What if LEGO bricks weren’t just for STEM, but a gateway to hands-on learning across the entire curriculum?

Every time I step into a school, the reaction is the same—‘I love LEGO!’ Teachers, students, even school staff light up, eager to share their favourite sets or childhood memories. LEGO sparks instant nostalgia. But in those first moments, the conversation is always about the brand—about collecting, owning, and playing with LEGO at home.

It’s only once a workshop is underway that the conversation shifts. Teachers already recognise LEGO as a valuable learning tool, but seeing it in action—watching students fully engaged, problem-solving, and demonstrating understanding—reinforces just how powerful it can be.

LEGO Education has embedded LEGO into STEM subjects—coding, robotics, science and engineering are at the forefront of their programmes. But when it comes to using LEGO bricks for history, geography, and literacy, they’re often seen as an engaging extra rather than a structured way to meet curriculum objectives.

For over a decade, I’ve run Brickies Club Limited, a creative LEGO-based play experience designed to inspire imagination. Our ethos is simple: there’s no wrong way to build.

But when I started delivering LEGO-based workshops in schools, I noticed something:

Teachers wanted to use LEGO in the classroom, but many weren’t sure how to integrate it meaningfully beyond STEM. Schools would book ‘LEGO days’ as enrichment activities, but when we introduced curriculum-specific workshops—like The Great Fire of London—something changed.

Suddenly, LEGO wasn’t just an exciting extra. It became a tool for deeper engagement, helping students connect with history, literacy, and geography in a way that brought learning to life.

That was the turning point.

To make hands-on learning a credible, structured part of education, I created Build to Learn—a separate initiative dedicated to using LEGO to enhance the primary curriculum.

Why Build to Learn Stands Apart

While Brickies fosters creativity and free play, Build to Learn is focused on structure and learning outcomes. Our workshops bridge the gap between hands-on experiences and curriculum goals.
For example:

• Instead of reading about castles, students build them—understanding how drawbridges work and why defensive walls were designed that way.
• Rather than looking at a 2D diagram of shapes, children hunt for the right cuboid brick to complete a structure—naturally reinforcing mathematical concepts.

Every classroom has students with different learning styles. Some thrive in traditional lessons, while others need to see, touch, and build to fully understand a concept.
Hands-on learning makes knowledge tangible.

The Power of Hands-On Learning in the Classroom

Every time I run a workshop, I see teachers witness something powerful. A student who may not always engage in traditional lessons is suddenly focused, participating, and demonstrating skills in a way they haven’t before. The teachers look on—not just with surprise, but with a shared sense of pride. They feel first-hand what that moment of accomplishment means to the student, because hands-on learning has given them a different way to show what they know and what they can do.

These moments don’t just benefit individual students—they remind us that learning takes many forms. Some children connect naturally with theory-based lessons, while others thrive when they can physically engage with a concept. Hands-on learning doesn’t replace traditional methods—it enhances them, offering every student more ways to succeed.

This is why Build to Learn isn’t just about play—it’s about giving students new ways to engage with learning.

Shifting the Mindset: From ‘Nice-to-Have’ to ‘Essential’

For too long, hands-on learning has been treated as an extra—something schools fit in when they have the time or budget.

That needs to change.

Schools wouldn’t treat a field trip to a historical site as just a reward—they see it as an educational experience. Hands-on workshops should be viewed the same way.

You can’t take children to the Moon, but you can let them build a lunar lander, plan a Moon base, and explore the challenges of space exploration. Instead of just reading about it, they can experience it through hands-on learning.

That’s why, at Build to Learn, we align every workshop with the national curriculum. We want teachers to book our sessions because they enhance learning, not just because they’re fun. And to make hands-on learning even more accessible, we’re working on corporate sponsorship initiatives to fund workshops for schools that might not otherwise have the budget.

The Future of Hands-On Learning in Schools

I would love to see hands-on learning play a bigger role in the UK education system. Whether through curriculum changes or external providers like us, every child should have the opportunity to learn in a way that works for them.

My mission with Build to Learn is simple: to help teachers bring learning to life in a way that engages every student, regardless of their learning style.

If we can shift the mindset from “this is a nice-to-have” to “we need to be doing more of this,” then we can make a real impact.

Bringing Learning to Life in Your Classroom

If you’re an educator looking for a fresh way to engage your students, I’d love to help.

Explore our curriculum-based workshops today and see the difference hands-on learning can make in your classroom.