LEGO Games volume towers maths mission

Quick answer

You can use LEGO towers to learn about volume by stacking blocks and counting how many blocks it takes to build a tower of a certain height. This helps you understand how much space something takes up.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to build volume towers with LEGO blocks and use them to compare how much space different towers take up.

• You can build a tower using a set number of LEGO blocks.
• You can compare the volume of different towers by counting the blocks.
• You can explain how taller towers usually take up more space.
• You can solve simple volume problems using your LEGO towers.

Why this matters

Volume is how much space something takes up. When you play with LEGO, you’re already using volume without even realising it. Building towers helps you understand how space works in the real world. You’ll use this skill when you cook (how much sauce fits in a pot), build a LEGO house, or even when you play football and need to know how much space a ball needs to roll around.

How it works

Volume is about how much space something takes up. With LEGO towers, you can build towers of different heights and see how the volume changes. Each block takes up a little space, and when you stack them, you're adding to the total volume.

1. Start with a small number of blocks, like 3 or 4.
2. Stack them in a tower, one on top of the other.
3. Count how many blocks you used.
4. Try building a taller tower and count again.
5. Compare how much more volume the taller tower has.

Examples you can see

Imagine you have 5 red LEGO blocks. You stack them all up to make a tower. That tower has a volume of 5 blocks. Now, if you add 3 more blocks to make a taller tower, you have 8 blocks in total. That means your new tower has more volume.

Try this with your own LEGO blocks. Build a tower of 1 block, then 2 blocks, then 3 blocks. Notice how the tower gets taller and takes up more space. That’s volume!

Try it as a mini adventure

Imagine you're on a mission to build the tallest and most stable LEGO tower in your house. You have 10 blocks to use. You can only use one colour, but you must make your tower as tall as possible.

1. First, you choose 10 blocks of the same colour.
2. Next, you build a tower, stacking them one on top of the other.
3. Count how many blocks you used.
4. How tall is your tower?
5. Can you make a tower with 12 blocks? What happens if you try to make it even taller?

Now, compare your tower with a friend’s tower. Who has the tallest tower? Who has the most volume?

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking that a tower with more blocks is not always taller.
  Why it happens: Some blocks are bigger than others, so stacking them differently can make a tower look short but still have high volume.
  Fix: Make sure all blocks are the same size, or measure how much space each block takes up.
• Mistake: Counting blocks in the wrong order.
  Why it happens: When stacking, it’s easy to lose track of how many blocks you’ve used.
  Fix: Count each block as you place it, or use a small number line to keep track.
• Mistake: Not realising that volume can be the same even if towers look different.
  Why it happens: A short, wide tower and a tall, thin tower might take up the same space.
  Fix: Focus on the number of blocks, not just how tall or wide the tower looks.

Parent and carer guide

Help your child build towers with different numbers of blocks and ask them to count how many they used. You can ask questions like:

• “How many blocks are in your tower?”
• “Can you make a tower with 6 blocks?”
• “Which tower has more volume?”

Encourage your child to compare towers and explain how they know one has more volume than another. This helps them understand volume in a fun and hands-on way.

Try to avoid saying, “You’re wrong” if they make a mistake. Instead, say, “Let’s count again together.”

Practice questions

1. How many blocks are in a tower that is 4 blocks high?
2. If you build a tower with 7 blocks, how much volume does it have?
3. Which tower has more volume: one that is 3 blocks high or one that is 5 blocks high?
4. Can you build a tower with 10 blocks? How tall is it?
5. If you have 12 blocks and build a tower, how many blocks are in your tower?

Answers:

1. 4 blocks
2. 7 blocks
3. The tower that is 5 blocks high
4. It is 10 blocks tall
5. 12 blocks

FAQ

What is volume?

Volume is how much space something takes up. With LEGO towers, the volume is the number of blocks you use.

How do I measure volume with LEGO blocks?

Count how many blocks you use to build your tower. That number is the volume.

Can towers with the same volume look different?

Yes! A tower that is 4 blocks high and a tower that is 2 blocks high but wider can have the same volume if they use the same number of blocks.

Why is it fun to build volume towers?

Building towers helps you learn about space and counting in a fun, hands-on way. You get to explore and play while learning!

Can I use different LEGO block sizes?

Yes, but for learning volume, it's easier to use blocks of the same size so you can count more easily.