Block Play

Our block area is a very well used area of our classroom and is constantly evolving. I try to keep the materials on offer open ended and where possible natural. Here are a few things we currently have in our block play area...

And some of the children's creations...

 Dinosaurs

Houses & Castles

There are clip boards and paper, pencils and black markers available to the children and I encourage them to design what they are going to build. This has proven particularly useful when a group of children are working together as the drawing helps to communicate everyone's ideas and allows each child to pick out a particular part of the construction to work on. The children also use these materials to make signs for their constructions. 

Here are just some of the things the children are learning during block play:

• To be creative problem solvers
• How to plan and put abstract ideas into action
• To listen to and be respectful of the ideas of others
• To negotiate and solve arguments arising from differences in opinion in a positive manner
• Spatial awareness
• Mathematical and scientific concepts such as gravity, stability, balance, height, length and shape