Stack it Up

By: Natasha


Have you ever wondered why are the blocks such a big part of our classroom? What is the connection with the dramatic play? How do you actually learn by "playing" with the blocks?

These are all very simple questions that have very good answers.

We generally start by reading a book and having a discussion where everyone is encouraged to participate. We connect the book to our lives, our experiences and things we are familiar with... and ta-daaa this is when the magic happens. Kids armed with ideas, break into groups to build with partners or on their own.

They are not just "building with blocks" they are  using this time and opportunity to represent their own understanding of how things work and even how life works. It is all about making sense.

Now you ask, ok but where is the science in all of this?

Have you ever watched your child stack up blocks ever so carefully to make a tall tower, just to see it tumble down when it reaches the particular height? They try different ways, techniques, adding the support at certain levels just to make it a little bit taller reaching a whole new level of height and excitement. When kids play with blocks they build replicas of the world around them and just like little scientists they experiment with balance, space, structure and most important gravity.

As they are building they are using the SCIENTIFIC METHOD of hypothesis, experimentation, observation and cause-and-effect to solve the problem of the tumbling tower. Here to the left you can observe the pattern of columns that are so carefully spaced out and the small ones on top. there was a lot of experimentation with the size of the columns on top, and the decision was reached that all of them need to be the same size, because if you put a long one on the side it will make everything tip over. Making a three level house that the children observed on the walk around the neighborhood took a full hour to complete and many, many times it fell down as they tried making roof and support for it.

Blocks come in so many different shapes and sizes, but all in precise mathematical relationships and so they are perfect for hands-on learning of the basic math concepts: shape, size, area, geometry, measurement, patterns and equivalencies.While playing with blocks they explore and figure out that hollow or rectangular blocks make much better bases. This early exploration helps children later with geometrical understanding.While playing with blocks they explore and figure out that hollow or rectangular blocks make much better bases. This early exploration helps children later with the geometrical understanding. They also delight in making and recognizing patterns that they have made.

As they are building, as you well know, they have so much to talk about and they LOVE sharing stories about their ships, planets, homes, families and out of this world experiences. Some young builders talk to themselves as they are consulting with their mind about next steps and their strategy. Block building is one of the effortless ways to get children to build their language skills.

Having to collaborate and use their skills to negotiate with others while working together on a project is a skill that we start working on now, but it will last for a lifetime.


And finally, the social world of blocks is of course the "pretend play" which builds and supports the development of the social and emotional skill set. Here children not just learn how to share, take turns, make a new friend, listen to others, share their own opinions but they at the same time practice LIFE.

At times blocks may be a solitary activity,

and then at times children work together.

  There is no "right" way to build with blocks, and this is what is most appealing to some children. They have to work creatively together and come to a decision on how to use them. 

So to sum it all up, block building is important because kids here get to develop mathematical and scientific thinking, collaborate, negotiate, navigate in social situations, work with limited resources and while doing so they get to construct their own understanding of not just how things work, but how life works too.