Building blocks to the future

Four reception-age children are in the outdoor block area. They have reached an agreement: they’re going to build a car. They discuss the necessary components: wheels, doors, steering wheel and seats. They swap car stories while gathering blocks. Then the discussion turns serious: How many long blocks will they need? They create piles of different shapes and look for the pieces that are the right size and shape to fit into their vision. They use the term “lock” as they stack the blocks together. Heavier blocks are lifted between two, and they negotiate with one another where each block will go. They build, refine, change and reset the blocks in their vehicle.

A race car this good needs the right driver. An argument breaks out but is resolved as two children grab separate steering wheels and climb onto the front seats. Fortunately, two are willing to be backseat drivers for now. There is rich language and storytelling as they set off on their adventure. The teacher offers a hand-drawn map on a clipboard, “there’s a lion loose in the forest”, she says, referring to a story they read earlier, “keep an eye out”. The children pencil their route carefully. Pine cones, leaves and sticks have been stowed in the boot of the car – food to eat along the way. While they stop to refuel the vehicle, a wheel falls off. One of the boys in the backseat becomes the self-appointed mechanic and directs the team to his garage.

Like stonemasons laying bricks or plumbers connecting pipes, children use loose parts like blocks to bring their ideas to life. Blocks offer limitless possibilities and allow children to learn by doing. Engineers have attributed their genius to playing with blocks.

Using the blocks

Blocks are designed to encourage creative play and child-directed discovery. Children will need lots of time and repeated opportunities to explore all the properties and possibilities blocks offer.

Resources like blocks are often overlooked due to their simplicity, but they are versatile and can inspire children and help them discover and make sense of the world around them. Blocks that are weather resistant and waterproof can be used outside for sand and water play, for example, which further enables development and enhances play.

Here’s some guidance on introducing blocks into your setting:

• Give children time to explore the blocks. They will likely play with individual blocks before beginning to build larger structures.

• Let the children take the lead in determining how to use the blocks. Before establishing guidelines about how to use the blocks, give the children the opportunity to find out for themselves what guidelines are needed. 

Observe children using the blocks. Are they building with a specific goal, or are they building for the pleasure of moving the blocks and creating?   Resist the urge to over-narrate or suggest to children what they are doing or what they need.

Simple questions such as, “What else do you need for your home?” or “Where could you find that?” are often effective in offering support while allowing children to take ownership of their play.

• What are the children talking about as they build? Are there themes? What props could you offer that would support their interests? Place a basket of natural loose parts (pinecones, acorns, seed pods) nearby for children to use in their play.

• Make a nearby area stocked with paper, clipboards, pencils, rulers, or other drawing tools. Explain that drawing your structure at the end of the day is a way to “save” the structure or share the structure with parents, even if the blocks are put away. Children might also like to “plan” their structure on paper before they build.

• Keep a log of the structures that children build. They may create the same structure or type of structure for several weeks, which develops mastery and confidence in building skills.

• Set up provocations for play. If the children are reluctant to use the blocks or have not used the block area recently, setting up the start of a block structure before they arrive is a way to say, “Come on in and continue building. Let’s find out what this will become.”

This blog was written in collaboration with Community Playthings. The blog features Outlast blocks by Community Playthings, which you can purchase here.

The freedom to create requires materials that are connectable and compatible. Outlast blocks' unique interlocking feature allows children to build completely stable structures on uneven ground. Experimenting and practising aligning the holes and buttons takes time to make the blocks "lock" together. Unlike other wooden blocks, these blocks can get wet and be used in sand and water play.