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Building Blocks are a staple of every child's toy chest or play room. I don't think I've ever seen a child's room that didn't have at least one set of blocks.
BLOCKS. They seem so simple. Just wooden shapes. But, actually, those simple blocks are just priceless when you consider how valuable block play is to developing so many skills!
1. Physically:
Your child will use large motor and small motor skills when playing with wood blocks. Large unit blocks have some weight to them and your child can even build strength by lifting them, carrying them, and stacking with them. Small motor skills are used when placing and balancing blocks atop each other.
2. Math:
Unit blocks are a standard size and each piece in a set is made to scale to the other pieces of the set. Therefore, a half unit block is half the size of the unit block. You need two half unit blocks to equal the size of one unit block. Your child is learning about basic math concepts!
Don't forget that block play is about shapes too! Which is the rectangle? square? triangle? How many sides do they have? Your child is learning about different shapes.
Also, counting is a natural activity with blocks. How many blocks high is this? Can we make a tower with 10 blocks? Let's count them out and see.
3. Science:
Why do blocks down? Gravity, of course. Young children especially love to just knock over towers of blocks. They can barely wait to just knock them down. Gravity is fascinating to them and the loud sound of wooden blocks falling is fun too!
4. Vocabulary:
Block play is a great opportunity to introduce new words. Are you building a castle? fortress? tower? house? You might also encourage your child to tell you what they're building and what's happening in the block world they're creating. Add some wooden play figures to a block set for additional play value. People and animal figures are especially good for encouraging storytelling. Try saying "Tell me about what you made."
Wooden blocks are maybe the best toy to demonstrate prepositions (in, out, on, over, through, under etc), which are often difficult for children to understand. What is "on" the blue block? What is "under" that? What are you putting "through" that tunnel you made?
5. Creativity & Imagination:
Your child is learning to think in concepts. This is a huge step forward in his thinking process. The wooden block is not just a shape anymore. Now it's a brick in a castle or part of a spaceship! Your child's creativity is on display every time he plays with blocks. He is only limited by his own imagination.
6. Problem Solving:
It's marvelous how much problem solving is involved in block play. Which tower can we stack taller...the one with the smallest block on the bottom? Or the one with the largest block on the bottom? How can this piece be balanced on that one? Why won't that block stay? Why is the 
tower leaning over? Can that be fixed? It's truly endless and you'll be able to see your child's problem solving skills develop as they play with building blocks over time.
7. Social & Emotional:
When multiple children are playing with blocks there are many things to be negotiated. Who is going to get the red blocks? Who gets the big blocks? Who gets the people? When playing with other children your child has to learn how to work with others. Try having the children work toward one goal. They can try to build 1 tower using all the blocks by working together.
Your child learns about his social world by acting out life with people figures. He might imitate what he's seen adults do, heard about in a book, or on television. This kind of pretend play is a safe way for your child to explore emotions like anger and fear by acting it out in a make believe world.
8. Sorting & Matching:
Your child is learning how to "group" similar things together based on traits. Using building blocks to do this is easy. You can sort by shape, size, or color! Your child will use this skill all his life.
Larger unit block sets can lend themselves to matching as well. Which other block is the same as this small triangle? The concept of one thing going with, or belonging with another is one that he'll always use.
Did I miss any? Tell me!
I stand by a previous blog post: ...Why Building Blocks are the Greatest Toy of All Time!
Building Blocks are a staple of every child's toy chest or play room. I don't think I've ever seen a child's room that didn't have at least one set of blocks.
BLOCKS. They seem so simple. Just wooden shapes. But, actually, those simple blocks are just priceless when you consider how valuable block play is to developing so many skills!
1. Physically:
Your child will use large motor and small motor skills when playing with wood blocks. Large unit blocks have some weight to them and your child can even build strength by lifting them, carrying them, and stacking with them. Small motor skills are used when placing and balancing blocks atop each other.
2. Math:
Unit blocks are a standard size and each piece in a set is made to scale to the other pieces of the set. Therefore, a half unit block is half the size of the unit block. You need two half unit blocks to equal the size of one unit block. Your child is learning about basic math concepts!
Don't forget that block play is about shapes too! Which is the rectangle? square? triangle? How many sides do they have? Your child is learning about different shapes.
Also, counting is a natural activity with blocks. How many blocks high is this? Can we make a tower with 10 blocks? Let's count them out and see.
3. Science:
Why do blocks down? Gravity, of course. Young children especially love to just knock over towers of blocks. They can barely wait to just knock them down. Gravity is fascinating to them and the loud sound of wooden blocks falling is fun too!
4. Vocabulary:
Block play is a great opportunity to introduce new words. Are you building a castle? fortress? tower? house? You might also encourage your child to tell you what they're building and what's happening in the block world they're creating. Add some wooden play figures to a block set for additional play value. People and animal figures are especially good for encouraging storytelling. Try saying "Tell me about what you made."
Wooden blocks are maybe the best toy to demonstrate prepositions (in, out, on, over, through, under etc), which are often difficult for children to understand. What is "on" the blue block? What is "under" that? What are you putting "through" that tunnel you made?
5. Creativity & Imagination:
Your child is learning to think in concepts. This is a huge step forward in his thinking process. The wooden block is not just a shape anymore. Now it's a brick in a castle or part of a spaceship! Your child's creativity is on display every time he plays with blocks. He is only limited by his own imagination.
6. Problem Solving:
It's marvelous how much problem solving is involved in block play. Which tower can we stack taller...the one with the smallest block on the bottom? Or the one with the largest block on the bottom? How can this piece be balanced on that one? Why won't that block stay? Why is the 
tower leaning over? Can that be fixed? It's truly endless and you'll be able to see your child's problem solving skills develop as they play with building blocks over time.
7. Social & Emotional:
When multiple children are playing with blocks there are many things to be negotiated. Who is going to get the red blocks? Who gets the big blocks? Who gets the people? When playing with other children your child has to learn how to work with others. Try having the children work toward one goal. They can try to build 1 tower using all the blocks by working together.
Your child learns about his social world by acting out life with people figures. He might imitate what he's seen adults do, heard about in a book, or on television. This kind of pretend play is a safe way for your child to explore emotions like anger and fear by acting it out in a make believe world.
8. Sorting & Matching:
Your child is learning how to "group" similar things together based on traits. Using building blocks to do this is easy. You can sort by shape, size, or color! Your child will use this skill all his life.
Larger unit block sets can lend themselves to matching as well. Which other block is the same as this small triangle? The concept of one thing going with, or belonging with another is one that he'll always use.
Did I miss any? Tell me!
I stand by a previous blog post: ...Why Building Blocks are the Greatest Toy of All Time!
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