LEGO Math Lesson Plan: Hands-On Addition & Subtraction for Kids

Turn playtime into learning with this engaging LEGO math lesson plan for preschoolers and kindergarteners! This hands-on activity uses a fun 'Busy Car Park' theme to teach the fundamentals of addition and subtraction with LEGO bricks. Children will learn to visualize number sentences, develop early number sense, and solve simple math problems. This complete guide includes learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, and differentiation tips for parents and educators.

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LEGO Math Adventures: The Busy Car Park

Materials Needed:

  • A collection of LEGO bricks in various colors (at least 20-30 bricks).
  • One large LEGO baseplate to serve as the "car park."
  • A small dry-erase board and marker OR paper and a pencil.
  • (Optional) Small toy cars that can fit on the baseplate.
  • (Optional) Pre-made number cards (1-10).

Lesson Plan Details

Subject: Mathematics (Early Numeracy)

Topic: Introduction to Addition and Subtraction (Numbers 1-10)

Target Learner: Max, age 5

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Max will be able to:

  • Use LEGO bricks to physically represent and solve single-digit addition problems (e.g., 3 + 2).
  • Use LEGO bricks to physically represent and solve single-digit subtraction problems (e.g., 5 - 2).
  • Explain a simple math story problem using the concepts of "adding more" or "taking away."

2. Introduction & Warm-Up: "Setting Up the Car Park" (5 minutes)

  • Teacher says: "Welcome, Manager Max! We have a brand new car park (place the LEGO baseplate in front of him), but it's empty! Your important job today is to manage all the cars coming in and out. First, let's make some cars. Can you build five different colored cars using just two or three LEGO bricks for each one?"
  • Activity: Max builds 5-10 simple "cars" from LEGO bricks. This warms up his fine motor skills and gets him engaged with the materials.
  • Check for Understanding: "Great work! How many cars have you built so far? Let's count them together."

3. Main Activity 1: Addition as "Parking More Cars" (10 minutes)

  • Teacher says: "Okay, Manager Max, let's get to work! First, 3 blue cars are driving into our car park. Can you please park 3 blue cars on the baseplate?"
  • Action: Max places 3 LEGO "cars" onto the baseplate.
  • Teacher says: "Fantastic. Now, look! 2 red cars are arriving. Can you park them next to the blue cars?"
  • Action: Max places 2 more "cars" on the baseplate.
  • Inquiry & Connection: "How many cars are in the car park altogether? Let's count them. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! So, 3 cars plus 2 more cars equals 5 cars. We can write that down like this."
  • Written Reinforcement: On the whiteboard or paper, write the equation: 3 + 2 = 5. Point to the plus sign and say, "This is the plus sign. It means we are adding more."
  • Repeat with one or two more addition problems, like 4 + 1 or 2 + 2.

4. Main Activity 2: Subtraction as "Cars Driving Away" (10 minutes)

  • Teacher says: "Wow, the car park is busy! We have 5 cars parked right now. Oh, wait! The driver of the 2 red cars needs to leave to go to the grocery store. Can you please drive the 2 red cars out of the car park?"
  • Action: Max removes 2 "cars" from the baseplate.
  • Inquiry & Connection: "Thank you for helping them. How many cars are left in the car park now? Let's count. 1, 2, 3! So, we started with 5 cars and took away 2 cars, and now 3 cars are left. We can write that down, too."
  • Written Reinforcement: Write the equation: 5 - 2 = 3. Point to the minus sign and say, "This is the minus sign. It means we are taking away."
  • Repeat with one or two more subtraction problems, like 4 - 1 or 6 - 3.

5. Creative Application: "You're the Storyteller!" (5-10 minutes)

  • Teacher says: "Manager Max, you are an expert at this! Now it's your turn to be the storyteller. Can you make up a story for me using the cars? Tell me how many cars start in the car park, and then tell me if more cars come or if some cars leave. I will try to solve it!"
  • Activity: Max creates his own simple word problem (e.g., "There are 4 cars. Then 1 car drives away. How many are left?"). This is a key assessment to see if he understands the concepts of addition and subtraction.
  • Teacher's Role: Model solving his problem by moving the LEGOs as he instructs. Celebrate his excellent story!

6. Differentiation & Extension

  • For Extra Support: If Max struggles, focus only on numbers 1-5. Use a LEGO number line (a long strip of 10 LEGO bricks) on the side for him to match the cars to, reinforcing one-to-one correspondence.
  • For an Extra Challenge: Introduce numbers up to 10. Create two-step problems ("3 cars are parked. 5 more arrive. Then 2 leave. How many are left?"). Ask Max to write the number sentence himself.

7. Lesson Closure & Review (3 minutes)

  • Teacher says: "You have been the best car park manager today! We did some amazing math. We learned that 'plus' means adding more things together (bring two groups of LEGOs together). We also learned that 'minus' means taking things away (remove some LEGOs from a group)."
  • Praise: "You did a wonderful job using your LEGOs to solve problems. High five!"