Why Block Play?
What are the benefits of playing with blocks?
Blocks are Good for Your Brain
Think of what a child’s brain can learn by playing with blocks. Play block games with children to enhance their intellectual development.
Numbers
How many blocks can you stack on top of each other before they fall? Can you count them? Enjoy conversations that include games and questions like “how high?” and “how long?” and “how many?”
Equations
Similarly, blocks can foster a conversation about mathematical equations. Play if/then games. If I have four blocks and give you one, then how many blocks do I have? Make multiplication tables come alive in three dimensions.
Words
Pretend you are a mighty king or queen. Bark some orders. “Find all the blocks with yellow letters. Show me a cow. Spell dog.” Hunting for objects and following commands can be fun. Alternately, allow yourself to be bossed about by a child. Fair is fair.
Blocks are Good for Your Body
Playing with blocks makes developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills fun. Learn key physical survival skills by honing your sense of touch.
Understanding Shapes and Patterns
Feel the embossed sides of the blocks. Name the letters or shapes. See who can guess the shapes or letters without peeking. Cover the embossed sides with paper; use crayons to create rubbings. Press the embossed sides into modeling clay.
Engineering
Stack blocks on top of each other. Build them up: knock them down. Make structures and put blocks in patterns. Create pyramids and towers; streets and bridges. Build muscles and motor skills as you create imaginary worlds.
Survival
Discover what kind of structures are more stable and which fall down easily. Learn the meanings of over, under, above, below, next to. Learn to put your things away so you don’t trip.
Blocks are Good for Your Soul
By playing with a child, you both hone social skills. You learn to share, take turns, tell stories, laugh, and learn together. These are the fundamental elements for a rich and rewarding life.
Get Creative
Block play gives children an opportunity to exercise their imaginations. In a child’s hands, blocks can become anything. Sit back, relax, and let your child come up with innovative ideas through the magic of play time.
Have Fun
Children and adults thrive on fun. Go ahead. Goof off. Mess around. Enjoy the freedom of play. Experiment, make your own rules, and try new approaches to navigating your world.
Get Social
If you’ve discovered a way of playing with blocks that is distinctive, fun, and educational; share it with us. Consider our website and blog a toy box filled with fresh, new ideas for block play. We’d love you to share what you’re doing with your blocks. Let others learn from your ideas, photos and videos.