Toy of the Day: LEGO Sensory Box (6M28D)

13 December 2016 (6M28D): A box of LEGO for Baby FECS to touch, pick and banging against each other. You can talk about the colors too

J Summary (7Y1M12D): Building a Floating LEGO Boat

J (7Y1M12D) wanted to build a boat that could float. This morning after breakfast, Daddy FECS was very kind to sit down with him to do it. They decided to build the boat out of LEGO. In order to make the boat float, they fill the upper layer of the boat with air-bubble plastic firm. They added some stones to the bottom of the boat. It worked in the boat filled with water :-) In order for the boat to fill a longer distance, we took it to the river this evening :-)

LEGO 3842 Lunar Command

How to Play?

1. Basically, each player builds their own base using different white and coloured pieces- identical pieces cannot touch each other. You gain points for each astronaut (2 points) or robot (1 point) that you get inside your completed base. To complicate things, you can also place pieces to block your opponent getting astronauts/robots into their base! UFOs can also be moved under which astronauts can pass but not robots. You can also take over your opponents base by building more of your own coloured pieces into it than their coloured pieces.

2. Build your bases when you get a white square or coloured square on the dice - so for white its the sides and square bits and coloured bits are the other bits. Move the commander two spaces towards the space ship for every spaceman or robot that gets into any of your bases ! Dont build walls between bases as this is just annoying although you can extend if you want to cause a bit of blocking. Dont use the UFOs - again they are just annoying !

Two completely white sides of the dice in a row and a UFO gets to take away one of your robots - ie it goes against the person who gets the second white side, but maybe the better way is to have when you throw a second white side in a row you get to take away one of your opponent's robots or spacemen. And we had it that is you got three white sides in a row ! then the UFOs would destroy the whole game ! It added some excitement anyway.

3. The objective of the game is to get on the score track 11 points, which is obtained by astronauts (four in number + an orange and a green astronaut)! and robots (18 pieces) in his Raumstadtion that you can build from air locks, walls, stones and antennas on the stones you can put a dome of its color. The UFOs can move through a gray on the cube and the other player block building! With green or orange, you can put the airlock, the dome or the antenna of the appropriate color! By Yellow can vorrückken with a robot or astronaut four fields. And by know you can put a wall or a token into play. The dome but you can only put on a stone!

Cost:
99.95 DKK from Boghandler next to IRMA.

Additional Information:

Overall, it is a good and fun game that promotes personal development. It is not recommended it for any younger than 8 years unless you simplify the rules greatly.

Building Square Numbers

Age: From 6 years old

Materials:

1. 1 set of LEGO bricks as shown above.

2. 1 worksheet

3. 1 tray

4. 1 ruler

Presentation:

1. Arrange the materials as shown.

2. Explain that square is simply 4-sided figure with the same number on each side, and they will always end up looking square-shape. For example, 2 x 2 = 4, which is also known as 2 square.

For example, 

3+3+3 = 

3 x 3 = 

3 square = 

9

3. Explain that the length of each side is always the same. 

4. Invite your child to measure the length of each side with a ruler.

References:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/12/using-lego-build-math-concepts

Addition Fraction with LEGO

AGE: 6 years

OBJECTIVE(S):

1. To demonstrate how a whole may be divided into parts. 
2. To prepare for working with the fractional insets. 
3. To prepare for working with the abstract notation of fractions. 

MATERIALS:

1. 4 sets of LEGO bricks (1 LEGO brick is a whole, 1 is divided into halves, 1 is divided into fourths, 1 is divided into eighths)
2. 1 worksheet with the following written: 1 whole, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8
3. 1 butter knife
4. 1 tray

PRESENTATION:

1. Place 1/4 brick on the worksheet.
2. Place 3/4 brick on the worksheet.
3. Put them together on the left of the equation, saying "This is 1/4 + 3/4..."
4. Place four 1/4 bricks, and say, "...which is equal to 4/4."
5. Place 1 whole brick and say, "4/4 is the same as 1 whole."

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:

https://youtu.be/ILUJdSsT32c

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

J tried this on 27 December 2015 (6Y8M22D). He loved writing the fractions down. It took some time to explain this problem sum to him, but when I varied it to 2/4 + 2/4, he got a little confused. So I need to repeat this lesson at a later date.

0. Prepare your materials

1. Place 1/4 brick on the worksheet.

2. Place 3/4 brick on the worksheet.

3. Put them together on the left of the equation, saying "This is 1/4 + 3/4."

4. Place four 1/4 bricks, and say, "Which is equal to 4/4."

5. Place 1 whole brick and say, "4/4 is the same as 1 whole."

27 December 2015 (6Y8M22D)

Teaching Montessori Fraction Skittles with LEGO

AGE: 4 years

OBJECTIVE(S):

1. To introduce the concept of fractions.
2. To demonstrate how a whole may be divided into parts. 

MATERIALS:

1. 4 sets of LEGO bricks (1 LEGO brick is a whole, 1 is divided into halves, 1 is divided into fourths, 1 is divided into eighths)
2. 1 worksheet with the following written: 1 whole, 1/2 (一半), 1/4 (四分之一) and 1/8 (八分之一)
3. 1 butter knife
4. 1 tray

PRESENTATION:

1. Take the whole LEGO brick and run both hands down the sides from top to bottom to feel that is whole. Allow the child to feel the LEGO brick. 
2. Say "This is whole" and hand it to the child again. 
3. Take a set of two halves of LEGO bricks, placing them side by side with the red surface facing you. Run your index finger down the two flat sides, picking each one up one at a time, and say, "This is one half." 
4. Allow the child to feel the LEGO brick. 
5. Take the fourths in the same manner, saying, “This is one fourth".
6. Take the eights and say, "This is one eight." 
7. Give three period lesson to find if the child has the concept. 

