10 Incredible Benefits of Playing with Lego®

1. Teamwork and Social Skills

One of the main aspects of our LEGO® Brick Buddies club is that children work collaboratively in a small group to create something together. All children are given a set role; one week they may be the Builder, the next the Architect, the next the Supplier and then the Director! Children are taught special rules for each role and respect and listen to each other, according to whose role needs to come into play and when. The collaborative teamwork encourages joint focus, sharing, reinforces positive behaviour and social contact. Social skills and conventions are encouraged and reinforced by the facilitator.

The same children also attend each week for the duration of a 6-week term, allowing new friendships out of school to be made.

2. Communication and Language skills

In order to collaboratively build a LEGO® model, the children learn how to communicate with one another, expressing their thoughts, wants and needs and listening to others and their responses. Through the different roles in the group and the conversations had, language skills are developed, adding in ideas about negotiation and compromise.

For children playing individually, they may create stories, adding in characters and dialogue, which all helps to build a foundation of language understanding and development.

3. Problem solving, Mathematics and Spatial Awareness

The following of instructions, deciphering order, understanding quantity, symmetry, patterns and location of the bricks, helps children to develop on their mathematical skills and spatial awareness and encourages them in developing how to problem solve and come up with new ideas.

4. Creativity and Experimentation

LEGO® creations are a form of art and children can become creators and story makers!

In our Brick Buddies club, as well as following instructions and collaboratively building with LEGO®, the children are given the opportunity to free style with LEGO®, either individually or in pairs, letting their creativity, imagination and self-expression flow!

When engaging with LEGO®, children can be as adventurous as they want, allowing them to experiment, test out and build new ideas.

5. Physical Development

Playing with LEGO® is known to have amazing benefits for the development of fine motor skills, developing dexterity and strength in the fingers. The different amounts of pressure used to assemble the LEGO® pieces, is a wonderful exercise for small fingers, supporting children in being able to hold a pencil and control the pressure applied when writing.

In a society where many children are often experts at swiping on screens, having the opportunity to develop those fine motor skills is hugely important.

6. Perseverance and Management of Frustrations

Playing with LEGO® can be upsetting when the bricks may come tumbling down because of one small move – initially this is frustrating, however repeatedly playing with LEGO® can actually help children develop perseverance and learn to overcome frustration, knowing that their masterpieces can be re-built. Playing with LEGO® allows an opportunity to try out new ideas without a fear of failure, due to children knowing that errors are fixable and fallen pieces can be replaced – things might not have worked out just as planned, but they can manage and overcome this.

7. Self-Confidence

Creating a LEGO® creation –  whether that be through following instructions, or from an idea in their own mind – allows children to achieve a sense of accomplishment, pride and build on their self-confidence and self-belief; driving children to try out more complex tasks when they feel ready.

8. Lowering Anxiety and Stress

Playing with LEGO® can actually have a really calming and relaxing effect and can be helpful for children who may have anxiety or worries. Playing and creating with LEGO® can bring a feeling of order to a chaotic or stressful day and can have huge therapeutic benefits.

9. Patience

LEGO® building can take time and can test children’s patience, especially when that one important LEGO® piece takes forever to find! In a world where children often want instant gratification, the building process can help children understand that in order to get good results, it can take time and hard work can pay off!

10. Focus and Concentration

Following instructions, planning what piece comes next, waiting for their turn and listening to others (when building in a group) all takes focus and can hugely help with children who sometimes need a little extra help with concentration.

Who would have thought those colourful little plastic pieces could have such amazing benefits!?