Witnessing Young Talents Shine at the LEGOLAND® School Challenge 2025

[From Left - Right] Ashely Xie, Country Manager Malaysia & Brunei; Thila Munusamy, Director of Sales & Marketing, LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort; Tuan Haji Kamal Bin Ahamr Untong, Deputy Director of Student Development Sector, Johor State Education Department; Encik Zainal Bin Abas, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Education; CS Lim, Vice President, LEGOLAND® Malaysia; Mohd Amin Bin Kamarudin, Deputy Director, Tourism; and Leina Rehim, Senior LEGO® Model Production Manager, Asia, alongside the three categories of LEGOLAND School Challenge 2025.

As an architecture graduate, I have always been fascinated by how ideas can be brought to life through design, structure, and creativity. Being at the LEGOLAND® School Challenge 2025 this year felt like more than just covering an event. On 23 September 2025, I had the honour of being at the LEGOLAND® School Challenge 2025 in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, and it felt like more than just covering an event. It was such an inspiring experience that reignited my own love for building and design.

To see students, some as young as seven, pouring so much imagination, teamwork, and persistence into their LEGO creations reminded me why I fell in love with architecture in the first place. It is never just about building something beautiful. It is about problem solving, working together, and believing in your vision until it stands proudly before you. And that was exactly the spirit of this competition.

Champion | Treetop Builders – Queenstown Primary School, Singapore

In the Junior Category for ages 7 to 9, the spotlight was on Singapore as Queenstown Primary School’s Treetop Builders claimed the title. Their teamwork, creativity, and enthusiasm were truly infectious. Close behind them were SeasonSpot from Temple Hill International School in the Philippines who impressed with their originality, while Malaysia’s very own CYBERSPARKS from Sekolah Kebangsaan Cyberjaya took third place with an energetic build. Dream Builders and Star Girls, both from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara, also shone brightly in the Top 5, showing just how much passion our younger generation has for creativity.

The top 5 winners Primary Category

Champion | LEGEND INSPIRE – Sekolah Kebangsaan Port Dickson Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

In the Primary Category for ages 10 to 12, Team LEGEND INSPIRE from Sekolah Kebangsaan Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, blew everyone away with their Switzerland inspired masterpiece. These young builders spent weeks staying back after school to perfect every detail, including a cascading waterfall that even made me, as someone trained in architecture, pause in admiration. Water features are tricky to execute, and yet they pulled it off beautifully. Their persistence even carried them through the high pressure Speed Build challenge, earning them a well deserved trip to Korea. Right behind them were The Mavericks from Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Kerian 3 who impressed with their creativity, while BrickByte from Sekolah Kebangsaan Cyberjaya secured third place. Dreamz Builders from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Damansara and SKI LEGO BRIGADE from Sekolah Kebangsaan Ibrahim also made it to the Top 5, proving that Malaysia has no shortage of young talents ready to shine.

Champion | Lucira – Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gopeng, Malaysia

Then came the Secondary Category for ages 13 to 17, where Team Lucira from Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gopeng, Perak, proved that persistence pays off. All sixteen years old, these students spent two months on their build, drawing strength from their experience last year when they did not place. Balancing boarding school life with such a massive project was no easy feat, but their resilience and teamwork brought them to the top, and their victory means they too will soon be flying to Korea. Right behind them were Four Blocks Ahead from Sekolah Menengah Setiabudi who claimed second place with their innovative ideas. Cyberian Buddies from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cyberjaya took third place, while Egret TechnoHub Crew from Manila Xiamen International School in China and Group Amir Afiq from Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah rounded up the Top 5 with equally impressive builds.

By Team LEGEND INSPIRE from Sekolah Kebangsaan Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan

By Treetop Builders – Queenstown Primary School, Singapore

By Lucira – Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gopeng, Malaysia

This was no small competition. Now in its fourth year, the LEGOLAND® School Challenge has grown into Asia’s largest interschool LEGO® building competition, drawing nearly 2,000 students from Malaysia, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and China under the theme Build Your Dream Destination. From futuristic theme parks on Mars to eco friendly island retreats, the interpretations were jaw dropping. Out of nearly 500 entries, only 15 teams made it to the grand finals, and each one brought something extraordinary to the table.

The energy in the hall was electric, especially during the first ever live Speed Build Finale, where teams had to race against the clock in front of an audience. There were also many milestones this year, including the debut of the Junior division, Singapore and China joining as finalists for the very first time, and the Philippines making their much anticipated return to the finals since 2023.

Cs Lim, Vice President of LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort with Sekolah Kebangsaan Cyberjaya, Malaysia

As I watched the students proudly explain their builds, I could not help but be reminded of my own studio crit sessions back in architecture school. The passion, the nerves, the joy when others finally understood the story behind your design, it all felt so familiar. And that is why this Challenge is so special. It is not just about LEGO, but about encouraging STEAM education in a fun, hands on way, helping students build confidence, and nurturing values like teamwork, persistence, and innovation that they will carry with them for life.

The rewards were just as exciting as the competition itself, with over RM200,000 worth of prizes given out. Winners took home LEGO® trophies, annual passes, exclusive LEGO® sets, and unforgettable trips. Both Malaysian champion teams will soon be heading to Korea, while the Junior winners earned a dream adventure at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort. Visitors can also catch the finalists’ incredible creations on display at MINILAND, LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort until December 2025, and if you love creativity, it is definitely worth a trip to see them up close.

I left the event with such a big smile on my face. As an architecture graduate, I saw so much of the same fire I had in my younger days, the spark of creativity, the persistence to push through challenges, and the joy of seeing a vision come to life. What LEGO and LEGOLAND Malaysia are doing through this competition goes far beyond play. They are empowering the next generation of dreamers, thinkers, and builders. And after witnessing what these young talents can do, I can honestly say the future looks incredibly bright.

If you’re a parent, educator, or even a student who wants to dive deeper into what LEGOLAND is doing to spark creativity, you can always check out the LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort homepage. They also share the latest promotions and activities on Facebook, and Instagram, so it’s easy to stay updated.