EXERCISE:

1. Take out the LEGO bricks the same way and have the child name them. Ask "Do you think the halves are same as the whole?" Compare and interrelate all of the skittles. 
2. Mix them and ask your child to sort them back. Could be done with blindfold.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:

https://youtu.be/ILUJdSsT32c

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

This is similar to the Montessori Fraction Skittles lesson plan. We tried this on 27 December 2015 (6Y8M22D). J understood this basic lesson, but was challenged when I tried to change it to a different whole number. He got a little confused when we did addition fraction. I will repeat this basic lesson for a few times, before we move on.

0. Prepare your materials

1. Take the whole LEGO brick and run both hands down the sides from top to bottom to feel that is whole. Allow the child to feel the LEGO brick. 

2. Say "This is whole" and hand it to the child again. 

3. Take a set of two halves of LEGO bricks, placing them side by side with the red surface facing you. Run your index finger down the two flat sides, picking each one up one at a time, and say, "This is one half." 

4. Allow the child to feel the LEGO brick. 

5. Take the fourths in the same manner, saying, “This is one fourth".

6. Take the eights and say, "This is one eight."

7. Give three period lesson to find if the child has the concept. 

27 December 2015 (6Y8M22D)

27 December 2015 (6Y8M22D)

Teaching Maths Skills with LEGO

Chance upon this from a posting of a friend from Facebook. Thought it is really a cool and creative way to teach Maths. Enjoy :-)

http://brightside.me/article/lego-blocks-an-incredibly-effective-way-to-develop-your-childs-math-skills-56055/

More Links:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/12/using-lego-build-math-concepts

http://homeschoolencouragement.com/fantastic-lego-math-learning-activities-ages/

http://www.mathematicshed.com/lego-maths-shed.html

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/12/using-lego-build-math-concepts

http://homeschoolencouragement.com/fantastic-lego-math-learning-activities-ages/

http://www.mathematicshed.com/lego-maths-shed.html

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/08/11/tactile-learning-lego-math

http://www.learningliftoff.com/10-fun-lego-math-ideas/#.VnsO6RUrKuU

http://discoverexplorelearn.com/25-lego-learning-activities/

http://frugalfun4boys.com/2015/05/04/build-a-lego-balance/

http://www.littlebrickschoolhouse.com/mathactivities.pdf

https://legoeducationuk.wordpress.com/category/lego-education-moretomaths-1-2/

https://youtu.be/ILUJdSsT32c

Here is a video demonstration too:

Posted by Bright Side on Friday, December 11, 2015

LEGO Advent Calendars

Re-post 30 November 2015

1 December 2013

This was J's first Advent Calendar. This is a Danish tradition, whereby the child gets to open a small gift every day until Christmas Eve. I was a little in doubt whether we should get J such a calendar, as I think it is a little too over-indulgence to open a small gift everyday. J did not ask for one himself, so we could have easily slipped it this Christmas. However, we subcumbed to it and bought the Lego Advent Calendar. Many of such calendars contains chocolate or sweets for each day, and the LEGO calendar is a healthier choice. So, each day, J will get to build a small LEGO figurine.

I intend to reuse the Calendar box for next year. I will put a Bible verse in each of the pocket that J will get to open each day in December until Christmas.

You can find them from amazon:

http://amzn.to/1TmBe7C

http://amzn.to/1NXjevS

http://amzn.to/1NXj9sa

"Skildpadde" Dad

We visited a Singaporean family for play date today. His friend, JT, completed building the highest level of LEGO technique model meant for 11-16 years old, already by 6 years old. J said, "That's because JT has both tiger mom and dad combined."

Mommy: "So what about you?"

J: "l have a tiger mom, and Danish "skildpadde" dad (meaning turtle in Danish)."

Interesting, so I asked: "What is a "skildpadde" dad?"

J: "Slow, calm, sweet, loves to sleep and doesn't do much. I have to drag him along :-)"

Daddy FECS and I had a good laugh.  We didn't know that such a term exists in Denmark, until Joshua described it.

But it seemed both father and son are moving towards being more tiger. The first thing we reached home, J went straight to build his LEGO with Daddy FECS. Thanks for the inspiration JT and family :-) It worked like magic :-)

J Summary (6Y6M19D) - Playdate with JT

JT built this LEGO Technique cargo plane meant ofr ages 0-16 by himself when he was 5 years old.

We visited a Singaporean family for play date today. The parents encouraged his boy to play with LEGO. According to my friends, LEGO is very good for:

1) Building concentration skills

2) Building sequencing skills

3) Building spatial skills and a sense of 3-dimension

LEGO Mindstorm built by JT

JT built this LEGO Technique remote-control Volvo truck all by himself when he was 6 years old.

JT and J playing UNO together

Our Little FECS and Daddy FECS got very inspired by JT and family.  The first thing we reached home, our Little FECS went straight to build his LEGO with Daddy FECS :-)

These LEGO are available from Amazon: