Sacramento Students Build Solutions For Natural Disasters At Lego Competition

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The first Lego League Championship just gave hundreds of Sacramento kids a lesson in science, with the help of Legos, of course.

The team to place first will go on to the Lego League World Festival this spring.

Who says learning can't be fun?

At the first Lego League Championship, there were 48 teams.

"We put the motors on with the Legos," said one competitor.

There were five missions.

"It's really fun to program the missions and stuff," said another.

But, there was one goal.

"We were supposed to build a solution for national disasters," a participant said.

This year's theme was "Nature's Fury."

Students made robots that could respond to natural disasters. The robot goes through an obstacle course, where it can earn points.

"I've heard about volcanoes, and hurricanes, and tornadoes, and floods, and forest fires -- whatever sparks their interest," said program director Mark Edelman.

But they're quickly learning it's much more than building robots.

"It gives the kids a chance to think about it from a practical perspective," said Edelman.

It's a lot of trial and error.

"It's hard to get it to stand perfectly because it can fall back," said Ellie Menzinger.

"They always surprise us with how far they can take a simple idea and how much energy they will put it behind it," said Edelman.

For the kids, it's a chance to play and experiment with something they love: Legos.

"It's really fun. It's really competitive, which is something I like about all competitions," a participant said.

The Lego League World Festival is this April. There is no word on which team won Saturday's event.

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