Toddler Week 55

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Building With Blocks

As you teach him how to play with blocks, your child will have a chance to develop his creativity skills more and more.  Maybe you can help build a house, a farm or an entire city with skyscrapers.  See if your little one can copy what you build or ask him to build something and see if he can tell you what it is!

You could also find simple pictures of various objects such as a helicopter, car, dog, etc. and work together to try to create it out blocks.  He may be a little too young at this age, but this is just one more step in to process of improving his cognitive skills and creativity with blocks.  Building blocks into shapes, letters and numbers is a proven way to work on literacy and shape recognition while having fun too.  Sorting them into colors is another activity that can enhance cognitive skills!

When the tower falls over, some children will squeal in delight while others get upset.  Help those frustrated to recognize that it’s not a big deal and that a better tower can be built. The towers made will fall over many times, whether it is from the blocks not balancing, a sibling or friend knocking them down, or him accidental touching it. If he cries over the event, help calm him down and talk about why he is crying, acknowledge the feelings and then ask how he should react the next time it knocks down- because there will be a next time. Helping children recognize their feelings as well as thinking of a plan on how he should react the next time disappointment comes, will carry over to other disappointing situations throughout the day.

When you pull out blocks to play with, try to keep them out all day, even if it can mess up your family room.  Giving your child open access to play with the same object in different ways, at various times of the day will give many opportunities for learning to occur.  At the end of the day, work together to clean up the mess by singing a fun, “tidy up” song!   

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