Look into the playroom of many children across the country and you will likely see at least one thing in common: the presence of building blocks. To be sure, a set of building blocks is often considered one of the best toys to help young children in various areas of development; with a set of blocks kids can learn how to construct various buildings, can learn about the basics of construction, and can even develop a rudimentary understanding of some of the most simple concepts within the world of physics.
Of course, there is no question that kids’ building blocks are great for teaching children about building; however, you can also utilize these blocks in a number of other ways to cover a variety of different topics. So this year, we want to help you find a new use for a set of building blocks; simply bring home these great sets we have to offer, and try these fun games with building blocks that are fun and educational for little ones.
Building Blocks of All Colors
For many children, learning how to differentiate between shapes is not a difficult task. In only a short period of time, little ones may be able to correctly label a triangle, a square, and a circle, largely because they have the ability to grasp onto the shape, feel it in their hands and see it with their eyes, and use these senses to ultimately determine the answer. This may not come easily to all children; however, it is something that many toddlers are able to grasp fairly quickly.
Colors, on the other hand, often pose a significant amount of difficulty. While children may be able to remember the names of certain colors, correctly applying them in real life is generally more difficult. Perhaps because colors are more abstract, and cannot be held and felt in the same way as shapes.
If your little one is having trouble learning colors and their application, you may benefit from bringing home the Goodwood Interlocking Blocks to use during playtime. This awesome set of building blocks comes with heirloom quality wooden blocks in six different colors: orange, red, green, blue, yellow, and purple. And to help your child learn colors, try a game with building blocks where you ask him or her to separate all of the red blocks, or collect all of the blocks except for the green ones. This great building block activity will incorporate the fun of playing with blocks with learning colors.
Let’s Learn the ABCs
It is not uncommon for even a toddler to remember the sequence of the alphabet through the use of a fun and melodic song. Many little ones learn the ‘alphabet song’ at a young age, and are able to recite the letters, one after another, quickly and with confidence.
The problem remains that, while the toddlers can say the letters in order, they can’t separate them out individually, and they may not even be able to identify them visually. This is easy to change, however, with the Lower & Uppercase Blocks. This fun set of building blocks provides the perfect opportunity to learn the ABCs in a fun and interactive way. Each block contains lowercase and uppercase letters; with some practice, you can name different letters and have your child pull them individually out of a pile. This can even help with spelling later on.
Making Real Shapes with Building Blocks
Finally, as a parent of a toddler or school-age child, you may also wish to consider bringing home the Mini ShapeMaker Blocks kids’ toy as well for some extra hands-on activities. This toy is not only fun to play with, but also allows your child to use a set of colored blocks to create real shapes with his or her own hands.
To elaborate further, newborns and very young toddlers may not be able to rearrange these blocks correctly into a sensible shape, as this requires cognitive abilities and visual acuity. By letting your child play with this fun set of colorful building blocks, you give him or her the chance to create shapes with the materials at hand. Further, this fun toy allows your little one to set aside any limitations and develop abstract shapes, using nothing but his or her imagination.
Teach with Building Blocks Today
Are you ready to have some educational fun with your little one and building blocks? If so, bring home one or more of these building block sets today and try these entertaining activities together as a family.