LEGO Education is easy to miss if you are used to browsing retail shelves or following the latest LEGO themes. For decades, LEGO has quietly produced sets designed specifically for schools, often sold through educational channels and rarely marketed to the general public. These kits prioritized exploration and reuse over display, and unless you were an educator, you probably never encountered them.
That’s what makes their “Build, Solve, Invent” series so interesting. For the first time, LEGO Education has released a full series of science-based sets specifically designed for kids to learn and play at home. These aren’t curriculum boxes or teacher-only tools. They’re meant to be opened, played with, rebuilt, and experimented on wherever kids (and adults) normally build LEGO.
pictured here are the four new lEGO Education sets from the “build, solve, invent” series. Look at those beautiful boxes!
As someone who works in education, I was immediately curious how these sets would feel outside a structured classroom environment. What happens when you take away the lesson plan, sit down at a table, and just start building? The promise here is learning through play, but the real test is whether these sets actually feel fun.
How These Sets Actually Work
To find out, I built all four sets in the LEGO Education “Build, Solve, Invent” series, and I’ll be honest, I ended up spending far more time playing with them than I expected. Each box contains multiple activities (two in the smaller sets and four in the larger ones), so these are not one-and-done builds. You’re getting a small collection of challenges in every set. The lineup includes:
45200 Moon Mission Science Kit: Explores rockets, lunar landings, and how astronauts might live and grow food in space.
45201 Antarctic Animals Science Kit: Focuses on animal behavior and adaptation, with activities centered on penguins and blue whales.
45202 Mars Mission Science Kit: The largest space-themed set in the series, covering astronaut training, landing systems, surface exploration, and life on Mars.
45203 Arctic Animals Science Kit: Examines survival in extreme environments through habitats, vehicles, and animal adaptations in the Arctic.
Each of these sets have 2-4 sets inside. Each having endless building opportunities.
Build, Solve, Invent
Every activity in the “Build, Solve, Invent” series follows the same basic rhythm. You start by building a model that represents a real-world concept. Then you’re presented with a problem related to that build you need to solve. Finally, you’re asked to invent something new based on what you’ve learned. This is the “Build, Solve, Invent” framework that encourages builders to test ideas, revise them, and move on without treating any model as precious.
What makes this structure work is what it doesn’t do. There is no answer key. There are no “correct” solutions hidden at the back of the booklet. Either your idea works, or it doesn’t, and that feedback is immediate. Most importantly, these sets expect you to take your builds apart. Rebuilding isn’t a failure here. It’s the point.
each set within the box has its own booklet. Each set is about a different topic for learning. each subject has information on the first page with realistic pictures of the topic. I love this!
Each activity comes with its own booklet that opens with a short explanation and a realistic image tied to the topic. I appreciated how concise these introductions were. They gave me just enough context to understand what I was building, and more than once, they sent me down a research rabbit hole I hadn’t planned on. It definitely made my build sessions longer, but slowing down felt like part of the experience rather than a distraction.
At the bottom of each activity, there are also a few open-ended questions meant to inspire deeper learning. If you are working on these sets with your child, you could ask them one of these questions, then have them make up a question to ask you. Since there are three questions, you could do it in three turns each. This is also a great way to practice turn-taking. The questions could also be turned into a game. It could also be fun to write these questions and more on slips of paper, put them in a bucket, and have each person draw one to answer. This would work great for birthday parties, playdates, solo play, parent/child play, sibling play sessions, and more.
New part alert! these rubbery blocks are my favourite part in the whole series!
As a quick aside, the sets include a new part! It is a 2×2 with a rubbery, spring-like portion on the bottom, which instantly became my favorite piece in the entire series. They beg to be tested, rebuilt, and adjusted, which turns out to be exactly what these sets want you to do.
I’m going to go into great detail about these awesome sets, so consider this a SPOILER ALERT if you want to experience these sets yourself from this point forward. If you have kids or if you prefer to be surprised, stop reading here. If you want a taste of what these sets are like, please continue.
Moon Mission Science Kit (45200)
The Moon Mission Science Kit ($50, 519 pieces, 8+) works as an ideal introduction to the Build, Solve, Invent series. With two activities focused on lunar landings and growing food in space, it immediately establishes the idea that these sets are meant to be tested, adjusted, and rebuilt rather than completed once and set aside.
What it explores
This set centers on two real-world challenges astronauts face: landing safely on the Moon and sustaining life once they arrive. Each activity opens with a short explanation and realistic imagery that frames the problem. I appreciated how these introductions provided just enough context to ground the challenge while still leaving plenty of room to experiment.
Inside Each Activity
The rocket landing activity is where the series’ philosophy becomes clear very quickly. You start with a basic rocket, then discover that landing it upright is harder than it looks. There’s no diagram showing how to fix the problem and no reassurance that you’re on the right track. You’re given a bag of parts and expected to figure it out.
