Create a LEGO Sculpture!

Activity description

Create a LEGO sculpture and hide it!
In pairs, each team must designate one member as the “designer” and the other as the “builder.” When the whistle blows, a 5-minute timer starts!
The designer will go and observe the sculpture and must create the most accurate drawing possible for their partner to recreate it.
The designer can take as much time as needed to make the sketch, but the more time spent on the drawing, the less time their teammate will have to build. Timing is key!
Once the designer finishes the sketch, they return to the building table, hand over the drawing, and can no longer speak. They are not allowed to go back to see the original sculpture or give any further instructions.
The drawing is the only tool their partner has to recreate the original piece. The winning pair is the one that recreates the sculpture most accurately.
The more complex the sculpture, the more laughter and valuable communication lessons will emerge!

What does it impact ?

• Leadership development and confidence building : This challenge reinforces leadership skills by asking one to guide with clarity and the other to demonstrate confidence and autonomy in execution, despite pressure and uncertainty.
• Strengthening communication and sense of belonging : This activity highlights the importance of clear and precise communication, while reinforcing team bonds through collaboration.

What should the organizer prepare ?

• Provide several sets of LEGO pieces of different sizes and shapes.
• Supply paper and pencils for the designers.
• Arrange a timer or stopwatch.
• Create a space to hide the original sculptures.
• Use a whistle to signal the start and end of timed periods.
• Install a construction table for each team.

How to achieve our goals on the big day ?

• Ensure that teams fully understand the rules before starting.
• Encourage designers to be as precise and clear as possible with their sketches.
• Motivate builders to ask clarifying questions before the designers leave the table.
• Hold a debriefing session after each round to discuss the challenges faced and solutions found.
• Take photos of the original sculptures and the recreations to compare and assess accuracy.
• Reward teams with fun prizes in different categories, such as best reproduction, most effective communication, and most creative sculpture.

See what has been done elsewhere 👋

• In New York, a team replaced LEGO bricks with giant wooden blocks, making the activity more challenging and physically demanding, leading to hilarious moments of precarious balancing.
• A design company in Paris discovered that their project manager had a hidden talent for technical drawing, helping their team win the challenge with an almost perfect reproduction.
• In Brussels, a public relations department opted for abstract sculptures, testing everyone’s creativity and resulting in strange yet fascinating art pieces that amazed the entire office!
• A startup in San Francisco decided to time both the builders and the designers, adding extra pressure that forced participants to innovate in both speed and precision.
• In Tokyo, a human resources department used glowing LEGO bricks, which posed unexpected challenges when the pieces flickered, making construction even more difficult.
• An architecture firm in Barcelona surprised the judges by successfully recreating a miniature version of one of their iconic buildings, with an accuracy that no one expected.