Summer’s here, the kids are home, and your couch is in serious danger of becoming a full-time screen zone. But what if we told you that you can turn your kitchen table into a science lab, your backyard into a renewable energy field, and your freezer into a thrilling excavation site—all using LEGO?

At Journey to STEAM, we believe in playful learning that sparks curiosity, builds real-world skills, and gets your child excited about science and engineering—without them even realizing they’re learning. These 5 summer LEGO challenges blend hands-on fun with real STEM concepts. They're easy to set up, exciting for kids, and secretly genius for growing minds.

1. Build a LEGO Bridge That Holds Weight

The Challenge:
Can your child design a LEGO bridge that spans at least 12 inches and holds a cup full of coins or a small book?

What They’re Learning:
This activity introduces children to engineering and physics. They'll explore key ideas like load-bearing structures, balance, and tension vs. compression. As they build and test different designs—arches, trusses, beams—they’re doing real-world problem-solving, just like civil engineers.

STEAM Bonus: Encourage them to draw blueprints before building. That’s the A for Art in STEAM!

2. LEGO Ice Excavation Challenge

The Challenge:
Freeze LEGO minifigs or treasures in blocks of ice. Then challenge your young scientist to free them using different "tools" like warm water, salt, or spray bottles.

What They’re Learning:
This frozen adventure becomes a chemistry and scientific method lab! Kids make hypotheses, test materials, and observe how different substances interact with ice. They’ll explore states of matter, melting points, and heat transfer in a super hands-on way. Plus, it keeps them cool on hot days—win-win!

Pro Tip: Turn it into a race against the clock for added excitement.

3. Build a LEGO Windmill That Spins

The Challenge:
Can your child create a LEGO windmill with blades that spin when air blows (from a fan or even their breath)?

What They’re Learning:
This is a fun introduction to mechanical engineering and renewable energy. Kids will experiment with aerodynamics, blade shapes, and axle systems. They’ll learn how wind can be converted into motion—and eventually into energy. Bonus points if they attach their windmill to something that lifts or spins!

Take it Further: Talk about how wind turbines are used in real life to power homes and schools.

4. LEGO Stopwatch Race

The Challenge:
Set up a starting gate and finish line. Kids build a LEGO car and race it down a slope while using a stopwatch to time how long it takes. Then tweak and try again!

What They’re Learning:
Welcome to the world of math, physics, and data analysis! Your child will measure time, record results, and experiment with different designs to improve speed. This introduces concepts like gravity, friction, and velocity—and builds critical thinking as they analyze what made one design faster than another.

Extend It: Turn it into a family race day! Everyone builds a car, and you chart the results on a leaderboard.

5. Solar Oven Made from LEGO

The Challenge:
Build a mini solar oven using LEGO bricks and aluminum foil to trap sunlight. Try to melt marshmallows or chocolate—s’mores, anyone?

What They’re Learning:
This sunny experiment teaches kids about solar energy, insulation, and heat transfer. They’ll learn how sunlight can be reflected and absorbed, and why certain materials (like black paper or foil) heat up faster. This opens the door to talking about sustainable energy and how the sun powers homes, cars, and even satellites.

Safety First: Always supervise and make sure they don't leave it unattended in direct sun.

Learning That Clicks Together

With just a bin of LEGO and a spark of imagination, your child can dive into STEM discovery that’s hands-on, screen-free, and wildly fun. These activities don’t require fancy kits or apps—just some bricks, a few household items, and a willingness to explore.

Want even more challenges like these? Subscribe to our blog for bi-weekly updates, downloadable activities, and LEGO-based STEM fun that turns summer into a season of smart play.

🎉 And if your child can’t get enough of building, inventing, and exploring, our Journey to STEAM Summer Camps are the ultimate hands-on experience. With creative themes, real-world STEM projects, and tons of LEGO action, they’ll spend the summer learning, growing, and having a blast.

Let’s build something amazing this summer—brick by brick. 🔬🧱🌞