Math Learning
"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play."
--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Block Play
Block play has many benefits. In regards to math, children learn shapes and how shapes fit together to make other shapes or structures. In addition, they learn problem solving, team work, planning and organizing and they get the satisfaction of having created something. A good way to extend the vocabulary and concepts learned through block play is to snap a picture of the child's creation. It is something they can refer back to that has an emotional connection to them. It is something they will WANT to talk about.
Building with Imagination
Fire Truck
Benefits of block play: Imaginative Play, Problem Solving, Social Skills, Math skills
Vocab: stack, cube, triangle, rectangle, square, cylinder, anything else
Vocab: stack, cube, triangle, rectangle, square, cylinder, anything else
Two tractors hauling rocks and dirt.
Andrew used his imagination to build a tractor out of this small set of blocks that we bought at Ikea. He used pennies as rocks and dirt.
A garage for tractors
Pretend Play
Roast Beast
Before we bought our Melisa and Doug set, we gave Andrew some old wood scraps from a building project. We let him draw on them and build with them. At Christmas time we watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He liked to pretend his blocks were roast beast and he put them in the fridge.
Adding Objects to Block Play
It's fun to add objects to children's block area and see what they do with them. Kids tend to find anything and everything to add to their play.
Possible Objects to add: (based on age of child and if they put small objects in their mouths or not):
Broken Styrofoam pieces, pennies, dry beans, sticks, rocks, or cardboard (large or small), etc.
Possible Objects to add: (based on age of child and if they put small objects in their mouths or not):
Broken Styrofoam pieces, pennies, dry beans, sticks, rocks, or cardboard (large or small), etc.
AZ Museum For Youth
We love to go to the AZ Museum for Youth. They have this area where children can build and crash blocks. These blocks in a social setting are great for developing gross motor skills as well as problem solving, planning and organizing, social skills such as sharing and team work, and sizes and shapes.
http://www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com/
http://www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com/