Including Special Needs Children in the Block Area

 “When children with special needs and abilities are included in environments serving children who are developing typically, all children benefit”

Block Play Safety

Keeping block play safe as possible is just as important as what they learn and how they develop.

Stages of Block Play

In effort to support children reach their maximum potential while playing with blocks, knowledge on the four stages of block play can be useful information.

Homemade Blocks: The Learning Continues

Homemade blocks are a great way to continue the fun of block play away from the school setting. 

How to make similar materials:

You can build a quality block area using recycled boxes of different sixes and shapes.


Square/rectangular blocks


 

• Shoe boxes
• Tissue boxes
• Cereal boxes
• Shipping boxes
• Small appliance boxes
• Milk carton

Cylindrical blocks

• Coffee cans
• Soda cans
• Canned food cans
• Tennis ball cans
• 2 liter soda bottles

What children learn from playing with blocks?

What do children learn from playing with blocks? It’s been more than two hundred years since Friedrich Froebel introduced wooden shapes for children to explore, take apart, and put together. Since then, blocks have been shown to aid the development of young children. Blocks are seen in nearly all early childhood education classrooms and in homes that have young children. While it may seem like children are simply playing with blocks, children learn a variety of skills that shape both their academic and social growth. The reason blocks continue to be a fun toy for kids is that the potential for play and learning is exponential.  Block play builds math, science, reading and writing skills all under the guise of play.