Lux Blox BLOG

A Day of Reflection and Connection at Lux Blox

"Seeing Christopher's experience resonates deeply with the roots of our inspiration. R. Buckminster Fuller, an American inventor who faced his own visual challenges, similarly found ways to express his creativity and ingenuity from a young age. As a kindergartner, Bucky created a tetrahedral octet truss out of dried peas and toothpicks to the amazement of his teachers. He would later go on to patent the creation in 1961 as the Octet Truss."

They're on a Mission (The Sneaky Kind)

"Lux Blox isn’t just a toy. It’s “sneaky learning” in action—helping kids discover how things hold, move, and fail through hands-on play."

The Wrath of Math: How a 1982 Star Trek Movie Inspired the Creation of the First Fractal Building Block

"We learned in the 20th century that the universe has this elegant architectural operating system that we wanted to put into kids' hands—so we essentially scienced the shit out of this block."    Mike Acerra, Inventor of Lux Blox 

And Great Things Will Follow

"Dr. Montessori was able to achieve so much with children who weren’t expected to succeed – ‘miracle children’, as they were called. Within a few years, adherents of the ‘Montessori Method’ had established schools on five continents. In 1911, the first Montessori School was opened in the United States, in Tarrytown, New York. Leading figures of the era, such as Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, were willing to lend their support. Dr. Montessori traveled extensively to promote her method, to teach others how to best apply it within a classroom, to demonstrate its effectiveness for observers, and to continue to develop her pedagogy and model for helping children to learn – at their own pace, in their own way."                       Steven Kerno 

Developing Lux Blox: Families, Friends, and a Caring Community

Lux is the culmination of husband and wife team Mike and Heather Acerra’s life long fascination with nature, architecture, science, and working with kids. In 2010 they began a project with their children and their friends called “Project Lux”. They had play groups in which they worked in a back yard maker space creating different types of toys and construction methods. The Lux Project became an obsession, and the Acerra household was taken over by the sights, sounds and smells of 3D printers, tubs and tubs of prototype construction toys, and a small army of neighborhood kids testing out ideas and drawing AutoCAD designs. By 2013 the Acerra’s submitted drafts of their first patents and began developing what would be the first Lux part. American Made The Acerra's were determined to make their product in the USA and continue to keep their company’s values centered on the families and communities that helped them develop Lux. When they first began creating the product they had the raw materials sent from factories around Illinois to a barn in the forests of Cameron , Illinois. During the summer and most of the fall of 2015, with the help of friends and children (usually only being paid in toys and pizza), they worked tirelessly, packaging, and shipping out the first Lux products. As orders began piling in from around the nation and overseas, the Acerra’s realized they needed help. In what seemed like serendipity they were approached by a local organization called Bridgeway, a not-for-profit agency, that empowers people with disabilities by offering training opportunities and the creation of meaningful employment. The folks at Bridgeway were interested in helping a new local company and were excited by the prospect of making toys. This partnership was a Godsend for the Acerras and offered their young company a manufacturing solution that met with their values of making a product in the US as close to home and with as much community involvement as possible. Today Lux products are made and supplied by partners in Missouri , Illinois, and Wisconsin, and are centralized between Galesburg and Macomb. Many of those same children and their families continue to be a vital part of the company and many of them are still working for Lux as designers, draftsman, testers, and video instructors. Lux is and will continue to be all about making connections and finding meaning through work and play. Mike Acerra

