Children and adults come together over Lego and DIY

Children face the same mental challenges when building Lego models as adults do when putting flat-pack furniture together.

A study, carried out by Dr Miles Richardson at the University of Derby, looked at the way children built models using Lego bricks.

His work set out to show how a greater understanding of how children approach construction tasks could help boost their development in maths and science.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The study, set to feature in a forthcoming edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology, suggests four factors contribute to assessing how easy or hard children find it to complete models.

These are: the variety and number of blocks needed, block symmetry and the number of spare blocks.

Dr Richardson found the factors affecting children building Lego models are the same as those affecting adults building flat-pack furniture kits.

The formula he previously developed to determine the ease of kit assembly for frustrated DIY-ers also helped predict children's Lego-building performance, the university said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dr Richardson said the research could help educators and psychologists identify then take measures to help children who might struggle academically.

"Construction tasks form a major part of children's play and can be linked to achievement in maths and science. However, there is a lack of understanding of construction task ability and development.

"Our research shows that exactly the same challenges that affect adults during construction also affect children, just to a different level," he added.

Related topics: