Last Updated on April 13, 2023 by
Do you want to contribute to the development of your child? It may seem difficult but not impossible. As a parent you should leave no stone unturned in this regard. What most parents do is that they adopt a traditional approach towards teaching. For example, most parents teach their child to explore the concept of cardboard construction toys. However, you need to think out of the box.
It is time you ask children to explore new concepts. Blocks may be the best choice.
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How toy blocks can contribute to the development of your child?
Children learn best through play, and blocks are an enduring toy that allow kids to let their imaginations run wild. Here are five ways your child can benefit from playing with blocks:
Cognitive development:
Blocks encourage logical thinking, problem-solving, spatial reasoning and hand-eye coordination. Block play also helps children develop early math skills like sorting, matching, counting and comparing; reading skills like matching shapes and letters; and science skills like balance and stability.
Language development:
Blocks provide a way for children to practice talking with others while they work together to build things. When children play in groups with different sizes of blocks (bigger or smaller), it helps them understand concepts of size. Blocks also help children learn how to take turns and share with others.
Social/Emotional Development:
Children learn how to control their emotions while they’re playing with blocks. They learn how to plan ahead before building, as well as how to deal with mistakes when they happen. Using their hands to build also gives children confidence in their physical abilities, which leads to better self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.
Fine motor skills:
Hand muscles are strengthened during block play because of the precision needed.
Improves math skills:
Block building helps develop early math skills like counting, adding, subtracting and more. For example, your child could count as she builds a tower or stack an equal number of blocks along each side of a tower to keep it balanced. When she knocks down her tower, she can count the blocks again to see if she got the same number as before!
By playing with blocks, children can learn about the concepts of size and shape. A child can learn how to stack two blocks on top of each other to create a tower or how to stack the blocks sideways to make a row. He also will learn that some shapes fit together easily while others are more of a challenge. If a block is placed in the wrong position, the tower will topple. This teaches a sense of balance and encourages problem-solving skills.
As your child plays with blocks, he might begin to identify different shapes and colors as well as develop an understanding of numbers. Children might use these basic concepts when building towers or ordering blocks from smallest to largest. As your child’s language skills develop, he might begin using words such as “tall” or “long” when describing how his structures look.
Read more: How to choose an interactive toy by age?
