[ManicMechanic]

One thing that we had to adjust to is that it takes A LOT longer to assemble something with Vex than Lego. For example, we wanted to lengthen the robot to accomodate a longer drive train, which took 5+ hours, including disassembling, splicing, cutting, filing, reassembling, and repeating this process twice before we got it right. Doing the same with a LEGO robot took about 20 minutes. With Lego, much of our kids' learning was done by trial & error - they'd try something, take it apart, reassemble, and try 6 new configurations in a half hour. With Vex, guided instruction is more essential, because each trial takes so long. We would have loved to have a training course.

I would recommend that each team purchase at least 2 starter kits. With 2 robots, teams can compete with themselves with simple mechanical challenges that don't require much field assembly: tug of war, speed races, basketball (lop a ping pong ball into a waste basket), bowling (knock down a maximum number of 2-liter bottles in a desired configuration), simple mazes with butcher paper and electrical tape.

Yolande