Authentic Learning Experience: 

The third challenge is with Lego bricks.  Most children will be familiar with these toys and used to free-form building on their own without much planning or having instructions to complete a kit.  These challenges offer specific questions the builder must address in their concept and design, like, “Can you build a structure that moves in some way”.  With these questions children are challenged to think in new and different ways.  There is not a set answer or perfect design, and children are allowed to use their creativity and ingenuity to design something which meets the parameters of the question. 

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Developmentally Appropriate Practices (child development, interest based, culturally appropriate):

These design challenges will meet the needs of all levels and abilities.  These resources are available free of charge and are easily accessible on desktop and mobile devices. 

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Washington Early Learning Guidelines:  Childhood 101’s Construction Challenges are appropriate for preschool children as they are learning to move independently in a variety of ways. These developmental guidelines are:

• Use measuring tools in play (such as a ruler, measuring cups, or parts of the body).

• Match and sort simple shapes (circles, squares, triangles).

• Compare size (such as, “I’m as tall as the yellow bookshelf.”) Describe objects using size words (big, small, tall, short).

• Compare two objects using comparison words such as smaller, faster and heavier.

• Order three objects by one characteristic, ( such as from smallest to largest Use number names to say the number of an object (“There are two trees”).

• Talk aloud while doing simple math computations (such as counting the number of snacks for the number of children).