Toys are expensive. Have you purchased costly toys for your children and found they fall apart? Most children like playing in and with the box the toy came in more than playing with the toy.
Children need lots of things to play with but those things don’t need to cost much, and they don’t need to be fancy, do-it-all-for-you bought toys.
Playing becomes a learning experience as children interact with materials, learn to identify textures (rough, smooth, slick), properties (round, flat, square, etc.) and develop language skills as they talk about what they are doing and learning. (Not too much of that kind of learning with video games.)
There are many “toys” you already have at home for your child to use. Best of all, most are free or cost very little, many involve recycling, and most are disposable; if they are damaged, they can be thrown away and easily replaced.
Blocks are easily the best play materials for developing your child’s math and science abilities in fun ways. Did you know there are levels of block play and that watching a child play with blocks will let you know how their mind is developing? Think about the very young children who loves to “dump and fill,” that is fill a container with small blocks and dump it out, only to repeat this activity over and over. Then think about the kids you have seen making roads, fences, and “trains” (long lines of blocks), those who make towns and those make towers or complicated structures with blocks. The basic materials remain the same, but each child is playing at their own level.
Good wooden blocks are terribly expensive. Making good, smooth wooden blocks can be a wonderful grandfather project but not many parents have time for it. There are some inexpensive substitutes for blocks that allow children the same experiences.
Learn to think about blocks as meaning any group of similar sized objects that can be stacked or lined up. Because young children love stacking towers and knocking them over, blocks that are lightweight and easily handled are good.
We have a wonderful set of blocks made from the solid foam packing used to cushion computers, televisions, stereos, etc. Ask furniture or discount stores to save them for you. Round food containers such as oatmeal, chips, grated cheese, and spice shakers make good, lightweight blocks and can easily be discarded when worn out.
Good brick blocks can be made using two clean ½-gallon milk cartons. Cut the tops off, squeeze the sides slightly of one and force the other over it, and cover with contact paper if you wish. Tin cans of any size or shape from tuna to No. 10 cans are wonderful blocks (smooth the edges to avoid injuries). These blocks are really collections of similar shapes and sizes of materials most of us have on hand. Each time you open a box or can, check and/or rinse it and add it to the collection. We eventually had more than 100 milk-carton blocks and made forts and houses with them.
There is currently much research into children who do not know how to play. Some children don’t have opportunities to use materials like these in their play. Others want to play but need some help. Parents who play with their children provide both the opportunities and can show children how materials can be used in play. Being where children are playing to encourage them with our words (“I see how you are stacking the blocks”) or to suggest ways to extend their play (“I wonder if you can stack the blocks as tall as you are?”) will let children know that what they are doing is important.
By using blocks, children can learn colors, math and physics concepts, develop eye/hand coordination and cooperation skills so necessary to school success. By using discarded containers and materials for play, children are learning about conservation and recycling as well as finding out that the toy store isn’t the only place to go for toys. And remember, blocks aren’t just for kid — you can join in, too.
Darby Kethan has a master's degree in child development, and has experience as a social worker, educator of young children, educational consultant, and as a professional trainer for a national educational foundation providing professional development to teachers. Visit her website at darbykethan.com.