This was one of the first times I really noticed how comfortable the set is with iteration. I tried designs that didn’t work, adjusted them, and tested again. At one point, I deliberately avoided taking pieces from the original rocket just to see how far I could get using only the extra parts. I learned that it’s not an easy task! You are also asked to build a living area for the astronaut. I built a space-looking pod with windows, a roll-up door, and some tall walls.
The second activity, focused on a lunar greenhouse, takes a softer but equally engaging approach. Building a structure to grow plants in space immediately raised questions about water, food delivery, and sustainability. As a plant lover, this one was especially appealing, but what stood out most was how naturally it encouraged curiosity. I found myself pausing mid-build to think about how scientists are actually tackling these problems right now.
Why it works
What makes the Moon Mission kit effective is how quickly it breaks the habit of treating LEGO models as finished objects. Every activity encourages rebuilding and refinement, and no solution feels permanent. By the time I finished both challenges, I wasn’t thinking about perfect builds. I was thinking about better ideas, which is exactly what the series is designed to do.
Antarctic Animals Science Kit (45201)
The Antarctic Animals Science Kit ($50, 461 pieces, 7+) shifts the focus from engineering challenges to biological ones, using animals and their environments as the starting point. Through two activities centered on penguins and blue whales, this set turns animal behavior into something you can physically test, adjust, and improve with your hands. (I actually built this one first because I’m obsessed with the adorable penguins!)
What it explores
This set is all about adaptation. Short introductions explain how animals survive in extreme cold, but the real learning happens once you start building and observing what works and what doesn’t. The concepts are approachable, but they stick because you’re actively solving problems rather than just reading about them.
Inside Each Activity
I’m obsessed with the penguins in this set. You build an icy landscape where the penguins immediately slide into trouble, and the challenge becomes figuring out how to guide them safely using only the parts provided. Then you have to build a boat to help the scientists photograph the penguins. It’s simple, intuitive, and surprisingly engaging. Small changes make a big difference, which makes this a great activity for testing ideas and rebuilding often.
The blue whale activity takes a more technical turn. After building the whale and its food, you’re faced with the problem of feeding. The krill won’t stay in the whale’s mouth, which mirrors a real-world issue. So I learned that blue whales have baleen plates instead of teeth. They are flat structures made out of keratin inside the mouth. The baleen plates help to filter out the water in the whale’s intake when eating things like krill and plankton. Because of this LEGO set, I will remember this fact for life now.
Once I read the information in the instructions booklet, I went on a mini-deep dive to learn more. I learned that baleen plates are made from the same material as nails and hair. Watching the solution work made the idea stick in a way that reading alone never would have.
Both activities end with an invent phase that asks you to design tools for scientists to study the animals. These prompts feel intentionally open-ended and shift the experience from problem-solving to creative play, reinforcing that learning doesn’t stop once the immediate challenge is solved. It was fun not having to follow instructions!
Why it works
This set excels at making biological systems feel interactive rather than informational. By turning movement, feeding, and survival into physical challenges, it creates a safe environment to experiment and fail. It’s playful, memorable, and quietly effective, which makes it one of the strongest entries in the series.
Mars Mission Science Kit (45202)
The Mars Mission Science Kit ($100, 933 pieces, 9+) is the largest and most ambitious set in the “Build, Solve, Invent” lineup, and it feels like it. With four activities instead of two, this set leans fully into iteration and experimentation, asking you to solve a series of interconnected problems rather than a single, isolated challenge.
What it explores
Rather than focusing on one scientific concept, this kit explores the systems required to make a Mars mission possible. Balance, impact, protection, communication, and mobility all come into play, often building on ideas introduced in earlier activities. The scope is broader here, and the set expects you to engage with it over multiple sessions.
Inside Each Activity
The astronaut training simulator introduces balance and scale in a way that feels intuitive. You build a simple training rig and then experiment with different combinations of bricks to level it. There are no instructions on how to do this correctly, so trial and error becomes the entire learning experience. It’s simple, effective, and easy to revisit. You then have to invent a spaceship rest pod—mine turned out pretty cute if I don’t say so myself, but it has no roof, so it’s technically not a pod!
The Mars landing pod was easily one of my favorite builds in the whole series. I absolutely loved this build! Watching the pod drop and testing whether it could survive the impact was oddly satisfying. I tried this step so many times that my spouse eventually asked if I was actually having fun. I smiled and said I was! Designing landing gear that absorbed impact without bouncing or failing outright took several attempts, and each one taught me something new.
Building the Mars base shifted the focus to protection and infrastructure. You start with a basic setup, then invent ways to shield equipment from flying debris (aka catapulted rocks) and design a communications tower that can survive the environment. I built a translucent dome using the supplied parts. I was quite happy with how it turned out! These activities encourage you to think beyond vehicles and start considering how location and conditions affect every design decision.
