Teams of up to 10 students (ages 9–14 in the U.S.) work together with adult coaches to research a real-world problem, design an innovative solution, and build and program a LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime robot to complete missions on a themed competition field. Throughout the season, teams develop engineering, coding, teamwork, and communication skills while practicing the FIRST® Core Values. The season culminates at a Colorado FIRST Qualifying Tournament, where teams participate in robot matches, present to judges, and celebrate their achievements, with top teams advancing to the Colorado Championship.

Throughout the season, kids:

Research a real-world challenge and develop an innovative solution to address it.
Design, build, and program an autonomous LEGO® robot to complete missions on the Robot Game field.
Test, iterate, and improve both their robot and innovation project through teamwork and creative problem-solving.
Practice the FIRST Core Values by working collaboratively, showing gracious professionalism®, and supporting one another.
Present their Innovation Project and robot design to judges, compete in robot game matches, and celebrate their season at a Colorado FIRST qualifier.

We express the FIRST® philosophies of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® through our Core Values:

Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

Teams attend one Qualifying Tournament as the culminating event of their season. Qualifiers are typically held on Saturdays throughout November and are full-day events. This is where teams compete with other teams, celebrate their accomplishments, and showcase everything they have learned throughout the year.

Qualifiers consist of two main components:

Robot Competition – Teams receive practice time on the competition tables before completing three official Robot Game matches. Their highest-scoring match determines their final Robot Game score.
Judging – Teams meet with a panel of judges to present their Innovation Project, explain their robot design and strategy, and share how they demonstrated the FIRST Core Values throughout their season.

Awards are presented in multiple categories, recognizing excellence in robot performance, innovation, robot design, and Core Values. The highest-performing teams earn an invitation to the Colorado FIRST FLL Challenge State Championship.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge needs two dedicated adult coaches to guide students throughout their STEM exploration journey. No technical skills are required!
Students do not need to have expressed an interest in STEM to participate, they just need a sense of adventure and curiosity to explore.

2 Coaches

2-10 Students

Grades 4-8

FIRST LEGO League Challenge fees are charged per team. Costs typically include:

Yearly single team registration: $285
Equipment:
- SPIKE Prime Robot Kit (minimum 1 per team) – Apply to get a FREE kit from Colorado FIRST on our Support page.
- Season Game Set: $125 + shipping
- Competition Table: ~$200 (This is 4’x8′ piece of plywood with edges. Most teams make this, but you can also buy them – $300-$400 AndyMark)
- Devices for coding: Laptops, chromebooks, or tablets
- Innovation project and presentation materials: ~$150 (varies by team)
Qualifier Registration: $180
Championship Registration: $200
Optional costs:
- Innovation project and presentation supplies
- Additional LEGO building elements
- Team T-shirts
- Snacks
- Local travel to a FIRST LEGO League Challenge Qualifiers

FIRST LEGO League challenge

2001

Colorado Nonprofit

Inspire Colorado Students

We express the FIRST® philosophies of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® through our Core Values:

2 Coaches

2-10 Students

Grades 4-8

Season Resource Center

Qualifier Schedule