Play to Learn: blocks

From the time Girlygirl was first a toddler I gave her blocks to play with. I remember my mom talking about a workshop she went to (she is a preschool teacher). It was all about blocks she told me how great blocks where at teaching. I have now found the info she told me and I want to share some with you. They have so much to teach.

imagination and creativity

self-confidence by allowing a child to be in control and having a feeling of accomplishment

provide opportunities for dramatic play, sharing and cooperative efforts

responsibility for block care and clean-up

involves math and science pre-number skills ie. size, shape, matching and classification, problem solving is inherent in block play

visual discrimination, a pre-reading skill

insight into concepts of inside/outside, open/closed

development of language and vocabulary through discussion and description

mapping skills

color recognition, patterning

develop gross motor skills through lifting, carrying and stacking

develop fine motor skills with smaller blocks

refine eye/hand coordination

Remember the next your child picks up a block to play that they learning. So you can say you are homeschooling. Your child is learning a lot.