No child’s toy set is complete without a set of building blocks. It is perhaps one of the oldest children’s toys in the world. The blocks come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and complexity depending on the age of your child.
Learning experts swear by the humble toy because of the wide range of skills it develops simultaneously. Here are 5 essential skills that building blocks develop.
Problem Solving: Very often the picture of the target house, car, animal is indicated on the cover/manual and the child is tasked with assembling the blocks to represent that image. “How do I arrange this piece to make it look like that?”, “Where does this part fit?”. As a child navigates these questions, it fires up the problem-solving part of his/her brain, contributing to overall development.
Creativity: Children may choose to use the building blocks to create something entirely original and different from the task. This works the imagination and fosters creativity.
Spatial reasoning: Symmetry and mathematical skills are developed as a child negotiates building toys with varying lengths and shapes. The child estimates the size and fit of each piece and unconsciously learns about symmetry and balance.
Motor skills: In an age dominated by the mobile phone, give your child an ability to use more than just their thumbs! Playing with blocks involves grasping, pressing, pinching, removing etc. These actions strengthen a child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
Social skills & cooperation: In collaborative play, children learn to share blocks and build something together. Solving a problem by working together develops empathy and friendships at an early age.