For the workshop I did in Bolzano, and I wanted to do something different, since I have way too many people and way too few assistants to do a proper workshop using LEGO Serious Play, so I grabbed some of the sets in the new Education kits, because I wanted to run a colour-coded workshop. Long story short, I’m bored with the traditional assortments, and those kits have a specific palette that I thought was going to connect with the particular audience I knew I had in Bolzano.
I wasn’t prepared for what I found.
LEGO® Education Science Kits: Building, Solving, and Inventing
LEGO has long been synonymous with creative play and imaginative construction, but the company has attempted to support education multiple times throughout the years: the WeDo kits, the Mindstorm program and, now, the new LEGO® Education Science Kits. Launched as a direct response to the growing demand for educational toys that combine engagement with learning (I wrote about it here), these sets represent a fresh approach to STEM education.
Rather than offering simple building instruction booklets followed by unstructured play, or leaving it completely to the teacher with some loose instructions, LEGO Education’s newest line employs a pedagogical framework called Build, Solve, Invent, a three-phase methodology that guides young students through structured learning while encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative invention.
1. What’s the Innovation
At the heart of LEGO Education’s new approach lies a three-stage learning cycle that fundamentally reimagines how educational building sets function. This methodology departs from traditional construction toys that provide complete instructions for a single model, instead creating a dynamic learning pathway that evolves as the student progresses.
1.1. Stage One: Build
The first phase involves guided, instruction-based construction. Young students follow detailed building instructions that lead them through the assembly of a specific model or structure. This stage serves multiple educational purposes: while it develops fine motor skills, introduces young students to reading and following complex sequential instructions, and establishes foundational understanding of the set’s components and mechanical principles. Importantly, this structured phase provides confident entry into the activity: young students experience early success and gain familiarity with the materials before facing more open-ended challenges.
The instructions are carefully designed to build competence incrementally, allowing younger or less experienced builders to succeed while introducing increasingly sophisticated structural concepts as the model develops.
Though this isn’t LEGO Serious Play, this approach has everything to do with the concept of flow that’s paramount in any LSP workshop, so we should be familiar with this.
1.2. Stage Two: Solve
Once the initial model is complete, young students encounter the “Solve” phase, which presents specific challenges rooted in real-world science scenarios: rather than leaving the structure as-is, they must now use their constructed model to solve a problem. In the Arctic Animals kit, children might need to make sure their penguins can slide down the ice to reach fish in the sea.
These challenges are carefully scaffolded: they require modification and adaptation of the built structure but within a defined problem space. Young students learn that engineering and invention often involve iterating on existing designs rather than starting from scratch. Critical thinking is developed as they must understand both the problem and the limitations of their current construction, then devise solutions within those constraints.
1.3. Stage Three: Invent
The final phase unlocks the creative potential. After solving the guided challenge, young students are encouraged to use the remaining bricks to invent their own solutions following a looser prompt. With foundational knowledge established and initial confidence built, students are now equipped and motivated to pursue open-ended innovation.
As the remaining bricks become tools for invention, young students are for instance encouraged to think how humans have been inspired by nature to solve their own challenges. This phase develops higher-order thinking skills including spatial reasoning and creative problem-solving. The framework allows for multiple solutions in the face of any given problem, and shows how iteration and experimentation are valued parts of the creative process. Two things that are often neglected in a situation such as school, where young students are called to conform, to remember the “correct solution,” and to succeed at the first attempt.
2. The Four Science Kits: Current Offerings
LEGO Education currently offers four distinct science kits (two on animals and two on space exploration), each tailored to different age groups and themed around real-world exploration: together, they form an integrated collection that allows young students to embark on extraordinary scientific discoveries from the comfort of their homes or classrooms.
2.1. Moon Mission Science Kit (45200)
Age: +8
519 pieces
Price: €49.99
This set captures the wonder of lunar exploration, inviting young builders to engage with space science concepts: builders learn about space exploration, gravity, and lunar environments while developing their spatial reasoning and mechanical understanding.