The final Mars buggy activity brings everything back to motion. This one was a really cool build. The big white wheels add to the wow factor, but the coolest part is the catapult on the side of the truck with a big rock. The original buggy arm on the truck does not fling the rock very far, so the challenge becomes improving its performance using only the provided parts.
I decided to move the lever to the underside of the catapult instead of on top. I also made the catapult longer. To be quite honest, my rock did not go much further, so I have to keep trying to figure this one out. Success isn’t guaranteed, and that’s intentional. The process rewards experimentation more than results, and I’ll certainly have to come back to this challenge.
Why it works
What sets the Mars Mission kit apart is its comfort with complexity. Solutions rarely work on the first try, and no single build feels final. By stretching the “Build, Solve, Invent” framework across multiple activities, the set reinforces the idea that learning is cumulative and iterative. It’s less about perfect solutions and more about understanding how systems work together.
Arctic Animals Science Kit (45203)
The Arctic Animals Science Kit ($100, 1134 pieces, 9+) has four activities and a broader scope, focusing on survival in extreme environments. Do you ever wonder how people survive in the Arctic? Me too! (These sets are so inspiring and make me want to keep learning. I bet they are even more inspiring for children!)
What it explores
These activities examine how bodies, tools, and habitats adapt to cold, ice, and limited resources. The introductory material in each booklet provides just enough context to frame the challenge, but the real learning happens once you start testing ideas and seeing how they hold up.
Inside Each Activity
The habitat activity opens the set by asking how people live and work in the Arctic. You begin with a basic structure and then move into designing a sledge to transport people and cargo across snow and ice. When reading this, I thought to myself, “Do they mean sled?” So I looked it up. It turns out a sledge is close to a sled, but not quite the same. A sledge is a vehicle with runners, so it is raised above the snow and ice. It is used to push or pull cargo or people on flat surfaces and downhill. The more you know!
The walrus activity shifts the focus back to animals and movement. After building a walrus, the challenge becomes figuring out how it travels through water. Designing flippers was fun, but I found some of the pieces slightly too big. I also learned how walruses keep their offspring alive. My love for research made me want to learn more, so I went down another rabbit hole (which is good, albeit time-consuming when you are trying to write an article!).
The reindeer activity was a personal highlight. Building the animals is charming on its own (these reindeer are adorable. I love LEGO animals for some reason…), but the real interest comes from adding fur to help them survive winter conditions and then designing a research hideout that allows scientists to observe without interfering. (I wonder if animals can sense the hidden people even if they can’t see them… oh wait, I have to stay on track here!) I also loved how you could change the seasons with a sliding mechanism.
The final activity centers on polar bears and traction. After modifying the bear’s feet and claws to improve grip on ice, you’re asked to design a research vehicle capable of navigating the same terrain safely. This vehicle needs to do everything the polar bear does, including going up and down slopes with a safe and stable landing. This one’s going to be a real challenge! I had fun with this, and I think my idea worked out pretty well.
Why it works
What makes the Arctic Animals kit stand out is how interconnected everything feels. Habitats, vehicles, and animals are treated as parts of the same system rather than separate subjects. By the end of the set, it’s clear that the goal isn’t to memorize facts but to understand relationships between environment, design, and survival. Placing animal adaptation and human engineering side by side makes it clear how often nature solves problems before we try to engineer our own solutions, so you can learn a lot from the kit if you have an inquisitive mind.
Learning Through Play
After a few days of building, what stuck with me most was how long each set could hold my attention. With multiple challenges in every box, these aren’t quick builds you finish and move on from. Each activity feels like a starting point, and it’s easy to imagine using them as a launchpad for digging deeper into a topic. These sets really get the creative juices flowing because you can ask questions, and they inspire you to want to learn more. I really think LEGO hit the nail on the head with these sets.
As I was building this and playing with these sets, I thought of two things. One, this would make a great birthday gift! And two, these sets would be a perfect way for you, as a parent (or professional), to connect with your kids. Kids love the attention of getting their parents to play with them. Building and playing with these sets with your kids is a great way to engage them while helping them learn. These sets would also be perfect for playdates! The opportunities of what you can do with these sets are endless!
I also kept thinking about how well these sets would work beyond solo play. They’d make a great birthday gift, but they also feel like something you’d want to sit down and build together with parents or teachers. Playing alongside kids, asking questions, and trying ideas together is where a lot of the learning happens. These sets would also be perfect for playdates! As an educator, the opportunities of what you can do with these sets seem pretty endless
I had a lot of fun working through the LEGO Education Build, Solve, Invent series, and I’m looking forward to bringing these kits into my elementary school to see how students respond to them. Something tells me they’re going to get taken apart and rebuilt more than once (which feels like exactly the point).
The LEGO Education Build, Solve, Invent series is available now in the US, CA, EU, UK, and AU.
DISCLAIMER: These sets were provided to BrickNerd by LEGO. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Which of these sets would you want to try first, and what would you change or rebuild? Let us know in the comments below.
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