If you have a preschooler, a few crayons and a cardboard box, LEGO and Sesame Street have a free activity you can try without buying a single brick.
Their new Build the Change nature resources pair short films about bats, butterflies and worms with a downloadable activity guide and animal inspiration cards. They are designed for children ages 4–6, with an adult helping along the way.
And yes, the LEGO part is optional. Kids can draw or use the craft supplies and recycled materials you already have.
Here’s where to get the free activities
- Start with LEGO’s Sesame Workshop page for the three animal films and resources.
- Download the caregiver activity guide for the adult-led activity, which is estimated to take 15–30 minutes.
- Download the animal inspiration cards to help choose a creature and talk about what it needs in a home.
The downloads are free. Supplies are not included, and this is not a free LEGO set. In fact, Sesame Workshop’s October 27 announcement says the initiative does not include a commercial LEGO set or product.
You can skip the shopping trip
The idea is to make a pretend home for an animal, not recreate the elaborate LEGO scenes in the photos.
Paper and crayons work. So do cardboard, tape, paint, glue or suitable materials from the recycling bin. If you already have LEGO bricks, those are another option, but they are not a requirement.
For the simplest setup, start with a drawing. Pick an animal together, look at its inspiration card and ask your child where it could find food, water and shelter. Then let them show you their idea. An adult can help with materials and talk through the choices without turning it into a perfect-looking craft project.
Choose bats, butterflies or worms
The three animal themes give kids a choice. The official images show Cookie Monster with a brick-built bat, Grover with a butterfly and flowers, and Elmo and Oscar with Slimy and a pretend worm habitat.
With Halloween coming up, the bat activity could be a timely choice for a child who is already interested in bats. That is a seasonal idea, not an official Halloween promotion.
One important note from the bat inspiration card: leave real bats alone. Do not approach or handle them. These are pretend habitat designs, not instructions to catch wildlife or install a real animal home.
You can find everything on the official LEGO and Sesame Workshop resource page. Choose a creature, grab what you have and keep the project as simple as your afternoon needs it to be.