2.2. Mars Mission Science Kit (45202)
Age: +9
933 pieces
€99.99
This comprehensive set presents greater complexity and depth, challenging young students to engage with more sophisticated engineering problems. The Martian theme introduces concepts of planetary science, rover design, growing crops, and the engineering challenges inherent in space exploration.
2.3. Antarctic Animals Science Kit (45201)
Age: +7
461 pieces
Price: €49.99.
This offering shifts focus from the cosmos to Earth’s most extreme polar environment: it encourages exploration of wildlife adaptation, ecosystem balance, and survival in harsh climates. Through building models and solving challenges related to penguins and other Antarctic fauna, young children develop both biological knowledge and engineering skills.
2.4. Arctic Animals Science Kit (45203)
Age: +9
1,134 pieces
€99.99.
As the most expansive offering in the range, this kit provides the richest building experience, with multiple animal models and ecosystem components. Young students learn about Arctic wildlife, environmental adaptation, and biodiversity while tackling increasingly complex construction and problem-solving challenges.
3. Why I love it
What makes LEGO Education’s approach particularly valuable, in my opinion, is its elegant balance between structure and freedom. Educational research has consistently shown that students benefit from a combination of guided instruction and open-ended exploration. Too much structure can stifle creativity; too much freedom can overwhelm or frustrate. By embedding the transition between these modes directly into the building set, LEGO Education creates a natural learning progression.
This design honours several established educational principles. It embraces constructivist learning theory that was at the base of the development for LEGO Serious Play back in the days, for instance: learners build understanding through active engagement with materials and ideas. It incorporates scaffolding, the practice of providing support that is gradually reduced as competence increases. It recognises that play, when thoughtfully designed, is among the most powerful educational tools available to people.
Furthermore, the approach acknowledges that scientific thinking itself follows a “build, solve, invent” pattern: scientists and engineers construct theoretical models, test them against observed problems, and then innovate based on their findings. By mirroring this process at a play level, these sets prepare young minds for genuine scientific inquiry.
But there’s more.
3.1. Real-World Application and Engagement
The thematic grounding of each kit — moon missions, Martian exploration, and polar ecosystems — provides context that makes the learning meaningful. Rather than building abstract shapes, young students are constructing models of penguins, lunar modules, and rovers. This narrative framework enhances engagement and retention. When a student is motivated by the story of a penguin needing to catch fish, or an astronaut needing to navigate challenges on Mars, the educational objectives become intrinsic to the play experience rather than imposed upon it.
Moreover, these real-world themes open avenues for extended learning beyond the physical kit: a student building an Antarctic animal model might naturally become curious about actual penguin biology, climate change, or polar expeditions. The kit becomes a gateway to deeper exploration and investigation.
3.2. Accessibility and Inclusivity
By offering sets for ages 7 and up, with graduated complexity levels, LEGO Education ensures that multiple age groups and ability levels can access these kits. The lower piece count and simpler challenges of the Antarctic Animals kit (461 pieces) make it approachable for younger or less experienced builders, while the Arctic Animals kit’s 1,134 pieces and more complex engineering challenges serve advanced builders seeking greater depth.
The removal of the “all or nothing” instruction model also serves young students with different learning styles: those who struggle with sustained open-ended play have a clear structure to follow; those who chafe under too much direction have the freedom to break from the instructions and invent their own solutions.
3.3. Supporting the Entire Learning Ecosystem
Last but not least, LEGO Education recognises that these kits exist within broader learning contexts. The company has developed comprehensive parent guides to help families understand the educational objectives and encourage productive play sessions, resources that explain the pedagogical approach, suggest extension activities, and reassure parents that unstructured play time with leftover bricks is not only permissible but encouraged. Because apparently there’s a need to say it.
For educators, on the other side, LEGO Education maintains dedicated professional resources and classroom solutions through its educational platform (education.lego.com), ensuring that these consumer kits can be effectively integrated into formal learning environments when desired.
In short, I think LEGO Education’s new Science Kits represent a thoughtful evolution in educational toy design. Give it a shot, if you have a chance.
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