What is FIRST® LEGO® League Explorer?
In FIRST LEGO League Explore, teams of students ages 6 to 10 get to grips with the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn how to design, program and create unique solutions using LEGO bricks, powered by the LEGO® Education SPIKE Essential.
For whom?
Every primary school (during class hours or after school) or association can participate in FIRST® LEGO® League Explore. Together with the class or team you take up the challenge and, guided by the ready-made Dutch teaching material, you go through the (maximum 12) sessions step by step.
As a school you can register an entire class, but also part of the class. A team consists of a maximum of 6 people aged 6 to 10 years. There is one adult who accompanies the team.
How to get started?
Explorer set
For FIRST LEGO League Explore, you'll need an Explore set from the current season. This set contains approximately 700 LEGO parts. With this set, a team builds the model for the challenge. After registering for the program, the set will be sent to the registered address.
LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential or WeDo 2.0 set
If you want to make the most of the provided guides (Team Meeting Guide and Engineering Notebook), we recommend purchasing the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential set (item number 45345). This set enhances the program with its free educational software and lesson package.
In addition to the above sets, you can also use large LEGO base plates for building the team model (item number 9286).
Note:
- You need to purchase the LEGO SPIKE™ Essential set yourself; it's not included in the participation fee.
- This set can be used again each year.
- Only original LEGO® elements are allowed to be used in the challenge.
LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 set
Do you still have a WeDo 2.0 at school? You can also work with this set!
The robot set and expansions are not included in the registrations. Therefore, you need to work with your own LEGO robot(s) or purchase one or more via the provided link or from other vendors or second-hand platforms.
Software
The software for programming the LEGO robots is available to download from the LEGO Education website and also includes free lessons that guide a team step by step.
Poster materials
Each team needs crafting materials and a sturdy board (for example, cardboard) to create the team poster. The dimensions of the board are described in the Team Meeting Guide.
Forming a team
Team
A team consists of a maximum of 6 children aged 6 to 10 years.
The regional or national partner may request proof of age at any time.
Team coach
The team coach guides the FIRST LEGO League Explorer team and can be a teacher, parent, family member, or acquaintance. The team coach is 18 years or older, and a maximum of one team coach can lead the team.
The team coach must possess a recent extract from the criminal record - model 2. This can be obtained digitally from your municipality.
Included Tools and Resources
As a teacher/guide, you gain access to a wide range of powerful tools and resources upon registering your team(s). It's wonderful to know that you don't need prior knowledge to participate - our program is specially designed to support both beginners and experienced educators.
Whether you're a newcomer to the world of STEM education or an experienced teacher, FIRST LEGO League is tailor-made to keep the entry barrier as low as possible. The goal is to inspire you and your students, foster creativity, and introduce them to STEM.
These two guides are collections of activities and supportive materials designed to help FIRST LEGO League Explore coaches guide their teams through the challenge. The guides help team members learn more about science and technology, and how to apply language skills in a fun and creative way.
Team Meeting Guide
For teachers
Engineering Notebook
For students
FIRST LEGO League Explorer participation fees
Participation fee
- FIRST LEGO League Explorer set: 100 EUR (VAT included), excluding shipping
Note
- In addition to the Explorer set, you need a LEGO Education SPIKE™ Essential or LEGO® WeDo 2.0 set to participate. These are not included in the amounts mentioned above.
Payment Term
The payment term is 30 days after receiving the invoice. There are costs associated with late payment of this invoice. Please read the participation and cancellation terms here.