Building with LEGO® is pretty cool and great for LEGO STEM activities! This time, my son wanted to try out a zip line like we had seen in a book. I knew there would be several interesting concepts he could explore through hands on play! Check out our collection of over 40 unique LEGO activities for kids. So many great ways to incorporate LEGO into a STEM environment!
Build A LEGO Zip Line For Simple Physics
Science is everywhere! You don’t need to purchase a fancy science kit to set up awesome science activities for you kids. We love to do STEM activities using simple items from around the house, with inexpensive materials and supplies you may already have on hand!
This LEGO zip line activity is truly the perfect way for kids to look at ordinary items in new ways and invent something different with them. Science doesn’t just come in a box, well today maybe a LEGO box!
Getting started with a LEGO zip line. My son’s idea was to build something for a LEGO® guy to sit in as he zipped down the line. This is a great opportunity to test out those master builder skills!
ALSO CHECK OUT: Easy Physics Experiments For Kids
How To Make A LEGO Zipline
Supplies:
- Basic LEGO bricks
- Parachute cord or string
Instructions:
I helped him start by putting a LEGO mini-figure on a base and suggested that he build up and around him! When he reached the top, I told him he needed to leave a space for our parachute cord to slide through. He wanted to use two curved pieces, but they are not necessary.
How To Secure Your Zip Line
So now that you have your LEGO® man safely secured in his contraption, it’s time to set up your LEGO zip line.
Our First Zip Line
We actually started by securing the parachute cord to the door handle and then securing the other end on the railing of our 2nd floor balcony.
My son was very excited….until it crashed and broke. Here’s a good time to explore some scientific concepts like slopes, gravity, force, etc !
Make sure to ask questions!
- What makes the man travel faster down the zip line?
- Is a steep slope better?
- What happens to the LEGO® man when he gets to the end?
For our first zip line, the angle of the slope was too great, gravity pulled it down very fast, there was no breaking method or friction to slow him down, and the force that he hit the wall with broke him apart! Read more about our zip line fun below.
Our Second Zip Line
We cut the parachute cord shorter. Again I attached it to the door handle, but I showed him how we could be the other anchor for the zip line.
By keeping tension on the line and raining our arm up and down, we could control the slope of the zip line. He loved that he could use the lego zip line to make the LEGO® man travel back and forth.
If my son did not keep the cord tight however, the LEGO® man was stuck. Great hand-eye coordination activity too!
Build a quick and simple LEGO® zip line with just a couple of items! Next time maybe we will add a pulley system, but for now this playful, easy LEGO® zip line was perfect for afternoon play. The discoveries made will last a lifetime!
What You Can Learn Through Hands-on Play
- Speed up the LEGO man by increasing the angle of the slope.
- Slow down or stop the LEGO man by reducing the angle of the slope.
- Return the LEGO man by decreasing the angle of the slope.
- Gravity works to pull the LEGO man down the zip line but the angle of the slope can work against gravity.
- Tension on the cord is needed to maintain travel along your zipline.
Make A LEGO Zip Line With A Pulley System
Supplies:
- Rope {clothesline}
- Pulley Mechanism {also clothesline supply}
- LEGO Bricks, Plates, Minifigures
Set Up:
Check out the photos below to see how we crafted this cool LEGO zip line. We built a floor, a roof, two side walls, and an attachment piece to add the pulley. However, this is a STEM challenge, so try designing your own too!
We attached the rope to 2 fixed points in the house. You could also try it outside but keep track of the pieces if you have a crash landing! Test out different angles with the rope to explore force and motion.
Do different angles increase or decrease speed? Can you increase or decrease speed halfway through? Test out different designs to see which ones hold up better too!
Get your free printable brick building challenges!
What Is STEM For Kids?
STEM sounds complicated, but it isn’t! Once you get how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) mingle, you can see how it applies to so many of the science and STEM activities you already love.
The best STEM activities encourage your kids to use at least 3 of the 4 pillars of the STEM acronym (science, technology, engineering, and math) to tackle their projects head-on, challenge what they know, and build character.
Have you played around with science with your kiddos? If you haven’t, you are in for a real treat. And if you have, you already know how much fun STEM activities are…
Unlock your kids’ curiosity, and spark their inner inventor! The world of science and STEM is AMAZING with these hands-on science experiments and STEM activities!
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to share STEM with your kids. We have everything you need: simple-to-follow activities, low-prep ideas, easy-to-digest science information, and inexpensive supplies.
Helpful STEM Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources to help you introduce STEM more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
- Engineering Design Process Explained
- What Is An Engineer
- Real World STEM
- Engineering Words
- Questions for Reflection (get them talking about it!)
More Fun LEGO Building Challenges
Make sure to also check out our free printable LEGO building challenges! There are tons of cool themes and topics to choose from!
Get even more fun LEGO projects!
Don’t want to bother checking out every link? Grab the huge brick bundle instead. Make it easy on yourself.
This is the coolest idea ever!
My kids are going to love this! Thank you!
Did this activity with my little one today and we both had a blast! Thanks for the post!
Great! So glad to here!
Aw thanks! Great fun!
This is fantastic!
I have two kids and they are both LEGO fanatics and are always coming up with new ways to use their bricks.
We have a snow day looming… I think I’ll e-mail this to my son! 😉
Great post.
Thanks!
What book did you read before making the zipline?
We didn’t read a book.
This is just fab! Love playing Lego with my five year old son and he’ll think this is so cool. Can’t wait to make it with him.
Love this idea!!! I hope I can rig this up for the boys that I babysit for!
I love this! I know my Lego crazy kiddos will too!
Awesome!
This is the coolest idea!! My boys are going to LOVE it.