Blocks

[midaycare]

Are my kiddos - all 2.7 and under - the only ones who never play with blocks? I have Duplos and mega blocks and bristle blocks and Lincoln logs ... No one ever touches them!

[Mom o Col]

Blocks of any kind..rarely played with here as well. I don't get it.

[SignMeUp]

Building is problem-solving, something many children are not given the time to do.
(I don't mean at childcare)

[daycarediva]

I had to really introduce the blocks/block play.

Sit down and build a city. Add cars. People. Make a zoo. Whatever your current crew is interested in. For one, it was a castle, for another it was a police station. They ALL play blocks now. I always say to them "Blocks can be anything."

[Annalee]

I change out the kinds of blocks monthly and add different accessories each time (dinosaurs, farm animals, zoo animals, all kinds of peoples, transportation)...interlocking blocks are considered manipulatives by QRIS so our block center has to have blocks of different sizes that are to be stacked but do not interlock anywhere...the pp is exactly right, sometimes we have to role model to the kids how to play with certain things including blocks.

[Indoorvoice]

I had to teach how to play blocks too. It really helped to introduce extra items to the block area. For our fall theme, I had sticks, leaves, and pinecones. Right now we have feathers. They come up with a lot more creative ideas that way! They also love using blocks as food in the kitchen area for some reason so I let them take the blocks wherever as long as they put them back.

[Indoorvoice]

Sorry daycarediva and annalee! Must have been typing while you were posting good ideas!

[melilley]

My kids are 11 months to young 3 and they all play with the Megablocks and the wooden blocks that I have. They love to build towers and will sit there forever!

[midaycare]

I never thought it would be something I had to teach. My own DS just sat down, started building, and never stopped! They were his favorite thing.

[AmyLeigh]

My dc kiddos are older, (4 and up) but the mega blocks and Legos are the most played with toys. They can't even clean them up without stopping to build something.

[Heidi]

I never thought it would be something I had to teach. My own DS just sat down, started building, and never stopped! They were his favorite thing.

Same here. As much as I hate having to play with them (I honestly don't think I should have to), we have been periodically doing that. They are now starting to actually build things. Mine are all under 2, though.

[DaveA]

Most of my kids love different types of blocks, but I have one who won't touch them unless involved with another child or prompted by me. He's my "shuffler": goes from someone else's plan to someone else's plan. Never creates his own unless prompted/ guided by me. Can tell he spends WAY too much time on TV/ Ipad when at home. It's been a challenge to get him to play independently.

Otherwise if I didn't have blocks in the classroom there might be a riot.

[midaycare]

Most of my kids love different types of blocks, but I have one who won't touch them unless involved with another child or prompted by me. He's my "shuffler": goes from someone else's plan to someone else's plan. Never creates his own unless prompted/ guided by me. Can tell he spends WAY too much time on TV/ Ipad when at home. It's been a challenge to get him to play independently.

Otherwise if I didn't have blocks in the classroom there might be a riot.

Ha ha, "shuffler". I like that.

[Meyou]

Mine love them. I don't keep them with the general toys and we only play with them 2-3 times per week but they will play all morning sometimes with lots of blocks and a small bin of animals and people to play with.

[proudmommyofthree]

Mine love them. I don't keep them with the general toys and we only play with them 2-3 times per week but they will play all morning sometimes with lots of blocks and a small bin of animals and people to play with.

Same here, my dcks love playing with the blocks. They use little people or little figurines to along with whatever they build. They use mega blocks, duplos and bristle blocks. The ages I have are between 3-10.