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Block Play Room

Block play is allowing children to open-endedly play with blocks without giving them a set of rules or guidelines. While children are engaged in block play, they should use their imaginations to construct or deconstruct whatever they like.

Block play is less about adults teaching children lessons and more about allowing them to use their creativity.

Most importantly, during block play, children should experience freedom. They are in control of their creations, and they can decide to build upon or demolish those creations if they wish.

Benefits of Block Play in Child Development

Block play offers many benefits for your child’s development. Here are some reasons to provide young children with opportunities to free play with blocks:

Benefit

Explanation

Improves problem-solving skills

  • Children use trial and error to help them accomplish their block building goals.

  • When they run into issues, they will need to reassess and try something else.

Fosters creativity and imagination growth

  • Children build whatever they can think of.

  • The more they build, the more their imaginations grow.

  • Building blocks can be played with in many different ways, including with other toys for pretend play.

  • Blocks are loose parts—they can be moved and rearranged by children in many ways.

Encourages self-expression

  • Children use blocks to express themselves and show what they’ve learned.

  • This helps children who are learning a new language or who struggle with speech.

Improves math skills

  • Block building teaches about symmetry, balance, estimation, counting, measurement, comparison, and pattern development.

  • Shape recognition is introduced through block play.

Improves science awareness

  • Children test hypotheses about their buildings while learning about gravity, structure, balance, weight, and spatial awareness.

  • They experiment with how to keep their blocks from falling.

Grows self-esteem

  • Children are in control of their play and making their ideas come to life.

  • They feel a sense of success when achieving their building goals.

  • By solving problems, they become more confident.

Encourages social and emotional development

  • By playing together, children learn to share, problem-solve together, take turns, and cooperate.

  • They learn to handle frustration when buildings fall.

Improves physical development

  • Block play improves hand-eye coordination, hand strength, and fine motor skills as children move pieces.

  • Gross motor skills improve as children crawl or stretch around their creations and as they lift and move blocks.

Enhances communication and literacy

  • Block play encourages storytelling skills as children explain their creations and use them in pretend play.

  • As children play with each other, their language develops while they learn to collaborate.

Builds intellectual skills

  • Playing with blocks regularly improves math skills, spatial awareness skills, and literacy.

  • This means higher academic achievement in later years.

  • A 2018 study by Sara Schmitt also found that block play improves executive functioning.