According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there are many benefits associated with block play. Even at a young age, children can learn to problem solve, use their imaginations, practice basic math concepts (as they measure, count and compare sizes) and work on fine motor skills.
Building blocks are a powerful learning tool and help children to develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and reasoning.
One of the most important things that a teacher can do to support block play is to really trust in the learning experiences that are offered by blocks. Anna Patterson: To encourage block play, it's important for the teacher to be present, and to support the children's thinking and ideas when they're block building.
25 Activities Using Blocks
- Build a Tower with blocks.
- Play tetris with blocks made of unusual shapes.
- Pair blocks with play dough for some super construction fun.
- Take your blocks outside and try out these ideas from Kitchen Counter Chronicles.
- Engineer a castle in the block corner with Fun-A-Day.
physical development – Block play promotes the development of spatial awareness and develops hand-eye coordination as children reach for, lift, move and build with blocks, strengthening their fingers, hands and arms.
Numerous studies have shown that kids show improvement on spatial reasoning tests after spending time with LEGO Bricks and other kinds of construction play. Offer and encourage plenty of hands-on activities, and you can give your kids a genuine brain boost!
Social and emotional growth. Blocks help children learn to take turns and share materials, develop new friendships, become self-reliant, increase attention span, cooperate with others, and develop self-esteem. — Kathleen Harris. Development in all areas.
Building with blocks helps children develop skills in visual perception, eye-hand coordination, and visual processing skills play a part in the overarching visual motor skill development so we can perceive and process visual information and use that information with motor skills to manipulate and move objects in tasks
MORE TIPS TO ENCOURAGE BLOCK PLAY:
- Snap photos of your child's block building on your phone.
- Hang the photos around the block area to inspire your child.
- Add a small basket of people and a small basket of cars to the block area.
Playing with a variety of building and creative products helps children build self-confidence and encourages their independent learning too. By allowing children freedom in construction play it also makes them think independently and make decisions based on what they are learning.
Block play stimulates learning in all domains of development, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional and language. The current research shows that block play is fundamental for later cognitive success for learning math and numbers.
Stages of Block Play | Ensure The Best Block Play
- Stage 1: Carrying, Exploring or Prebuilding.
- Stage 2: Stacking, Rows and Towers or Repetition.
- Stage 3: Bridges and Passageways.
- Stage 4: Enclosures.
- Stage 5: Symmetry and Patterns.
- Stage 6: Early Representational, Functional and Naming of Structures.
German education pioneer Friedrich Fröbel began creating wooden block sets in the 1800's.
For example, cause and effect and problem-solving come into play with block building. Plus, children develop skills like patience and perseverance when they see their ideas come to fruition. Blocks are also great for promoting literacy skills related to speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
There are many ways to increase vocabulary and language by playing with blocks. Playing with blocks can increase the ability to understand letters and print, learn new words and use imagination in play. Block play can also lead to increased listening, understanding differences and understanding similarities.
By the time your baby's 12 months old, she should be able to place one block on top of another, and she'll also enjoy banging them together. "Babies are able to pick up and examine blocks as early as 6 months," says Victoria J.
Wooden blocks for kids help develop the following skills:Motor Skills. Hand-Eye Coordination. Creativity and Outside-the-Box Thinking. Cooperation and Responsibility.
When your toddler's about 15 months old, show him how to stack a couple of blocks. You may find he gets the hang of it quickly . At 18 months old, he may build a tower of three blocks, perhaps without your help or prompting (Mannheim 2012a, Sheridan 2008: 29).
At two and a half, children will start crossing midline and creating a horizontal line. At three years, they start to draw a full circle. Four years old is when they can start to really draw an accurate square.
Ever wonder why babies are always knocking things over? They are learning! Playing with and knocking over blocks is a great way for kids to learn about gravity, and cause and effect. Plus, they can learn colors and patterns too!
2 Years: His structures are taller, and his coordination is better. He can competently stack four to seven blocks. He can also sort blocks into piles by color and may even pretend that a block is something else, like a car or a boat.
Building structures encourages children to test spatial relationships and mentally rotate objects in the mind's eye. Such practice leads kids to develop superior spatial abilities and there is clear evidence to prove this.
Benefits of building blocks include:Teaches kids early math and engineering skills through hands on learning. Kids definitely learn better when they can feel objects and the best way to learn geometric shapes is to feel each and every corner. Improves fine motor skills.
The benefits of playing with building blocks include developing problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking and building both fine and gross motor skills. Building blocks are not only beneficial for your children's development, they also help with mental, physical and social growth.
