Preschoolers Building Skills with Blocks

During the day for our preschool students, children have the opportunity to visit many different centers.  One popular center is our Block Center.  The block center is filled with materials for children to build and create different structures, roads, and designs.  Children are provided with different types of materials such as wooden and foam blocks, foam and cardboard bricks, cars, ramps, and cards with suggestions for things to build and replicate using their materials.  The block center does not need to be limited to blocks.  Children love building with anything!  Legos, playdoh, cups, small boxes, cans, water bottles, even making a fort with your couch cushions and a blanket falls into the realm of building.  Children start stacking blocks at a very early age, so it is no surprise that children develop a plethora of skills while pretending to be architects.  

When children play with blocks, they are developing many skills.  First, they are playing with an open-ended material, so the possibilities of what they can create is only limited by their imagination.  Children can build structures that are whimsical like a made up structure, or something more concrete like their home or school.  Many science and math skills are developed during block play.  Children build structures that are wide, flat, tall, short, balanced, unstable, stationary or something with movement.  They can measure with blocks to see how tall they are, and group them according to size, type or color.  Children can build relationships with other students as they collaborate to construct something new and exciting.  During this process, they learn to take turns, develop listening skills, provide feedback and make new friendships.  Children also strengthen things like fine and gross motor skills, as well as strengthen their attention as they careful craft their creations.  The value of block play is powerful and works on many different skills as children continue to learn and grow.  And the best part is they have fun while they are learning!