How to host a LEGO building competition

A LEGO building competition sounds like it needs planning — sets to buy, rules to write, a judge who knows what they're doing. It doesn't. You need a bin of mixed bricks, a prompt, a timer, and about thirty minutes. Here's the format we use at home, in classrooms, and at conventions.

What you need

• Mixed bricks. One shared bin, or a roughly equal pile per builder. No specific set required.
• A prompt source. The free Fast Brix! app deals three-word prompts, or use our printable challenge cards.
• A timer. The app runs it; a phone stopwatch works too.
• A flat surface and room for everyone to reach the bricks.

Run it in six steps

1. 1. Pick your format

   Head-to-head (everyone builds the same prompt), teams of two, or a family free-for-all. Three to five short rounds beats one long one — momentum is the whole point.

2. 2. Deal the prompt

   A competition needs a constraint. Fast Brix! deals three silly words — noun, verb, noun — so nobody stares at the bin wondering what to make. Every builder gets the same prompt at the same moment.

3. 3. Set the timer

   Five minutes per round. The app runs the countdown out loud so you don't have to referee it. Short rounds keep younger builders in the game and stop perfectionists from stalling.

4. 4. Share and explain

   Each builder gets 20 seconds to hold up their build and explain it. This is where the laughs live — and where the shy kids surprise you.

5. 5. Judge it fairly (and sillily)

   Skip 'best build.' Award categories instead: Most Ridiculous, Best Story, Most Bricks Used, Closest to the Prompt. Everyone wins something, and nobody feels ranked.

6. 6. Save the results

   Photograph every build. Share to the Fast Brix! community gallery so other families can 'Pip!' your creations — an instant, no-cost trophy case.

Scoring that keeps it friendly

Competitive building goes sideways when one kid wins everything. Rotate the judge each round — including the kids — and hand out a different silly award every time. In a classroom, let the room vote by show of hands per category rather than picking a single champion.

Age adjustments (6–12)

• Ages 6–7: seven-minute rounds, and let an adult read the prompt out loud twice.
• Ages 8–10: five minutes, three rounds, teams of two.
• Ages 11–12: add a constraint — no more than 20 bricks, or the build has to move.

Why a prompt beats a theme

"Build a vehicle" gets you six similar cars. "Penguin · eating · tacos" gets you six wildly different builds and six stories to go with them. Random prompts do the creative heavy lifting, which is exactly why competitions built on them run themselves.