Children love playing with blocks. This classic toy provides hours of amusement. Time spent building and banging blocks is also time spent developing mind and senses. According to the educational website BrightHub, blocks help children develop creativity and problem solving skills. The website Babycenter adds that playing with blocks helps children develop fine motor skills and even math skills at an early age.
Shape and Size Recognition Game
One children’s block game suggested on the website Preschool Rainbow helps children identify different sizes and shapes.
In advance, trace blocks of varying shapes and sizes on paper. Have the children figure out which blocks match the outlined shapes on the paper. After they have mastered this activity, the site suggests teaching the children how to trace the blocks themselves.
Buiding Towers and Towns
Babycenter recommends teaching your toddler how to build block towers and then how to knock them down. The site claims this game helps teach cause and effect and helps develop fine motor skills, plus it is a great source of fun.
Build with your child. As he piles the blocks to make sky scrapers or castles, describe what he is doing. Talk about the different colors and sizes of the blocks. Talk about the height of the buildings. Use descriptive language throughout the process, but especially during demolition. When your toddler knocks a building down yell “timber” or “crash” to add drama and excitement. The descriptions help build language skills.
Soft blocks may help you avoid bangs and bruises when the towers fall.
As your child grows encourage her to build towns and villages and incorporate dolls, stuffed animals or toy cars into her block world.
Musical Blocks
Blocks help develop all of your children’s senses, including sense of sound. Brighthub recommends using blocks to make music. Start by clapping blocks together. Show your child how to make a beat with blocks. Put on some background music and your child will start to find the beat and mimic it.
After he has mastered banging for a beat, attach sand paper to the blocks and show him how to rub them together to make a different type of sound. You can attach different types of paper or textures to the blocks to experiment with different sounds.
Block Measuring
Another children’s block game suggested by Brighthub involves having your child measure his body with blocks. This activity helps teach basic math skills including measurements like length, height, and width.
Start by challenging your child to measure her fingers using blocks. Then have your child measure her leg or foot with blocks. Next she can measure your leg or foot to compare whose body part is equal to more blocks.
She can measure toys, elements of nature like sticks or rocks or art supplies such as crayons and paint brushes.
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