A Parents’ Guide to the ground-breaking new LEGO® Education sets

Okay, big claim coming up… Our latest sets contain some of THE most exciting developments in over 45 years of LEGO® Education’s history.

We’ve invented a brand-new way for kids to play at home, which boosts their science skills, nourishes their knowledge, and ignites their wonder for science!

That’s a whole flock of big claims flying around… But we’ve spent years developing these sets with STEM experts and hundreds of kids. So we’re confident that these are some of the most effective LEGO sets ever made, when it comes to developing kids’ skills.

But with great change, comes… a great number of questions. And that’s what this article is all about, as we answer parents’ most common questions!

What will my kids learn about when they play with LEGO® Education sets?

Science. And the real world. And a bunch of 21st Century Skills.

We wanted our sets to be relevant. And that means bringing science to life in the real world, with sets based on real-life events.

We’ve situated them in exciting locations that are extremely important for the scientists of tomorrow.

They’ll be building experiments based on Arctic and Antarctic challenges, as well as exploring how to survive on the Moon and Mars!

Our research shows that kids are extremely passionate about these locations and the creatures within them. This is something that helps spark both joy and their scientific curiosity during playtime.

And, peeking behind the scenes, these LEGO Education sets have been developed by educational experts who worked to ensure the challenges are age-appropriate for enquiring young minds!

How will my child learn?

We’ve devised a brand-new way of playing with these LEGO Education sets, to help kids play and learn about science at the same time.

We call it ‘Build, Solve, Invent’.

Each set contains multiple scientific experiments for kids to BUILD.

But each of these experiments has a problem that kids need to SOLVE.

Using the skills they’ve learnt, we provide an open-ended prompt so they can continue to INVENT.

So, there may be penguins who keep falling down an ice hole on their way to the sea. Our budding scientists need to devise a ‘solve’ to build a path and help the hungry penguins catch their fish!

The problems are all open-ended, meaning there isn’t just one way to solve them. The challenges require kids to use all their creativity, critical thinking and problem solving – boosting their science skills in the process!

For a deep dive into the Build, Solve, Invent play loop, check out our dedicated article, here.

Are the LEGO Education sets still fun to play with?

It was crucial for us that these LEGO sets were, first and foremost, fun to play with.

Partially because… well, we’re the LEGO Group and making fun sets for kids is kind of ‘our thing’.

But it’s also because we know that play is one of the most powerful ways kids learn new skills.

That’s why we’ve crammed them with intriguing characters, fascinating animals and cool stories.

Because real play = real learning.

Will my child keep playing with the sets after they’ve figured out the solution?

Yes. Although we would say that. But here are three reasons why.

Firstly, because every experiment’s built-in problem has no ‘single’ solution, there are endless ways for kids to tackle them. Our testing revealed that kids don’t build the same solution twice, but instead look to innovate and even bring in bricks from different sets. This boosts their STEM skills while extending playtime.

Secondly, each of our new LEGO Education sets contains at least two (and up to four) experiments, meaning you can multiply those infinite solutions by every experiment in the set! (Note – The math nerds at LEGO Education would like to make it clear that you cannot multiply infinity.)

Thirdly, these sets are just as fun and exciting as every other LEGO set! They are filled with minifigures to role-play as, animals to impersonate and cool worlds to explore. Plus, they provide the perfect level of challenge that science-loving kids will relish tackling.

In short, these sets still share the promise of open-ended play.

The only limit to play time is kids’ own imaginations. Which is what we in the ‘bizz’ call a ‘limitless resource’.

What skills will my kid pick up?

In summary, just some of the many lifelong skills kids develop while playing with these LEGO Education sets are Problem Solving, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

But the sets also provide specific knowledge about the environments they’re situated in – from walruses in the Arctic to rockets on the Moon.

This knowledge helps kids understand more about the world around them. The 21st Century Skills they pick up will help them navigate that world.

We have an entire article dedicated to all the skills kids will gain with these sets. You can read it here.

Will my child need parental supervision to play with these sets?

No… but don’t let that stop you!

The sets are designed to be a completely autonomous building experience, meaning you can feel confident handing them to your budding young scientists and watching their imaginations happily run away with them for hours of solo play.

However, in the building instructions, we have a section dedicated for parents to help you support their learning and spark their curiosity even further.

The parent section contains a general overview of the experiments, a short explanation of the Build, Solve, Invent play loops in the set, and some relevant questions to help you help your kids engage even deeper into the topic.

What age are these new sets for?

Our sets are designed for kids aged 7 and above and are inspired by science topics relevant for their age.

We hope this article has been able to give you a better understanding about how these sets will be able to unlock your child’s wonder for science – and how you can help them along the way. The fact you’re reading this is a strong sign you’re going to do a great job!