Inventing Lux Blox

Free Online Drawing Lessons for Kids With Video Instructions

Written by Mike Acerra  Now is a fantastic time to learn drawing. The Doodle Method was created to teach kids a natural and fun way to draw the world. Before my wife Heather and I created a construction toy to get kids building using nature’s design principles, we had an art school in our home.   We created what we called the Doodle Method. It is based on using the lines that are already natural for our hands to form.  Children old enough for handwriting lessons are of the appropriate skill level for these lessons.  This method will help your child to:  Build hand-eye coordination Learn about art history Build confidence through skill mastery Gain the skills that form the foundation for handwriting Connecting children to nature through drawing and other hands-on activities is a rewarding exercise with long-lasting benefits.  It builds foundational skills and knowledge to enhance understanding of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) subjects through awareness of the patterns found in nature and mathematical relationships.  An Example From History Greek ceramicists painted decorative patterns on vessels such as the one shown on this 2700-year-old ceramic pot to make them more attractive and easier to sell in ancient marketplaces.  This type of doodle art was used on ceramics in civilizations throughout the world.  Start with Baby Steps Like learning to walk, it is best to take small steps at first when learning to draw. It is important to understand the true power of the doodle and the scribble. When people scribble and doodle they are usually very relaxed and their mind is often occupied with other things. They are merely making lines that are easy and pleasurable for their hands and images that are simple and pleasant to their eyes. This is a very natural state of “art play”. In this video series, you will learn fundamental drawing skills by doodling with letters. The Lux Blox Daily Doodle #1 The S-Rule   In the first video, we learn the S-rule.  The S-rule is a powerful technique for drawing and design because it creates the illusion of three dimensions- what I call “punching the form” with the S.  The S traces the curviness of natural things, which tricks the eyes into believing that what it is looking at is three dimensional. The S is a very natural line to draw and the more comfortable you become making S’s the more fun drawing will be.   The Lux Blox Daily Doodle #2 The S and C Rules: The Overlapping Perspective In the Daily Doodle #2, we continue exploring the S rule and the C rule as a way to learn the illusion of overlapping perspective.  In this video, I show you how we can use the S and C rule to create plants, animals, and even the human face using the visual shorthand developed in the Italian Renaissance. The Lux Blox Daily Doodle #3 Mandalas using the Z-Rule! The Z-Rule is another powerful technique to help you make mandalas and the illusion of knots using simple natural lines. This Z or zigzag rule has been used by artisans for thousands of years. It's an effective means of creating the illusion of three dimensions from one simple line. In this video, I also explore other doodling techniques like creating rosettes and geometric spirals.  The Lux Blox Daily Doodle #4  Spirals are a Gift from the Universe  Your hand was built to make beautiful spiral lines! Nature gave us a wonderful gift - it builds itself with spirals!  Learn how the S-rule and the C-rule, when combined with the speed and power of the spiral, works to bring three dimensions into view.  Take your time. Remember, this is just doodling!  Make your own designs with the S-rule. Make mistakes and have fun! And if you want to learn it faster, teach someone else what you just learned! Want to learn more? Continue on to lesson 2 by clicking here.

Five Ways to use Lux Blox in the Classroom

2nd grade teacher Bailey tells us how she uses Lux Blox in her classroom management techniques and enrich students lives in her classroom!

Why Teachers (and Parents) Love Lux Blox

By Emma Helferich “Lux is a wonderful classroom tool. I have used multiple of their classroom sets for so many projects…… It is my go to! I have saved so much time in lesson planning with these.” says Ms. Sophia Wood, Canadian math teacher and homeschool mom. Lux Blox is more than a great way to keep your child entertained for hours - these small building blox provide an inquiry-based learning experience to teach STEM topics at home and in the classroom.  When looking for a great free time reward, Julie Hirschfield, Albuquerque public school teacher, recommends Lux Blox.  “When I give my kids the option between Lux Blox and playground time, 9/10 times they choose the Lux!” Lux Blox are great for developing fine motor skills, enhancing spatial intelligence and keeping students minds and hands engaged.  Because Lux Blox can build static or dynamic models, they lend themselves to projects to support learning objectives across the curriculum.  “My kids visually see, pull, touch, and play with math.”, says Ms. Aly Eastman, a 1st grade teacher at Coast Catholic Academy.  Ms. Hill, a Junior High Science teacher at the same school says “I’ve used Lux Blox many, many times in the classroom.  We use them for making models of structural things like bridges, viruses, and water molecules...students are very engaged when using LuxBlox. They are fascinated by the endless opportunities and new things they can create.”  Lux Blox is popular in design challenges and classrooms because it demonstrates engineering principles like tensile construction, corrugation, and the min/max principle.  To learn more about what teachers have to say visit our Educators Homepage. https://www.luxblox.com/pages/education  

Lux Blox Super Fan

Written by Emma Helferich As Lux Blox becomes more popular in homes and classrooms throughout the world, we wanted to start a series highlighting some of our Lux Blox super fans. Our first super fan is from Barrington, Illinois and has built hundreds of projects with Lux Blox.  Timothy Price is 16 years old and has been a loyal fan of Lux Blox for the past year. Some of his favorite things to build are ground vehicles and spaceships. Timothy discovered Lux Blox through his friends who were fans and it didn’t take long for Timothy to get hooked. Timothy said the durability and creativity that come with Lux Blox are simply unmatchable. His most recent creation has been named, “Cortex Class Assault Cruiser,” this happens to be one his biggest - 7 by 8 inches wide.  Timothy has models utilize all of the Lux Blox parts - squares, trigons, and axles.  And while he has built hundreds of models, so far, his favorite creation is a “Head Hunter Class Medium Tank.” Timothy stated that this was the first time he had pictured one design he planned to build but ended up with something completely different than he had imagined. Timothy stated, “I really like the fact that they (freestyle sets) do not come with any instructions. I can create whatever my imagination comes up with.” One of the most unique things about Lux Blox is some sets come with instructions and others are all up to your imagination.  Although Lux Blox is known to boost creativity, these blocks are also the perfect construction tool. Last school year, Timothy took a class called Project Lead the Way (PLTW). This is a STEM inspired class and when asked to build a project, Timothy built a “projectile launcher” (or slingshot) made from Lux Blox and a few additional materials - landing him an A in the class!  Timothy is an inspiring young man and continues to spread his love for Lux Blox by building for the Luxforce. Check out some of his work:  

