Start a FIRST LEGO League Team
See your students grow and shine though FIRST LEGO League. Starting with Discover, children ages 4-6 are introduced to the fundamentals of STEM while working together to solve fun challenges and building models using LEGO bricks.
As participants progress into Explore (ages 6-10), children will take their background knowledge of STEM and put it into practice as they work in teams to design and build robots using SPIKE Essential or LEGO Education WeDo 2.0.
Once they are ready to move into a competitive setting, they join Challenge (ages 9-16) and apply their STEM skills combined with critical thinking to work with a team, build a robot and compete in an exciting, mission-based Robot Game.
From Discover, to Explore, and then to Challenge, students will understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting competition while gaining productive learning habits, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way.
FIRST LEGO League Discover is a playful introductory STEM program for teams of children ages 4-6, that ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning. By the end of the program, children emerge more confident, better equipped to face future challenges, and discover the joy of learning. A new and exciting Challenge is presented every year, and each team of four children begins their exploration of this real-world theme with an exclusive LEGO Education Discovery Set. With this set as a starting point, they build a solution to the Challenge with LEGO DUPLO elements. Teams share their journey, ideas, models, and STEM skills at a celebration event. Throughout their experience, teams operate under the FIRST Core Values, celebrating discovery and teamwork, all the while having fun! Discover is available as an individual team option.
Each year in August, FIRST LEGO League Explore releases a new Challenge for teams that focuses on a scientific topic. Teams are sent on a journey of discovery to learn all they can about the topic, then present their findings in the form of a team poster and a LEGO model that moves. You may recruit 2 to 6 interested team members ages 6 to 10. A coach is allowed to coach multiple teams. Each team must have at least 2 adult coaches. Once you have a team (you do not need all team member names yet), you may register. Explore is available as an individual team.
Each Challenge season has three parts: the Robot Game, the Innovation Project, and the FIRST Core Values. Recruit up to 10 interested team members ages 9 to 16*. Team members must not exceed the maximum age on January 1 of the year the Challenge is released. A coach is allowed to coach multiple teams. Once you have a team (you do not need all team member names yet), you may register. Challenge is available as an individual team.
Familiarize yourself with FIRST LEGO League by checking out the materials on our website and social media pages. Then locate your region’s Program Delivery Partner or FIRST Senior Mentor. These people know the FIRST teams, participating schools, and FIRST-friendly businesses in your area. They can help you form a plan for getting your team funded, organized, and in touch with other teams in the area.
Enlist Coaches and Mentors
Each FIRST LEGO League team needs two adult lead coaches. All skill levels are welcomed and needed, technical or non-technical. Teams need all kinds of skills and creativity to succeed. The most successful coaches are people with at least an interest in science and technology, and in helping kids discover and learn!
Build your team
Find and invite youth team members who want to be part of a robotics team (the easiest part!). Be sure to emphasize that no technical skills are required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.