The benefits of construction toys

“When I was still a very new mother, an older and much more experienced lady advised me that if I invested in just one good toy for my children, it should be the best set of building blocks I can afford,” says Grietjie Thorne, a mother of two and blogger at joyfulmamasplace.blogspot.com. With the variety of options blocks offer and the skills they develop, including visual-spatial orientation, gross motor skills and maths, block play offers one of the richest learning experiences and captivates all ages.

“In our home with two toddlers our collection of blocks is one of the most played with toys by far, says Grietjie.”It’s interesting to note that many milestone charts include information about the number of blocks a child should be able to stack at crucial developmental ages.”

Although blocks are the iconic construction toy, there are other options for variety, some of which are already in your home:

• Containers around the house: If you’ve noticed that your child is less interested in the toy you just bought than the box it came in, you’ll have already appreciated the value of boxes. Boxes can also be used for construction. Spaghetti boxes, tins (if open, ensure that the edges are not sharp), cereal boxes and plastic ware, even solitary lids, from your kitchen can make great toys for your little ones.
• Plastic bricks: Although there are many different brands on the market, Lego™ is still in a class of its own. Although they’ll be one of the most expensive toys you’ll buy, they’re almost unbreakable and can be passed down to the next generation.
• Sets with flat polygons like triangles, squares, pentagons and hexagons: These sets allow kids to build triangular- and square-based pyramids, and other prisms. Being able to visualise in 3D is an essential skill for chemistry and its related fields, so these too are excellent learning tools that encourage the development of neuron pathways for later learning.

By Umm Zakariyya

Child-sized tools play an important role


umm zakariyya, books, educational toys, puzzles