Parentingscience.com released an article that pointed to the benefits of allowing children to play with toy blocks. Blocks and other construction toys are essential staples of kids’ playtime, and they also provide a number of educational benefits during a child’s free, unstructured playtime. According to Dr. Gwen Dewar of Parentingscience.com, kids develop the following skills when they play with blocks and other construction toys:
- Motor skills
- Spatial skills
- Creative and critical thinking skills
- Social skills
- Language skills
Why are these factors so important for young children? Further, how can magnetic building toys help children in their early childhood? Let’s take a look at how these five skills are promoted with construction toys like blocks and magnet toys.
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1. Motor Skills: Kids can improve their motor skills (or things like hand-eye coordination when they work to solve puzzles. Children between the ages of three and six, for instance, benefit most when they have puzzles between at least 12 and 20 pieces and blocks or tiles that they can sort by color, shape, and size and improve hand-eye coordination as kids learn how to fit the pieces together.
2. Spatial Skills: As stated above, these early skills with building also help kids learn how objects fit together. This is important because kids can learn how to solve puzzles and build objects.
3. Creative and Critical Thinking Skills: When kids are given a set of blocks or magnet toys to play with, they have to figure out how to put the pieces together — an essential part of problem solving. However, they also get the chance to figure out new ways of building and are allowed to make up their own designs. This can lead to career success later in life: 60% of architects and design-related professionals liked playing with blocks as kids.
4. Social Skills: Kids don’t just have to play with these toys by themselves. These types of toys are widely used in group settings, like daycare centers and classrooms. Even parents who have several children or are holding playdates in their homes can use these toys to keep all kids occupied during free playtime. When kids are having fun in an intellectually stimulating environment, they have a 25% increased chance of learning.
5. Language Skills: Letting kids play together with blocks, magnet toys, and other educational toys allows them to communicate with one another. They give names to shapes and colors, and they are then able to name pieces when they collaborate. These are essential skills for young children.
Magnetic toys and blocks that stick together and can be stacked are essential for children’s playtime. Furthermore, having the ability to solve problems on their own can be a huge boost in self confidence and well-being, especially when given longer uninterrupted periods of open playtime (about 45 to 60 minutes).
How do your children enjoy playtime? Do you give your kids science toys or other educational objects? Tell us in the comments.
