Blocks are such a simple but evergreen child’s toy. It’s probably one of the first examples we think of when the topic of play arises.
They’re versatile, relatively cheap and they may also be the key to unlocking your child’s physical and intellectual potential.
Blocks can easily be enjoyed by children as young as one year old all the way up to kindergarten age.
They can teach your child many things, and even help them achieve developmental milestones much faster.
Here are some reasons why you should definitely buy blocks for your kids to play with.
6 Benefits of Playing Blocks for Kids
They Help Finetune Motor Skills
One of the main purpose or activities when playing with blocks is to stack them up.
This is one of the first thing that children learn. But stacking blocks require precision and focus, a certain level of practice is needed before infants and toddlers are able to successfully stack blocks adequately.
It is in this respect that blocks greatly help enhance your child’s motor skills.
Skills which involve the cooperation of both mind and body to work in unison.
When a child’s motor skills are well developed, their fingers and hands get stronger and more flexible.
Allowing them to explore and learn about their surroundings, as well as their physical potential.
Stacking blocks may not be groundbreaking to an adult, but to a child, they open new doors to more opportunities for learning and play.
They Enhance Creativity
Once a child has mastered the basic art of stacking, this is when their imagination can go wild.
Blocks offer a simple means by which a child can freely express their nascent creativity.
Stacking blocks is an exercise in visualisation, whether they’re building imaginary houses or castles.
There is no limit to a child’s imagination when they have the tools to express themselves.
In this respect, blocks also help children develop their attention span as they work hard on bringing their structural ideas into reality.
If they see a lot of buildings, or objects in books and in their surroundings, playing with blocks allows them to take what they see and replicate it through their interpretation.
Something that they will be doing a lot of as adults when asked to describe physical attributes.
They Enhance Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness is the cognitive ability to understand the relationship between objects.
This usually means their distance, direction, shape, motion, location and position.
Since blocks are all uniform in shape, children are able to easily perceive their presence within the limited space that they exist.
Blocks also have many sides and they’re easy to rearrange and manipulate, which can help children visualise objects in three dimensional space.
Tumbling, holding, rolling, pushing and just handling blocks gives this experience of being able to sense the physicality of their surroundings in an intimate setting.
Something which is important in understanding spatial awareness.
It’s saying “How does this thing exist in relation to me?” Something they can’t easily achieve through drawing or writing.
They Teach Numbers and Colours
Blocks come in all shapes an sizes, but the small, coloured ones with numbers printed on them are usually the best.
This is because you can expose your child to a variety of colours and shades.
Even if your child is too young to remember the names of numbers or colours, having something bright and vivid in their line of sight can enrich their visual experience.
But if numbered or coloured blocks are hard to come by, plain wooden ones will usually do.
These can still help your kids learn how to count (with your instruction).
They Provide Tactile Stimulation
While not as exciting as some of the more textured toys, blocks may still be able to provide the physical stimulation.
Blocks have multiple sides, edges and corners.
And aside from teaching them about shape and dimension, blocks also give your child something to literally play around with.
Children, babies particularly require constant physical stimulation to keep them interested (and out of trouble.)
And blocks may just serve that purpose. They’re fun and sturdy and won’t get destroyed just after one use.
Other than that, you can also teach your child a few things about responsibility by getting them to put their blocks after they’re done playing.
They are Cheaper than Most Toys
Let’s be honest, there are so many toys in the market now.
And in some cases, they may actually be doing your kids more harm than good. They make weird and annoying noises, they pollute the environment and plus, they can be quite expensive.
Some modern toys also have short lifespans, getting destroyed in a matter of weeks due to fragile mechanical parts.
So it’s good to go back to basics and go with something tried and tested.
Toys may have originally been used to comfort and entertain children, but science has shown us that they can also be an educational tool.
Wooden blocks are eco-friendly, cheap and they’re virtually indestructible. Which means even if thrown around, they’ll more or less keep their shape.
Having Fun with Blocks
Blocks are such a fun thing for kids to play with.
And barring they’re actual use as simple toys for entertainment. They also offer a wealth of educational opportunities.
While kids can usually figure out how to play on their own, it’s also important not to forget to play with them.
Teach your little one how to stack and how to count with their blocks. Help them create impressive structures and exciting arrangements.
This is far better than just leaving them to their own devices.
With you guiding them every step of the way, they’ll soon reach those milestones in no time.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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