Fidget Spinner Math Challenge with LEGO Bricks

My kids have been whirling their spinners non-stop the past few weeks. In between spinning, their building with their LEGO bricks.  I’m smashing two of their favorites into an interactive fidget spinner math challenge with LEGO bricks.  It’s a fun activity to get kids to explore more about weight and measurement.

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*Keep  FIDGET SPINNERS out of reach of young children.  They are a spinning toy made up of a variety of materials that could include plastic and metal.  The fidget spinners are designed for children ages 3+ that do not mouth objects.

Fidget Spinner Math Challenge with LEGO Bricks

Lesson: Using a scale to fine non-standard units of measurement

Learning objective: Describe how much a fidget spinner weights using non-standard forms of measurement.

Ages: Children typically begin formally learning about weight in kindergarten and first grade. This fidget spinner math challenge can be adapted for a variety of ages.

Materials Needed

• • Fidget Spinner
  • 30+ bricks of each size
  • Scale or Balance 
  • Pencil
  • Fidget Spinner STEM challenge recording sheet

How much does your fidget spinner weigh?

Of course you could pop your fidget spinner onto a kitchen scale to find out how many ounces it is. ( ours is just over 2 ounces)  Need more practice using a scale? Try this vehicle measuring activity to figure out how many cars it takes to equal one pound.

But if you add in a traditional balance and some bricks, then you have a great hands-on lesson in measurement that kids can really get excited about.

First, gather a large assortment of bricks.  Sort them by size.  Put all the 1×1 bricks in a pile.  Place the 2×2 bricks in another pile. Do this for each of the bricks listed on the challenge sheet. The brick pictured below is considered a 2×2 brick.

Then, put the bricks of like sizes together in groups of 5’s and 10’s. This will make counting go by faster and give children the opportunity to practice skip counting as well.

Lastly, place the fidget spinner on one side of the balance.  Add bricks of one size to the other side until the balance is horizontal to the surface area. That means that the objects are of equal weight. They balance each other out. Count the number of bricks used and write the number in the chart.

 

Challenge:  Encourage kids to figure out How many 2×6 bricks would it take to balance 3 fidget spinners? (answer without really measuring it) Encourage them to explain their answer. Place three fidget spinners in the balance and add bricks to check the answer.

Need some more LEGO brick challenges? Try

Building a LEGO drawing machine with Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Design the most effective LEGO boat with Lemon Lime Adventure

Ocean Themed LEGO Counting Sheets from JDaniel’s Mom

LEGO Mini Figure Knock Down Game with Toddler Approved

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