more than just a fun building block game. Instead, Lego is highly educational and can help your child develop a wide variety of skills.
Comparison Chart
LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Building Set Includes 3 Interactive Servo Motors, Remote Control, Improved And Redesigned Color Sensor, Redesigned Touch Sensor, Infrared Sensor And 550+ LEGO Technic Elements
LEGO Star Wars: OBI-Wan Kenobi Inquisitor Transport Scythe 75336 Building Toy Set for Kids, Boys, and Girls Ages 9+ (924 Pieces)
LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets 76389 Building Toy Set for Kids, Boys, and Girls Ages 9+ (1176 Pieces)
LEGO Creator 3in1 Space Shuttle Adventure 31117 Building Kit; Cool Toys for Kids Who Love Rockets and Creative Fun; New 2021 (486 Pieces)
What are Legos?
Lego is one of the most popular, if not the most popular building block game globally.
They are interlocking blocks in various shapes, colors, sizes, and types. The point is to attach these blocks to one another and build. You can find Lego sets to build cars, houses, spaceships and space stations, construction vehicles, and so much more.
There are also Lego STEM toys sets based on popular movies, such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc.
What Are STEM Toys?
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Therefore, these toys are designed primarily to teach children about one or more of those four topics.
STEM toys are also defined as any type of educational and developmental toy. They help develop your child’s cognitive and motor skills.
These various development aspects include creativity, problem-solving, deduction, logical thought, memory and recall, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and more.
How Are Lego STEM Toys?
We have concluded yes to the question: are Legos STEM toys? But why are Legos STEM toys? How does a set of Lego building blocks qualify as a STEM toy?
Lego is an engineering and construction toy. It therefore helps with the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These are essential skills for your child to have in order to later excel in fields such as engineering and construction.
In addition, Lego is a mathematical toy. You can find various shaped Legos with corresponding numbers on them. This teaches children counting, basic mathematics, and geometry.
Finally, Lego is a science toy. It helps teach your child about topics such as chemical reactions, gravity, and other scientific principles.
It is easy to see how to answer yes to the question are Legos STEM toys. It helps teach a variety of skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. So, the next time you are wondering are Leogs STEM toys or not, the answer is yes.
Lego STEM Toys Introduce Kids to STEM Topics
Are Legos STEM toys? Lego definitely qualifies as a STEM toy because it involves building and construction, which uses basic engineering principles. Building a house out of Lego blocks might not be the pinnacle of engineering, but it’s a good introduction.
Lego STEM toys can be educational in engineering, architecture, and basic science topics.
Moreover, many Lego STEM toys sets focus on specific scientific aspects. For example, Lego STEM toys sets create spaceships, space stations, telescopes, and other such things. Many different Lego sets focus on specific science-related topics.
They Build Fine Motor Skills
Are Legos STEM toys? Lego helps develop a child’s fine motor skills. For example, kids need to use their hands to attach the blocks. In addition, some Lego components can be very small and require skill and manual dexterity to manipulate.
Lego also requires hand-eye coordination to attach blocks to each other. The more your child practices something, the better they will get. Fine motor skills will be needed throughout life.
Lego STEM Toys Allow for a Great Deal of Creativity
Are Legos STEM toys?
One of the best aspects of Lego STEM toys relates to creativity. Modern Lego sets usually come with instructions and are designed to construct a specific thing. However, Lego sets can also be changed around.
Many Lego sets are not designed to build one specific thing but come as a random assortment of blocks of various sizes and shapes. This allows children to exercise their creativity in terms of what they build.
Kids can use their imaginations and construct anything they want with the blocks. Creativity is a trait that will be beneficial in life as it is also related to problem-solving.
Legos Help Develop Various Cognitive Abilities
Are Legos STEM toys?
Lego is also ideal for children in terms of cognitive development. For instance, they will learn to read and follow instructions to build the intended project.
Moreover, Lego teaches kids to recognize various shapes, colors, and patterns. This comes in handy in many facets of life, especially in engineering, math, and science. For instance, pattern recognition is essential in computer coding, and spatial recognition is critical for architecture, engineering, and more.
Lego is also ideal for improving general logical thought and problem-solving skills. Sometimes, the Legos might not fit together right, or the wrong pieces might have been used. This forces kids to use logical thought to figure out where they made a mistake.
Lego can even help build memory and recall skills. For example, children might see something they like, such as a car or a building, and then recreate it from memory using Lego.
Lego Mindstorms STEM Learning Kit
The Lego Mindstorms STEM learning kit is one of the ultimate Lego STEM learning toys for kids and adults.
The Lego Mindstorms STEM toy is rated nearly 5 stars on Amazon with over 500 reviews!
The Lego STEM toy comes with multiple intelligent robots that you build and program. The robots do cool things like drive around, play ball, shoot missiles, and more. And you use remote control to communicate with the robots using a phone or tablet.
The STEM challenges you face with Lego Mindstorms are both hardware and software challenges. In the STEM acronym, you get a lot of technology and engineering, and some math and science..
For instance, the STEM kit comes with almost 1,000 pieces and includes advanced parts, like an intelligent hub, four medium motors, a color sensor, a rechargeable battery, and a distance sensor with a break-out interface.
One review says the following.
If your child is interested in building robotic models and learning programming, this set is one of the best options on the market right now.
Excellent toy to build programming knowledge and use it for real life applications. My son is a Lego fun. Minecraft enthusiast and is very interested in learning programming. He is very good at scratch and was dreaming of this set for some time now. So, after doing research, we decided to purchase this set for his 12th birthday. He was playing with it non-stop since 🙂 We’re very happy with the investment, as there’re endless possibilities for a child to apply and further develop his programming skills, use his creativity and enjoy results. Before purchasing, make sure it’s compatible with your computer/device. Our sun has laptop with Windows 10, everything was working like magic.