D.I.Y. Summer Activities For Kids

By Emma Helferich As we head into the peak of summer, kids are getting excited to play outside and have some fun! Here we have gathered three fun and easy, DIY summer activities for kids.  Sidewalk chalk drawing is always a fun activity for kids. Take it to the next level with this Puffy Sidewalk Paint recipe. With 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of water, 1 TBSP of dish soap, and a piece of chalk, you can create hours of outdoor fun. Instructions: Mix together the flour, water, and dish soap Using a cheese grater, grate the sidewalk chalk on the finest setting in the color of your choice Mix well to combine the color. Add more grated sidewalk chalk in if the color is not bright enough Pour the mixture into squeeze bottles or a zip-lock bag  This is an easy way to keep kids entertained throughout the day while also getting them involved with mixing it up in the kitchen!  After a fun day of playing outside, who wouldn’t want ice cream? In just fifteen minutes you can have your own ice cream ready to eat without leaving your house! Follow these steps to make ice cream in a bag:   In a small, sealable plastic bag, combine 1 cup of half-and-half, 2 TBSP of granulated sugar, and ½ TSP of vanilla In a large resealable plastic bag, combine ice and salt. Place the small bag inside the bigger bag and shake vigorously, 7 to 10 minutes, until the ice cream has hardened. Remove ice cream from the bag and enjoy a cool, tasty treat!! There’s just something about a covered play area that opens up a kid’s imagination. Creating a fun area for your kids to relax or read a book doesn’t have to be difficult. With just a few household supplies you can have a Hula Hoop Tent up in minutes. What you need: 1 Hula Hoop 1 Shower Curtain & Curtain Rings 1 Long Rope First, hook each ring, with the shower curtain attached, onto the hula hoop. Next, cut your rope into four equal strands (about 2 feet in length). Then cut one additional fifth strand longer, depending on your ceiling/tree branch height. Finally, Attach one end of each of the four equal-length strands to the hula hoop, spread out evenly around the hoop. Gather the untied ends of the four strands and tie in a big strong knot. Then, tie the extra-long strand to the knot you just created. Hang it on a safe branch or ceiling hook and enjoy days of fun!! https://www.capitalgazette.com/cg2-arc-140323style-pin-sisters-20140323-story.html

Hands-On Learning Helps Brain Development - Here’s Why

By Emma Helferich We have always heard that hands-on learning will help with a child's brain development, but why is that? Children of all ages - preschool through teenage years - are continuously growing and developing. These are critical periods; the more a child can engage in different activities and create different projects, the more motivated they will be to continue pursuing new challenges and learning new skills. Hands-on learning allows someone to develop intelligence as they use their vision and other senses while touching, pulling, and playing.  This type of learning can be applied to something as simple as basic math or as complex as the structural design.  While there are many benefits to hands-on learning, one of the greatest is it engages both sides of the brain. According to Goodwin University, “Research done by Cindy Middendorf, an education consultant, has shown that between the ages of four and seven, a child’s right side of the brain is developing, and the learning derives clearly through visual and spatial activities. The right side of the brain, which involves more analytical and language skills, is said to develop later in childhood, around 10 years old.” Being able to touch something is much more engaging than simply reading about it. Hands-on learning requires children and teens to multitask by talking, listening, and moving, and manipulating, which stimulates and develops multiple areas of the brain.  In another study done with animals, it was proven that experience increases the overall quality of the functioning of the brain. In this experiment, rats were placed with the presence of a changing set of objects for exploration to encourage play (Rosenzweig and Bennett, 1978). These animals performed better on a variety of problem-solving tasks than rats reared in standard laboratory cages. It was also observed that animals raised in these complex environments had a greater volume of capillaries per nerve cell (therefore a greater supply of blood to the brain) than those who did not experience the environments full of manipulatives with which to play.  There are numerous studies that support the effectiveness of hands-on learning. We encourage you to create challenges and projects for your family to enjoy.  https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/benefits-of-hands-on-learning/ https://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/8#118