LEGO Math Skip Counting Activity

Using LEGO bricks you already have at home to learn math makes is fun.  Today we are doing a LEGO math skip counting activity that fits with how LEGO bricks are created helping kids master this important math skill with LEGOs for hands-on learning.  

Using LEGO Bricks to Learn Simple Math Concepts

When children are first learning to count, they start with 1 2 3.

Related: Fun math games for kids

As they master counting by ones, children are ready to add counting by 2’s to their math knowledge bank  LEGO bricks are a great tool to use to work on counting or skip counting by 2’s and more.

Materials Needed for LEGO Skip Counting Activity

• Your LEGO bricks of various sizes and shapes – We used 13 bricks
• White construction or printer paper

Step #1: Finding the Best LEGO Bricks for Your Math Lesson

We started our Lego math lesson on skip counting by digging through a bin of Legos we had in my son’s closet to find the Legos we used pictured above.  

1. The goals was to find long rod or long rectangular shaped Legos, rectangular Legos and squares.  
2. While we were digging through the bin, we were actually conducting a shape hunt.

Step #2: Skip Counting with LEGO Bricks

1. Count to 2: Once we had a wide variety of Lego blocks in a pile on the kitchen table, we searched for a block that had two studs.After finding one with 2 studs, we placed it on a white construction paper work space.
2. Count to 4: We then counted on by twos and found the next number was four.  Then we searched for the blocks with four studs and set it aside on the paper work space.
3. Count to 6 & 8: We repeated this for six and then eight studs. Each time we talked about how we were adding two, found a brick and then placed it on the workspace.
4. Count to 10: When we got to the number ten, it wasn’t possible to find one block to use. We had to look through the pile to find a group of blocks that we could use that would equal ten. There were actually two ways to make ten with the blocks we had in our pile. It was fun to discuss which one to use.
5. Count to 12 & 14: The numbers twelve and fourteen had to be made using a group of blocks too.
6. Count to 16: The number sixteen didn’t need a group. We surprisingly had a block with the correct number of studs on it.

Step #3: Practice Skip Counting with LEGO Bricks

Once we created our Lego skip counting line up, we practiced skip counting. We practiced in several ways:

• We clapped as we said each number, touching the blocks as we counted.
• We tried saying the numbers very fast and very slow as we counted.

Step #4: Variations for LEGO Math Activity

You may find that you don’t have to create groups for any your numbers. If you have a large collection of Legos, you may have blocks for each number you are working on.

Skip Counting Games & Practice

This lesson was just an introduction to skip counting. We will be pulling out the Legos and skip counting again.

MORE LEGO FUN FROM KIDS ACTIVITIES BLOG

Have you tried teaching with LEGO math?  You can use LEGOs for skip counting but also subtraction, multiplication, and even division.