Alabama 4-H
Imagine the Leaning Tower of Pisa made entirely from toy building blocks. What about your county courthouse? A wedding cake? Or your family dog? LEGO and other building blocks are a great way to learn about construction, engineering, and architecture—and a great way to express your artistic interests.
What You Do in Blocks Rock!
- Show off your creativity.
- Share your design abilities.
- Use your skill as an architect, artist, and craftsperson.
- Plan, organize, and carry through on a challenging project
What You Will Learn
- The basics of good design.
- How to recognize and practice good art and construction techniques.
- Your personal design preferences and how to make decisions.
- Practice skills that will be useful in an array of careers.
Rules for Blocks Rock!
1. You will compete by yourself or on a two-person team. Youth on teams should be the same 4-H age level (e.g., Senior Level II).
2. The entire Blocks Rock! project must be constructed from LEGO pieces or other toy building blocks.
* This includes Duplo and Mega blocks because they are official
LEGO brand.
3. Use of building block kits is prohibited.
4. Your Blocks Rock! project cannot be larger than 18 inches × 18 inches × 18 inches. This includes the board or plywood used to transport the entry to competition. It is recommended that the entry not be wider than 12 inches × 15 inches or taller than 16 inches.
5. Your art will be placed on a table and viewed from all sides.
6. Entry must be transported on a firm, flat surface such as foam board or plywood. Consider gluing or taping to keep the structure secure.
7. You must do all the construction yourself.
* Use of computer-aided design (CAD) or other building-assist programs is allowed under the following conditions: (a) youth does all of the virtual construction himself/herself, (b) AI-generated tips, starter instructions, or any other aids are not used, (c) physics simulators, structural integrity checkers, or other automated building aids are not used.
8. Electronic lights are allowed as long as they are official LEGO brand parts or other similar building blocks. (Basically, it has to look like a LEGO, retail brand or not. No fairy lights, Christmas lights, or anything similar to those.)
Refer to the Alabama 4-H Competitive Events webpage to review the General Contest Policy and the Age & Eligibility Chart.
Disqualification in Blocks Rock!
Larger than the maximum size dimensions
Identification of Entry
Name, county, and level of participation should be displayed with each entry.
Career Connections
Skills developed through this project have direct connections to many exciting and rewarding careers. These include architecture, construction, fine art, art therapy, advertising, fashion design, theater design, craft, graphic design, illustration, teaching, industrial design, interior design, and museum display.
New Community Service Component
Telling a great story, showcasing projects at a community library, speaking at a local nursing home, or organizing a community cooking or building blocks workshop are great opportunities to serve others.
Serving others helps you build academic skills, learn civic responsibility, and develop leadership. It may also give you a good opportunity to meet new people, publicize 4-H, and practice your communication skills. Alabama 4-H is now requiring all senior level 4-H members to add a community service component to all 4-H Competitive Events. Each senior level 4-H member will have to complete the 4-H Community Service Report as part of his or her project. 4-H members will be disqualified if the community service report is not included.
You must decide what service you can provide and not have a parent or 4-H leader make this decision for you. Groups of young people are encouraged to work together to discover how they can serve their community.
Documents
Joy Scott, Extension Specialist, 4-H and Youth Development, Auburn University.
Revised September 2023, Blocks Rock!, 4HYD-2241