Blocks still the best Christmas present
WITH Christmas looming, many people will be considering what to buy their children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and friends. Soon, if not already, we will be reading lists of the top trending presents for 2017. These will no doubt include, or even be dominated by, the latest gadgets and devices.
The purpose of the lists is to attempt to persuade parents that if they want to give their child the best start in life, and all the advantages for doing well later at school, they need to buy the latest technology.
Missing from them, but what should be at the top, are blocks – part of children’s play for a long time. But there’s still no other toy that compares in promoting all areas of development. Develop spatial reasoning skills As children experiment by stacking, balancing, or building with blocks, they need to share, respect other children’s constructions, ask for desired blocks and describe what they are creating. Children develop problem-solving skills, creativity and imagination in creating their masterpieces. Finally, let’s not forget persistence where children try again and again to build the tallest tower or most elaborate castle.
Less well known is that blocks foster spatial reasoning. This is the ability to mentally manipulate objects or to think in a way that relates to space and the position, area, and size of things within it. We use spatial reasoning skills to read maps, pack the car, assemble flat pack furniture or cut cake into equal slices.
Spatial reasoning skills are linked to mathematics skills. Good spatial skills lead to better maths skills. Block play helps children understand many mathematical concepts in number, measurement and geometry. During block play children count, measure, estimate, pattern, transform, and learn about symmetry. Develop spatial language Block play also fosters spatial language. When children play with blocks they hear and produce more words related to spatial reasoning including things such as beneath, above, next to, behind and so on.
One study showed block play elicited more spatial language than any other type, which included playing with puppets, playing house, shops, school, zoos, chefs and throwing a ball.
In this study, researchers looked at language relating to the spatial features and properties of objects such as the dimensions of objects (how big small, wide, tall), the forms of shapes (rectangle, circle, square) and other spatial properties (bent, pointy, curved).
Different blocks for different ages and stages
There are a wide variety of choices for blocks for children including MegaBloks for really young children, Duplo, wooden blocks or waffle blocks for preschoolers, and Eco bricks and Lego for older children. These age guidelines are suggestions only.
Much of the reason blocks are such enduring toys is due to the fact they’re “loose parts”. That is, they can be moved, arranged, combined, taken apart, and put together in any number of ways.
Friedrich Froebel, the father of kindergarten, created 10 gifts for children of which six were blocks.
The best way to engage children in block play is to play alongside them and show your interest and enthusiasm in block building.
My friend has a ritual of playing half an hour every afternoon with Duplo with her three young boys aged 5, 3 and 1. She says it’s her favourite time of day. – The Conversation