Blocks

[nhockaday]

Here's a great article about blocks and how they help young children learn. You can read the full article here http://www.kidsource.com/education/building.mind.html

Blocks help children learn

Socially -- Blocks encourage children to make friends and cooperate. Large block play may be a young child's first experience playing in a group, while small block play may encourage an older child to work with others in solving problems.

Physically -- When children reach for, pick up, stack, or fit blocks together, they build strength in their fingers and hands, and increase eye-hand coordination. Around two, children begin to figure out which shapes will fit where, and get a head start on understanding different perspectives -- skills that will help them to read maps and follow directions later on. Blocks help kindergarten and primary grade children develop skills in design, representation, balance and stability.

Intellectually -- Blocks help children learn across many academic subjects. Young children develop their vocabularies as they learn to describe sizes, shapes, and positions. Preschoolers and kindergarteners develop math skills by grouping, adding, subtracting and eventually multiplying with blocks. Older children make early experiments with gravity, balance, and geometry.

Creatively -- Blocks offer children the chance to make their own designs, and the satisfaction of creating structures that did not exist before. Beginning at the age of two, children may use a variety of blocks for pretend-play. Children may become life-sized actors in large block structures, or use figures to create dramas in miniature landscapes.

Children value their own block structures whether or not they represent specific things. Rather than asking a child, "What did you make?" say, "Tell me about what you made." This will encourage a dialog and offer the child new opportunities to explore.

[Kyles Mom]

Building Blocks

Building blocks are simple toys that come various shapes and colors and can be made out of many different materials. Children use them to construct items from their imaginations.


Fast Facts

   1. Also called: Toy blocks, blocks, ABC blocks
   2. Materials: Wood, plastic, foam, cloth and cardboard
   3. Beware of small blocks that could pose a choking hazard
   4. Can be handmade or commercially produced
   5. Alphabet blocks are educational
   6. Shapes: Square, rectangle, triangle, circle, cone, cylinder
   7. 17th century: First alphabet blocks
   8. 2003: ABC blocks inducted into National Toy Hall of Fame
   9. LEGO, Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs are name brand blocks

Building Blocks as Learning Tools

Building blocks are a useful toy to help small children learn about shapes, spatial relationships, building and physical properties such as gravity. Playing with blocks also affords children a chance to exercise their creativity when they build something.

[jsmonton]

i knew that blocks/building blocks are good for the development of the babies which is why i have introduced it to issam, as i want him to benefit out of it, however, i find it funny earlier, whenever i put the blocks together, issam would come in a hurry to smash the stack, he would destroy the tower i am starting to build.this was funny in the beginning for both my hubby n myself, but then later on, i can't help but wonder on why his reaction is like that. he likes playing with it but not in the manner it should be played...can u explain this reaction?

[christinc21]

does he try to build something with them if you just lay them all out on the floor?

how old is he?

[nhockaday]

i knew that blocks/building blocks are good for the development of the babies which is why i have introduced it to issam, as i want him to benefit out of it, however, i find it funny earlier, whenever i put the blocks together, issam would come in a hurry to smash the stack, he would destroy the tower i am starting to build.this was funny in the beginning for both my hubby n myself, but then later on, i can't help but wonder on why his reaction is like that. he likes playing with it but not in the manner it should be played...can u explain this reaction?

That is natural for a baby his age. He is just practicing cause and effect. He has learned that he has control over his actions as well as objects. This is a good thing! It will eventually pass, and he will be happy with stacking and building without destroying!

[christinc21]

Also, if you and your husband laugh when he does it, he will continue to do it to please you and make you laugh! 

[TABS]

Hi there jsmonton,

Bashing down blocks is what kids are best at!!!  In the beginning it used to really irritate me that I went to so much trouble building him a tower and all he wanted to do was knock it down!  Anyway, the answer is don't go over board in your designs, just stack them quickly and expect him to knock them down - make it a game.  In time he will want to build his own and see your designs too.  It's fun seeing them fall - that's all!!! 

TABS

[fatima786]

an interesting game with blocks.

make a stack.
start off with a ball and try and aim to knock the stack down.
move further away and eventually use a smaller and smaller ball.
will help your baby with concentration, eye hand coordination and a good aim. will make your baby a good bowler in cricket.
Go South Africa. beat the aussies!!!!

[MaluMeena]

At what age can we start using blocks?

Eye & hand co ordination starts after months isn't can I start using blocks during that stage?

[nhockaday]

The earlier the better. They will help with hand-eye coordination.

[jsmonton]

i knew that blocks/building blocks are good for the development of the babies which is why i have introduced it to issam, as i want him to benefit out of it, however, i find it funny earlier, whenever i put the blocks together, issam would come in a hurry to smash the stack, he would destroy the tower i am starting to build.this was funny in the beginning for both my hubby n myself, but then later on, i can't help but wonder on why his reaction is like that. he likes playing with it but not in the manner it should be played...can u explain this reaction?

That is natural for a baby his age. He is just practicing cause and effect. He has learned that he has control over his actions as well as objects. This is a good thing! It will eventually pass, and he will be happy with stacking and building without destroying!

thanks nhockaday! being a new mom, i can't help to wonder if his actions are a good thing or if its normal, but again thanks.

[jsmonton]

Hi there jsmonton,

Bashing down blocks is what kids are best at!!!  In the beginning it used to really irritate me that I went to so much trouble building him a tower and all he wanted to do was knock it down!  Anyway, the answer is don't go over board in your designs, just stack them quickly and expect him to knock them down - make it a game.  In time he will want to build his own and see your designs too.  It's fun seeing them fall - that's all!!! 

TABS

its really fun isn't playing with our kids!

[msknicky]

My grandson never liked blocks.  We tried introducing them several times but he never took to them other than knocking them down.

[Trinity]

I bought my daughter the Fisher Price Peek-A-Boo alphabet blocks.  They are clear plastic blocks each with a letter of the alphabet and an object that starts with that letter (eg. The "A" block has an airplane in it). 

I am looking for some wooden blocks with raised letters so she can feel the letters.  The ones I have seen are a little small and say "for ages 3 and above."  I saw some wooden blocks online that are the Uncle Goose brand.  They look like they might be bigger.  They also have different alphabets: Arabic, French, etc.  They were expensive, but looked like they would last.

[Ouroboros1]

I'm looking into getting some of the Uncle Goose blocks, both Hebrew and ABC.  They replace any block that gets damaged by pets, etc.  You just pay for shipping which is nominal to keep your set complete.  Made of sturdy wood with non-toxic paint. 

Cheapest I've found is on Amazon.

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