LEGO has been around for many years and has grown to be one of the most popular toys to date. Many parents have memories of playing with LEGO sets during their own childhood. In addition, LEGO sets are known to offer numerous benefits for children of all ages, especially younger children. Let’s chat about why a LEGO set for a 4- or 5-year-old is a perfect choice!
What is a LEGO?
LEGO bricks are a line of plastic construction toys. Founded in 1932, the LEGO Group has been passed down from generation to generation. The LEGO brick has come a long way over almost 90 years and continues to be as popular as ever.
So, why are LEGO bricks still popular throughout the globe? The benefits of playing with LEGO bricks are excellent for development and education purposes. The toys bring people together, teach new skills, and unlock creativity—the history of the LEGO brick lives up to its hype.
Benefits of LEGO Sets for 4- and 5-Year-Olds
Develop Fine Motor Skills
Promote Teamwork
Enhance Creativity
Give Sense of Accomplishment
Improve Patience
Improve Fine Motor Skills
LEGO bricks are perfect for manipulating children’s fingers as they build and pick up the pieces. Building up the muscles in their hands allows them to develop other skills. For example, improving their grasp on a LEGO brick also improves their ability to properly grasp a pencil. LEGO bricks also help with hand-eye coordination, a skill that translates throughout most of our lives. Helping to create and grow children’s fine motor skills is one of the largest benefits of LEGO.
Working With Others
Another benefit of LEGO bricks is that they can help children work together to bring their imaginations to life. Teamwork is an essential skill children need to thrive in the real world. Like a LEGO, each brick cannot connect to any other piece without help; they all work together. Working with others to execute an idea is not always an easy task, but LEGO makes it fun!
LEGO Brings Out Creativity
A child’s imagination has no limit. Another benefit of LEGO is that it allows children to create anything they can think up by becoming creators, builders, and dreamers. With wheels, shapes, and LEGO people as options, they can build an entire village, cars, and so much more. Creativity helps children express themselves and allows them to think in different ways.
A Sense of Accomplishment
Your child has spent hours using their LEGO bricks to create a work of art and is ecstatic to show you their finished creation. They are proud of their work, which is good for their heart! They started with an idea and pieced it together little by little. This sense of accomplishment helps boost a child’s self-confidence, making them want to create even more.
Patience is a Virtue
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits stemming from using LEGO bricks is the patience it creates. We all need a little patience in our lives if we want to avoid friction. But how do you teach a child patience? Let LEGO bricks help! LEGO bricks are intricate, small, and take time and energy to put together. A child could spend hours creating the perfect LEGO masterpiece while learning patience in the process.
Why LEGO Bricks Are Great for Teaching
As discussed, LEGO bricks allow you to create just about anything. So why not expand their use and bring the magic of LEGO bricks to the classroom? This allows teachers to create a lesson plan based on LEGO bricks. The benefits of LEGO bricks continue to grow! So how do you implement LEGO bricks in your lessons?
LEGO Bricks for LEGO Lessons
Science
Engineering
Math
LEGO Lessons in Science
Have you ever watched a child build a tower as high as they can and watched them hold their breath when it finally starts to fall over? Science is all about coming up with an idea and then proving its practicality. LEGO helps children do this naturally. By using their imagination, they can come up with an idea then see if it works.
For example, building a bridge and testing its strength is a great science lesson that can be taught with LEGO bricks. Likewise, you can make a ramp with LEGO bricks and test how fast cars can go down it. The possibilities are endless!
LEGO Lessons in Engineering
Ever needed to create a model of something to get an idea of how successful it would be? LEGO bricks are perfect for this. For example, a child who loves to build can create a bridge and test out different stability options. They can create an obstacle course, a car, or even a chair. LEGO bricks allow children to build anything they want and learn during the process, just another benefit of LEGO.
LEGO Lessons in Math
Using LEGO bricks for math lessons allows children to learn the basics! Teaching addition and subtraction? Take a pile of LEGO bricks and place it in front of the child. As they count, they build up their LEGO bricks. When subtracting, they start removing the same pieces. This helps children understand how to add and subtract through visualization.
You can use different LEGO bricks to differentiate between odd and even numbers, choosing red LEGO bricks for odd and blue for even. Have a worksheet with a set of problems? Let them use LEGO bricks to provide the answer. They can even learn math patterns!
LEGO Lessons in STEM
While LEGO bricks can start helping your child learn early on, they are great for older kids, too. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is geared to teaching students while using innovation and creativity. LEGO bricks have been at the forefront of STEM programs, helping children learn new things every day.
LEGO has continued to be popular due to the endless list of benefits they offer. From teaching and learning to creating and having fun, LEGO has created a toy that has become so much more. So, if you are wary of getting your 4- or 5-year-old child their first LEGO set, don’t hesitate another minute! Start reaping the benefits LEGO offers today and get ready to watch your kid create masterpieces!
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