FLL Explore

About the Program

FIRST® LEGO® League Explore is one of three divisions by age group of the FIRST® LEGO® League program and serves children ages 6–10. This program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking and design skills through hands-on learning.

Teams of students ages 6–10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design, code and create unique solutions made with LEGO® bricks and powered by the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential kit.

The essentials

There are three essential parts to Explore each year: Core Values, the LEGO® model and the team poster.

Explore the yearly themed Challenge at home or in the community, researching ways to solve a real-world problem.

Create and test a team model using the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential kit to show your ideas.

Share what you learned through a team model and a team poster.

At the 2025 FLL Explore Festival, after six months of hard work, the Cool Shark team hit a tough moment—their code wouldn’t run, and the iPad wouldn’t connect to their model. It was difficult to watch, but Viren stayed calm and focused. His quiet determination brought the solution just in time, reminding us that when we step back and let kids lead, they truly rise and excel.

Kandy NapanLead coach, team# 32349

Season timeline

Each year in early August, FIRST® LEGO® League releases a new challenge for teams that focuses on a scientific topic. Teams are sent on a journey of discovery to learn all they can about the topic, then present their findings in the form of a team poster and a LEGO® model that moves.

Teams start their season in August and are invited to participate in a festival. The festival is the capstone to the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore experience. It is a time for teams to show off all the hard work they have done this season, connect with other teams, be inspired, be challenged and most of all be celebrated!

Coming soon: the 2025-2026 UNEARTHED season

Dig in and explore the FIRST® LEGO® League UNEARTHED season, launching August 5!

In this archaeology-themed robotics season, engage your students in STEM hands-on learning and empower them to connect with real-life issues and develop important skills, including:

  • Critical thinking.
  • Collaboration.
  • Problem-solving.
  • Design thinking.
  • Creativity.
  • Leadership.
  • Coding.
  • Communication.

Getting started

The really cool thing about FIRST® LEGO® League is that all skill levels are welcome and needed, technical or non-technical.

There are two options for introducing students to the world of FLL Explore:

Individual Team: Many FLL teams begin with a small group of students, their families and friends, often meeting in a home basement or garage as a space to work, build and program their robots. Individual teams form via schools, youth organizations and community groups.

Start an individual team
Access the FIRST® Resource Library

Class Packs: FIRST® Class Packs provide implementation options for grades 2-4 classrooms and structured after-school programs. FIRST® Class Pack resources prepare educators and facilitators to guide their students as they begin or continue a journey of STEM exploration using real-world scenarios and challenges. Immerse students in research, problem-solving, coding and engineering using a curriculum that will engage them in a range of rigorous and relevant learning opportunities. Students will develop an innovative solution to a real-world problem and design, build and code a LEGO® robot to solve themed challenge missions.

Learn about FLL Explore Class Packs

For more information about FIRST® LEGO® League in Arizona, contact [email protected].