How-To: Procure/Prepare LEGO® bricks for class

This class requires the use of LEGO® bricks. You may use existing bricks that you have in your house, or buy bricks from LEGO®, eBay, Brick Link, etc.

Buying a Curated Kit

As a service to you, we are temporarily offering the option to buy a curated custom LEGO® kit directly from our existing class inventory. We will send you a kit of gently-used bricks that we have been using in our in-person classes. If you do not wish to buy a kit, simply collect bricks from your home, with a focus on collecting non-decorative parts.

The kit we would send you would look like this (colors and quantity will vary slightly).

A typical curated kit

Our kits include:

  • 165 2×4 bricks of one color
  • 350 2×2 bricks of another color
  • 1 16×32 baseplate

When you register for a class on our website, you’ll be given an option to add on a kit to your registration fee. Simply check the box and we’ll send you the kit. If you register on another website or wish to order bricks outside of the registration process, please use the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/ascendly/75

Procuring your own kit

People might find it cheaper, or more fun, to pull together their own kit. The list below shows the recommended number and type of bricks, but you can adjust quantities and types to fit any budget and availability.

We commonly use BrickLink.com to source our bricks. Below is the list of the bricks in our kit along links to that type of brick in bricklink.

  • 165 2×4 bricks of one color
  • 350 2×2 bricks of another color
  • 1 16×32 baseplate

(Each link opens a new BrickLink.com tab).

Note: Please avoid buying translucent bricks as they have a non-standard clutch which makes them unsuitable for complex structures.

Preparing Your Own LEGO® Bricks for a class

Basic LEGO® Bricks Kit

You may want to create a basic LEGO® bricks kit (ours includes 165 2×4 Bricks, 350 2×2 Bricks, and 1 16×32 Baseplate) for yourself that includes some larger bricks (as opposed to the slimmer plates that are common in many sets). You will be building creations such as skyscrapers, castles and bridges in the span of the 1 hour classes. The bricks you include should allow you to build big quickly. This will be the foundation for any of our classes. We do not send a list of specific LEGO bricks needed for each class because we are trying to accommodate many at-home LEGO situations. Our classes focus on problem solving. If the kids have different LEGOs than what the instructor is using, we encourage the class to work together to help the students figure out how to achieve the same effect using the LEGO bricks they have.

Having said that, you are welcomed to use any LEGO® bricks that you possess. These guidelines are for those who desire to pick bricks out of their larger collection to have on hand during the class.

Jr. Structural Engineering

In addition to your basic kit, you may want to assemble a few other pieces such as 1×2 bricks, 1×1 bricks, and 1×2 slopes. They allow you to add some detail to your creations while still focusing on the engineering concepts you will be demonstrating during your Lego challenges. Below are some suggestions.

Lego Engineering Creative Construction

The LEGO® Engineering Creative Construction classes begin to use a wider variety of building techniques and pieces to add specific features to buildings. Two of the main additions to your building repertoire will be creating non-motorized movement and building with studs not on top (SNOT). Below are some of the pieces that will help you accomplish this.

Additional pieces to create new features could include (but are not limited to) those pictured below.