![]() When kids are asked to follow a model to create a specific structure, the individuals who produce the most accurate creations are the ones with the strongest spatial skills (Oostermeijer et al 2014 Richardson et al 2014 Jirout and Newcombe 2015 Bower et al 2020 Zhang et al 2020). Other studies have documented similar correlations in older school children and adolescents. ![]() For example, when Yvonne Caldera and her colleagues observed the construction activities of 51 preschoolers, they discovered a pattern: The kids who showed more interest in construction - and built more complex structures - performed better on a standardized test of spatial intelligence (Caldera et al 1999). We know there are links between spatial skills and construction play. Your baby might also enjoy knocking down towers that you build, and this, too, is a valuable learning experience! Toy blocks promote better spatial reasoning Make sure they are nontoxic and baby-safe, and your infant can investigate the tactile and visual properties of blocks - handling, shaking, tossing, sorting, and carrying them. To become a proficient builder, your baby needs lots of practice! So it makes sense to provide your child with blocks at an early age. Such coordination will be crucial for building taller towers (think of the game, “Jenga”), as well as for creating “bridges,” where two columns are topped by a cross-piece.īy the age of 24 months, most children are capable of stacking 6 blocks or more, but this ability is rooted in previous experience (Marcinowski et al 2019). ![]() They are also developing hand-eye coordination, which includes learning to control the speed with which they reach and move their hands, so that they will eventually be capable of slowing down as they place one block on top of another. What are babies learning during these early experiences with block play? They are honing fine motor skills - improving their ability to grasp and manipulate. But 13% of 14-month-olds weren’t seen stacking at all (Marcinowski et al 2019). By 14 months? Most babies were stacking, and 38% could build structures by stacking two or more pieces (forming a three-component “tower”). By 12 months, approximately 45% had reached this milestone, and a few infants were stacking two or more items. In a study tracking the development of 37 babies over time, only 16% of 10-month-olds were observed stacking one item on top of another. Babies as young as 6 months may enjoy grasping and handling blocks, but the most fundamental activity required to build with blocks – stacking – doesn’t emerge until later. Babies – even young infants – can hone their motor skills by playing with blocksĬan infants play with blocks? Yes! But, as you would expect, block play takes different forms depending on a child’s age and developmental level. Here is a review of the evidence, with some tips for enriching block play. talking with others about spatial relationships.Research suggests that children benefit when construction play incorporates additional elements, including: But for other skills, it’s likely that kids need to do more than simply move blocks around. How does it all happen? It’s easy to see how stacking and arranging toy blocks could stimulate a young child’s motor development. There is also evidence that complex block-play is linked with higher mathematical achievement. a capacity for creative, divergent thinking,.motor skills and hand-eye coordination,.Studies suggest that construction toys can help children develop ![]() But whatever form they take, blocks can function as powerful learning tools. Others are fancier, like the interlocking bricks of plastic made by LEGO ® and MEGA Bloks ®. Toy blocks, also called “building blocks,” are solid shapes used for construction play. © 2008 – 2022 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved
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