Lego Star Wars Sets
Lego Star Wars sets are popular STEM learning toys for kids.
A simple Amazon search returns many Lego Star Wars sets with thousands of reviews and 5 star ratings. Lego and Star Wars are both trusted brands that continue to deliver the highest value.
The LEGO Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter Building Toy Set for Kids is an example of a 5-star Lego product with thousands of reviews.
The LEGO version of Luke Skywalker’s iconic X-wing Fighter has wings that change from cruise to attack position using a button, retractable landing gear, and 2 spring-loaded shooters.
The Lego Star Wars X-Wing Fighter comes with with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, General Dodonna, and an R2-D2 LEGO droid figure.
Each Lego Star Wars character comes with weapons, including Luke’s lightsaber.
One reviewer said the following.
My son assembled a tie fighter while I assembled the X-Wing. We had so much fun, we bought one more of each and switched vehicles. We have also bought at least one more for a birthday gift. It is a great set and the attention to detail is amazing.
The LEGO Star Wars Imperial Shuttle Building Kit Featuring Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader is another example of a popular 5-star Lego product.
Build out classic scenes with Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and an Imperial Officeer. Arm them with lightsabers, a blaster pistol, and handcuffs.
One reviewer said the following.
It’s Star Wars and Lego. How could you go wrong? It’s the perfect gift for a child or for an adult. Everybody loves Star Wars. Everybody loves Lego when you combine the two. It’s a great combination for a decent price at hours of fun and years of enjoyment.
Another reviewer said the following.
Grandson loved it! Great in general and great for STEM training and fun to put together!
The LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon Building Toy Set is another example.
Build the iconic Millennium Falcom. Create scenes with 7 Lego Star Wars action figures: Finn, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO and Boolio minifigures, plus fan-favorite D-O and BB-8 LEGO figures.
Act out the action with a rotating top and bottom gun turrets, 2 spring-loaded shooters, a lowering ramp, an opening cockpit, and opening top panels for easy access to the detailed interior.
One reviewer said the following.
It’s not every day you get to see your Nephew’s face light up with joy upon opening a present. This amazing and legendary Lego set had him jumping up and down & running around the living room with delight. . . . This set, branded as the “Rise of Skywalker” Millennium Falcon, comes it at a more reasonable 1,353 pieces and includes 7 minifigures: Finn, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO and Boolio, plus D-O and BB-8. This set is a blast to assemble and looks fantastic on display.
Lego Chain Reactions
Are Legos STEM toys?
Lego Chain Reactions is a fascinating and unique Lego STEM toy. It won the Nappa silver award winner and over 17,000 Amazon reviews the average nearly 5 stars.
The Lego Chain Reactions kit is a STEM toy that helps you design and build 10 amazing moving machines.
The Lego Chain Reactions kit comes with 33 LEGO pieces, 6 plastic balls, string, paper ramps, certified instructions, and other components.
One reviewer said the following about this Lego STEM toy.
This is a great product! First, my kid is 7.5 and extremely interested in chain reactions and Love’s step by step legos so this was made for him. I echo another reviewer who said this book is very well thought out. They give you everything you need for specialty parts and the rest you use from your own collection. We don’t have a huge LEGO collection and he was able to build 3 machines without needing to take others apart or needing pieces we didn’t have. . . .
STEM Lego Sets for All Ages
There are STEM Lego sets for children of all ages. You can find STEM Lego sets for children as young as three and as old as 15. We recommend looking at the Lego website to see what is available in STEM building sets for kids.
Ideas for how to incorporate Lego into your lesson plans and student activities
Some people believe that Legos can be used as a STEM toy. A STEM toy is one that encourages children to think and problem-solve in a scientific and mathematical way.
Here are some ideas for how you can incorporate Legos into your lesson plans and student activities:
- Have students create a Lego structure that will hold the most weight.
- Have students create a Lego machine that can complete a specific task (e.g. moving a ball from one end of a table to the other).
- Have students design and build a Lego car that can race against other cars made by classmates.
- Challenge students to use Legos to create a structure that can withstand an earthquake or other natural disaster.
Other ways to use Lego in the classroom
In addition to using Legos as a STEM toy, there are other ways you can use Lego in your classroom:
- As an art medium. You can have students create sculptures, mosaics, or even entire buildings out of Legos.
- As a way to practice math skills. You can have students solve problems, such as figuring out how many blocks are needed to build a certain structure.
- As a way to encourage teamwork and collaboration. Students can work in groups to build something together.
- As a way of teaching history or other topics. You can have students create models of historical landmarks or events, for example.
FAQ
What are Legos STEM toys for children?
Lego has done an amazing job of creating a wide variety of Lego set themes. If you can dream it, Lego probably has a set for it.
Some STEM Lego sets for children include Star Wars, Harry Potter, Super Mario Brothers, police and fire stations, school, home and other familiar scenes, the NASA Apollo Saturn V, the Technic Racecar, the Mindstorms EV3, and countless others.
They even have Lego STEM sets that are more than just bricks. For instance, Lego robotics, Lego Chain Reactions, Lego Gadgets, and more.
Are there any other benefits to using Legos as a STEM toy?
Yes, there are many other benefits to using Legos as a STEM toy. Some of these benefits include developing fine motor skills, fostering creativity, and helping with cognitive development.
Can children of all ages use Legos as a STEM toy?
Yes, there are STEM Lego sets for children of all ages. You can find STEM Lego sets for children as young as three and as old as 15.
Conclusion
Legos are bright, colorful, entertaining, and highly educational. In fact, Legos are considered some of the very best STEM toys available. They can help with everything from developing fine motor skills to fostering creativity to improving cognitive abilities. If you are looking for a STEM toy for your child, Legos are an excellent option.