On Monday, August 2, 2010, LEGO® will officially launch its LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest. The contest is open to educators only, not students, so homeschool teachers may apply.
The first 10,000 registered (and qualified) contestants will receive a free small kit to be used in the contest. I already received mine last month, and it comes with a simple sheet that includes some suggested activities that focus on creativity, team work, and problem solving. My kids immediately set to work.
Now, we had bought them LEGOs before, and while they did enjoy playing with them some, it was not to the degree that I anticipated. However, after receiving the kit in the mail, it gave me an idea and I quickly incorporating "LEGO" time into our school routine. Wow! I was surprised to see how engrossed the kids became when I gave them specific building time. Especially, if I gave them some sort of direction such as, "Can you build me a boat?" And I think that having them sit at the table/desk - rather than just playing around on the living room floor - made a difference, too. Some sort of novelty effect, no?
Once you receive your kit, you might also check out the section on their site that lists additional activities created/thought up by other educators. I am completely amazed at the number of ideas listed! And they cover a variety of subjects, like math, social studies, science, etc. I especially love the fact that some incorporate multicultural themes.
The company has a pretty strong homeschool following and they recognize the power of this community. As such, they send out a homeschool newsletter with a few bits of information on new products and other opportunities of interest.
At any rate, I am putting on my thinking cap and trying to figure out a way to incorporate our cultura into our submission. To register for the LEGO® Smart™ Creativity Contest, click here.
I'd love to hear if any of you are using LEGOs in your curriculum and how.
Con mucho cariño…