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Wooden blocks are one of the most enduring toys available. They never break, they never go out of style, and they are one of the most used toys in any toy chest. Even better, we see that kids often integrate their blocks when they are playing with other toys. The wooden block’s role in childhood learning Everyone agrees that the early years of learning are vitally important to every child’s learning as children learn about how to positively interact with their environment. So, where do blocks fit in? Blocks stimulate positive interaction with a child’s surroundings The very first thing that a kid can learn from blocks is that they have the ability to change their own surroundings. This may seem like a little thing to an adult, but to a kid this is a VERY important lesson! In a world where everything is adult sized and only adult accessible, here are a batch of objects that are ok for a kid to stack up, just the way they want them, knock them over if the choose, or do just about anything, without intervention from anyone. This can help a child to begin building a solid sense of self-esteem. Blocks help develop strong motor skills Wooden blocks are great for improving hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Usually the initial skill that kids practice with wooden blocks is to tumble them over. While our first reaction is to think, “Destructive little bugger!”, in reality, the child is practicing and improving their hand eye coordination, and gross motor skills. As a kid grows, they will begin stacking and balancing, refining their fine motor skills. The more a child practices at this stage, the more developed their nerve system becomes. They will carry this level of skill throughout their entire lives. Block play boosts many mental functions as well When a kid plays with blocks, they are improving their spatial abilities. They figure out just how each piece fits into the puzzle of what they want to create. So often, we see our children ask themselves, “Now what happens if I put this block …. right here?!” They then get to test it out and get an immediate feedback as to whether it worked as they expected. Talking about creating, their creative self can get a huge boost from block play. A child is able to see in their mind’s eye what they want to make, and then they are able to bring it into reality. This can allow another huge boost to self esteem. While all of that is going on, you would be amazed with the imagination that is being used at the same time. So often my children will bring me to see one of their block structures. These viewings are alway accompanied with a 15-30 minute supporting re-enactment about what exactly is going on with and around the structure, so often incorporating a whole batch of different toys as well. I am always in awe with the mental flexibility and sheer imagination that is displayed during these almost daily sessions. A final word All in all, when we really see what is going on, it is amazing what these simple toys can do to improve the growth and development of our future generations! Blocks are not just a toy, they are one of the greatest teaching tools you can give to a child!
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Garrett Politis is an authority on toys from renewable resources and classic toys, and is the co-owner of www.HeritageToys.com, a leading online retailer of wooden blocks.
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