Education isn’t the most fun-filled word. But preceding it by LEGO® can certainly jazz it up a little. For over 40 years LEGO Education has been inspiring learning through the joy of LEGO bricks. Their latest offering is BricQ Motion, a tech-free educational kit which is filled with activities to inspire learning with LEGO bricks. I’ve experienced numerous different aspects of LEGO building but never anything from LEGO Education. So when I was offered the chance to take a look at one of the BricQ Motion kits, I jumped at it. So here’s a closer look at the BricQ Motion Essential Kit, which is aimed at 6+ Primary students.
Product Details
The LEGO® Education BricQ Motion Essential set engages primary pupils in the exploration of physical science within a sports context. BricQ Motion helps foster an understanding of forces, motion and interactions by providing easy hands-on learning experiences without the need for technology.
- Set Name: BricQ Motion Essential
- Set Number: 41401
- Pieces: 523
- Education Level – Primary 6+ years
- RRP: $99.95 (UK & EU pricing to be confirmed)
The main aspect of LEGO Education kits which sets them apart from standard LEGO sets is the packaging. The BricQ kit is housed within a deep sturdy plastic tray, which features a clip down lid and two trays. When you first open it you’ll be greeted by various bags of elements, some numbered, along with a few loose pieces and a smaller box of replacement pieces.
There are also two instruction booklets along with a large sticker sheet, which is where you’ll need to start in order to set up the kit. Unlike most normal LEGO sets, the Education kits are meant to be rebuilt over and over again normally in a classroom environment. So the sturdy plastic box is a great way to store the elements when not in use. The two trays allow the various bags of elements to be spread out in coloured coded sections. This not only makes for a satisfying spread of LEGO pieces, but it also makes it really easy to locate elements. In fact, I love it so much I wish you could purchase the outer boxes and trays separately as it would be great for general LEGO builds.
Once the kit is all ready to go, it’s on the best bit – building. There two booklets filled with various contraptions to construct. Despite the slightly different starting point, the building aspects of the set are very similar to general LEGO sets. So step-by-step images guide you through the build, the only slight difference is the customisable elements. These are often focused around Minifigures, but any of the base builds can be jazzed up with additional pieces as long as they don’t impact the working aspects of the build. Which I guess is part of the learning side of the sets.
I built a few different projects including a gear-powered dance-off and weight-focused balancing ballerina, a distance determined basketball game and a weight-lifting monster. Each offering a different way to interact with the bricks and use them to convey a motion or action. For example, the basketball game allows you to pitch the height of the net and the distance the firing arm is away from the net. Getting them just right will see the tethered ball dunk into the net. With the balancing build, you’ll need to make sure the weighted Minifigure platform is centred in order to correctly distribute the weight and keep the Minifigure on the straight and narrow.
Builders will be able to inject their personality into builds using the various Minifigures elements, these include four torsos and legs, along with heads and various accessories. The set also includes a few printed elements, most are found in other sets apart from the number flat tile. There are also to weighted bricks, these are much heavier than standard LEGO elements. You’ll also find a small box of replacement elements, this features a few extra elements should any pieces from the main kit get misplaced.
Overall
Back when I was at school, I hated it. I know most kids aren’t big fans but I really didn’t cope with it. Maybe if it were a little more fun, I would’ve engaged a little more. Implementing LEGO into learning is a great opportunity to inspire kids in a different way and they can continue their adventures at home with their own LEGO sets. The way the kit is enclosed in a sturdy box will certainly help in a classroom environment. Blending sporting themes with physical science is a great route to take for getting younger LEGO fans to engage with the set. As an educational product, it holds great value for being easy to interact with as well as being highly reusable. Activities in the kit can be combined with various lessons plans, which can be expanded upon with access to an online hub. For the average LEGO fan, it features an interesting array of elements and the box, along with the trays are very cool.
This set was provided to BricksFanz by LEGO Education for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or LEGO Education. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
