Did you know that Lego Education was an actual department? It is, and it’s about to drop a bunch of computer science and AI-related kits on the primary school world. And pre-school, too. No reason to leave out the little kiddos.
And it’s literal. The sets are called Computer Science & Education kits, subdivided by Grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Lego Education says that they are “[a]ge-appropriate and standards-aligned… lessons [that] equip educators with everything they need to teach computer science and AI concepts as part of their curriculum.” Sounds… pretty good, actually.
Getting a Lego Education
Coming on the heels of Lego’s surprising Smart Bricks CES reveal, it shows that the Danish company has its sights set on pushing deeper into the modern tech world. It’ll still use Lego to do so, with its basic K-2 kit being mostly comprised of the iconic bricks. It also includes a colour sensor and a single motor (per student kit), with basic engineering and coding lessons available to teachers via an online portal.
The Grade 3-5 set is largely the same, featuring a large number of buildable bricks, a double motor, and the same colour sensor, while the Grade 6-8 kit adds another single motor and a controller module to the mix.
The prices might seem extreme at first glance, with the K-2 set costing R5,600, the 3-5 is R7,100, and the Lego Education Computer Science & Education Grade 6-8 set costing R8,800. Every single kit is designed for four students, while bulk packs — which have enough kits for 24 students — are available from the company at discounted rates. That’s something school boards are always looking for.
It won’t turn up in classrooms in a screaming hurry, though. The new Education kits will launch from April this year, while the company’s previous Lego Education Spike setup will enter retirement. Sales will wind down for the latter, but the company will support its STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) kits until 30 June 2031. That’s… a fairly considerate offramp.
