Building with Lego bricks is a multi-sensory, open-ended experience. Lego therapy provides a nurturing environment where children can grow and develop important social skills.
The sessions are carefully designed to support the development of various skills that may be challenging for some individuals. It has proven to be effective in supporting the development of social skills for children with neurodiversity conditions or social difficulties, but here at The Villa, we use Lego Therapy for many different reasons with all the children.
Turn Taking: Lego therapy encourages children to take turns when building with Lego bricks, fostering patience, and respect for others.
Eye Contact: Through collaborative building activities, participants are encouraged to make eye contact, improving their ability to connect and communicate effectively. What is important to remember is that not all children can maintain eye contact, so this is taken into consideration especially with some of our SEN children.
Sharing: Lego therapy promotes the practice of sharing materials, ideas, and responsibilities, teaching children the importance of cooperation and empathy.
Waiting: Waiting for a turn or patiently observing others’ actions is an integral part of Lego therapy, enhancing children’s self-control and emotional regulation.
Problem Solving: Collaborative building tasks require participants to work together to overcome challenges, fostering problem-solving abilities.
Listening: Active listening is nurtured in Lego therapy sessions, as children need to understand and interpret others’ ideas and instructions.
Giving and Following Instructions: By providing and following clear instructions, children develop their ability to communicate effectively and understand expectations.
Checking for Understanding: Lego therapy encourages participants to ask clarifying questions and check for understanding, promoting effective communication and comprehension.
Peer Interaction: Engaging with peers in Lego therapy allows children to develop social bonds, build friendships, and practice appropriate social behaviors. By working together, children develop empathy and understanding towards their peers, promoting a more inclusive and empathetic mindset.
Teamwork: Collaborative Lego building activities emphasize the importance of teamwork, fostering cooperation, collaboration, and collective problem-solving.
Asking for Help: Lego therapy creates a safe space where children can practice asking for help when faced with challenges, boosting their self-advocacy skills It's about developing teamwork, co-operation, and self-confidence.
Fine Motor Skills: Connecting pieces of Lego requires precision and coordination, which assists children to develop and strengthen their fine motor skills.
The children have to work together to build a design. Roles rotate throughout the session so that every child gets to try each role - this helps stimulate different aspects within the child.
The engineer oversees the design and ensures the instructions are followed.
The builder puts the bricks together.
The supplier keeps track of which size, shape and colour bricks are needed and passes them to the builder.
The observer (the adult) ensures the team is working together and communicating well.
This is a very popular session with all children at school. As children accomplish tasks and collaborate successfully, they gain confidence in their abilities and feel a sense of achievement.