Ending soon. FIRST states the 2026-2027 BIOGLOW season will be the FINAL season of FIRST LEGO League. Anyone planning a multi-year programme around it should factor that in now.
FIRST LEGO League
FIRST LEGO League Challenge
The entry point to competitive robotics, starting at age four and running through middle school.
Run by FIRST
Key facts
- Eligible grades
-
Grades K to 8
Source, checked 2026-09-01
- Official divisions
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Explore for ages 6 to 10 uses models and simple programming; Challenge adds autonomous robot missions for older students. FIRST publishes grades K to 8 and ages 5 to 16 varying by country.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
- Eligible ages
-
Ages 5 to 16, varying by country
FIRST publishes both a grade and an age range, and states explicitly that ages vary by country. Within FIRST LEGO League, Explore is for ages 6 to 10.Source, checked 2026-09-01
- Individual or team
- Team · Up to 10 students plus a coach
- Where it runs
- In person · United States, International
- Entry cost
- A few hundred dollars per team for registration and the kitRegistration costs vary by programme level and region and were not confirmed on the pages checked.
- Registration deadline
- Set locally, not published as a single national date Set regionally by Program Delivery Partners, not published as a single national date.
- Competition dates
- The BIOGLOW Challenge released 4 August 2026 as part of the FIRST CANOPY 2026-27 season.
- Difficulty
- Open to beginnersNo prior competition experience assumed. If you can do the school-level material, you can enter and score points.
- Prizes
- Trophies, advancement and recognition awardsAwards rather than cash prizes; specifics not confirmed on the pages checked.
What FIRST LEGO League is
FIRST LEGO League has three divisions covering ages four upward. The Challenge division, for roughly ages 9 to 16, asks teams to build and program an autonomous LEGO robot for a themed table mission set, and separately to research a real-world problem connected to the season's theme and present their findings. It is the most widely accessible robotics competition in the world and the standard first step for young students.
How the competition works
Teams use LEGO Education SPIKE technology, either creating a model in Explore or programming a robot to complete missions autonomously against a playing field in two-and-a-half minute matches in Challenge.
Eligibility notes
Age ranges vary slightly by country. The Challenge division is the competitive tournament division.
Is FIRST LEGO League right for you?
- Experience needed
- None. Designed as an entry point and the kit is reusable.
- Time commitment
- A few months, a couple of hours a week.
- What you actually do
- Build and program a LEGO robot for table missions, and separately research a real-world problem and present a solution. The project is judged as heavily as the robot.
A good fit if
- You are in elementary or middle school
- Your school wants a manageable first robotics programme
- You like both building and presenting
Probably not for you if
- High school students, who should look at FTC or VEX
Common mistakes
- Treating the innovation project as an afterthought when it carries a large share of the score.
- Only testing on a perfect table when competition surfaces differ.
- Adults building the robot, which judges detect and penalise.
How to register
- Find your regional FIRST LEGO League partner through the official site.
- An adult coach registers the team and orders the season kit. No technical background is required of the coach.
- Work through the season materials, which include everything needed to run the season from scratch.
- Attend your regional tournament.
What skills you need
- Block-based programming
- Mechanical building
- Research and presentation
- Teamwork
- Public speaking to judges
Recommended resources
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FIRST LEGO League official site
Divisions, registration, regional partners and the season theme.
Frequently asked questions
How young can a child start?
The Discover division starts at age four and Explore at six, though these are non-competitive showcase formats. The Challenge division, which is the tournament format, starts at roughly age nine.
Does the coach need technical skills?
No. FIRST LEGO League provides full season materials designed for coaches with no engineering or programming background, and the robot uses block-based programming.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
Posts are public. Do not share your full name, school, address or contact details.
Something out of date?
If a deadline, fee or eligibility rule on this page no longer matches the official site, flag it and it goes into the review queue.
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