Block play offers an open-ended, creative and valuable play and learning experience available to every setting. It offers children freedom – to explore, take apart and put back together any block-based creation they can think of. There are a host of benefits to be gained from this activity.
Stages in Block Play
- Stage 1: Exploring Blocks (ages 1- 3) …
- Stage 2: Building Rows and Towers (age 2- 4) …
- Stage 3: Building Bridges and Passageways (ages 3- 4) …
- Stage 4: Building Enclosures (age 4) …
- Stage 5: Adding Symmetry, Detailed Balance and More Involved Design to Structures (ages 4- 5
What Children Learn Through Block Play
1. Helps in Problem-Solving
Playing with building blocks will help your child improve her problem-solving abilities. During play, she might wonder how to build something with the blocks. Her ability to solve the conundrum will help her in future. While building a structure, she will find new ways to complete the design.
2. Boost Spatial Reasoning
Your child will learn to manipulate objects and space while playing with blocks. She might even ask questions: will this piece fit here? Or will this part fall down? She will probably look to make new shapes with the blocks at her disposal. Therefore, block play will allow your preschooler to navigate direction and space.
3. Helps with Maths
Block play also encourages the development of certain maths skills. These include counting, comparing length and width, shapes, and combining geometric shapes to create other shapes. Your child will also learn basic addition when she realises that two small blocks will be equal to one block. This is among the main reasons why block play is important for kids
4. Improves Writing And Reading Skills
With block play, your child will understand sequence and its importance. This is the early step in honing her reading skill. Teachers and parents can also help children write stories about their building block experiences.
5. Language Boost
If you thought building blocks would only provide limited benefits, think again. When your little child works on building blocks, her language skills and vocabulary will also improve. How will this happen? When discussing block building with other friends in preschool, she will be tempted to interact.
6. Increases Responsibility
Your child will also learn to cooperate and share as they come together with other pre-schoolers and family members. She will learn to become responsible by cleaning up after playing with building blocks.
7. Builds Imagination
Playing with building blocks will help your child become more creative. She will learn to use her creative mind to think up new shapes with the blocks. The sky is the limit when she is given rein to play with building blocks. Some great block play activities for preschoolers could be tasking her with challenges to build structures- a skyscraper, a train, or even a doll house
