Have you been racking your brain for the perfect educational toy to give to your toddler? Well, look no further because the clear answer is – stacking blocks.
This toy has been around for centuries, but it continues to amuse and develop babies’ cognitive functioning even today. But, how does that happen? Precisely how do blocks benefit our little ones when they’re being played with?
In this article, we will tackle all the reasons why stacking blocks is more than just play for babies. So, keep reading.
Where Did Blocks Come From?
The idea for stacking blocks started with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, a Swiss educator. His belief is that children should be able to learn first through their senses. In essence, “things before words, concrete before abstract” became his philosophy on a child’s cognitive development.
Friedrich Froebel, the creator of the world’s first Kindergarten, took inspiration from Pestalozzi’s learning philosophy and invented 20 gifts. It’s essentially a box filled with objects – sticks, blocks, and balls – that children can use to learn different kinds of concepts.
One of these gifts is of course what we know today as building blocks. It was Froebel’s intention for children to discover knowledge through these manipulatives.
Benefits of Stacking Blocks
We now know Froebel’s intention with the blocks, but has he met his objective? The clear answer is yes and more. Below are the known benefits of kids learning through stacking blocks.
At your child’s toddler age, they are already expected to start doing activities that help them develop their motor skills. These activities may be something as simple as holding a spoon and fork or holding a pen the proper way.
Stacking blocks is another. They learn how to steady their hands when they’re handling blocks to make sure they don’t accidentally knock a block off the structure.
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Learn Basic and Complex Geometry
Stacking blocks is the perfect opportunity for toddlers to learn about different shapes, sizes, and colours. You might even find them lining or grouping them according to shape, colour, and size. But, that’s just the basic stuff. In stacking their blocks, they learn how to measure, how to count, symmetry, how to balance, and how to estimate.
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Advance their Imagination and Creativity
The thing with stacking blocks is the more your kids play with them, the more they figure out better ways to stack them. Because blocks are loose parts, children think they can create any shape with them. That’s how they develop their creativity and imagination.
And in creating anything their minds can think of, they can add more elements to the blocks. Say they build a house out of the blocks; they can take their dolls and play pretend.
In other words, the possibilities appear endless when kids play with their blocks.
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Develop Problem-Solving Skills
When you look at them stack one block after another, you might think they’re just doing something so simple. But, stacking blocks involves more than just stacking. It’s knowing where to put the blocks, so the structure doesn’t topple over.
They also ought to know which blocks are too heavy to go on top or which shape will fit. They ought to be light with their hands too in order to make sure they do not destroy the structure they’re making. Then, there’s the need to know which blocks to remove or adjust in order to ensure the stability of the blocks’ structure.
This seemingly simple act of stacking blocks actually involves a lot of cognitive functions that not a lot of parents are aware of. And this fact just further proves how beneficial it is for parents like you to consider giving your kids blocks to play with.
Of course, in differentiating blocks according to size, colour, and shape, kids also learn how to articulate these concepts. And, in playing with blocks with other kids, they learn to communicate what they know with other kids, and in doing so they learn social skills. The blocks are a great connector.
Types of Block Play
If you’re convinced of how beneficial stacking blocks are, then you might be interested to know different ways you can explore the blocks with your kids. Here are different activities you can try with them:
This activity is apt for 2-year-olds who don’t have their weights up and their attention long enough to stack blocks yet. But, they can make block piles and move them around. They learn weight and balance and at the same time get the mini exercise their tiny bodies and hands need.
Image Source: Pexels
1 and a half years old is the age where kids learn how to stack blocks, but they do it little by little. Two blocks at first, then 8, then 10, and so on and so forth.
This stacking and rowing activity is what gives the kids their introduction to math because they learn how to fit two similar-shaped blocks together. They learn to use the same-shaped blocks in the same row before adding another row.
This is where your child starts putting their engineer and architect hats on, because it’s not enough that they stack two piles of blocks together. They have to make sure they are the same height and can carry the same weight.
They learn the importance of symmetry and balance, especially when they find the perfect-sized rectangular block that will fit nicely on top of their square-shaped stacks of blocks. Consider it another stacking blocks milestone when your child learns how to bridge blocks.
The Right Types of Blocks
While the wooden blocks are the original Froebel manipulatives, they might not be the safest when you have a one-year-old who is putting everything in their mouth. So, use this guide to help you better choose which blocks to let your baby play with according to which stage of their childhood.
- Foam Blocks. These are the type of blocks to get your kids started on. They’re safe and come in different shapes and sizes.
- Cardboard Blocks. This is another safe option if foam blocks are a bit pricey. You can DIY them and even customise them to your babies’ liking.
- Wooden Blocks. This is the intermediate level of blocks if we’re going to rank them according to function. For older toddlers who definitely want sturdy block structures, you’ll want to give them wooden blocks. They are much more precise in shape and are not as easily toppled over like foam or cardboard blocks.
- Duplo or Waffle Blocks. Once your child’s creativity advances from simple towers and they want to create more shapes with blocks, Duplo or waffle blocks are the best choice. You can just imagine the kinds of shapes they can do. They can surprise you even.
And, so we hope we’ve finally convinced you that stacking blocks is not mere play. It might actually be the start of your kid’s future dreams and aspirations.
So, the next time your kid gets gifted with mounds and mounds of blocks. Do not be frustrated, instead get more excited. The more blocks they have, the more opportunity they have to develop their brains.
Image Source: iStock
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