Blocks are one of the children's favorite learning materials. We have several different kinds of blocks:
- soft, cloth blocks that the babies touch, throw, and stack.
- table blocks for building, putting into containers, and stacking.
- a set of wooden unit blocks that the older children build with and use for make-believe play.
The children have many creative ways of playing with blocks. They measure different spaces; they create original designs; they use them as pretend "foods"; they use them as doll beds; they create houses and zoos.
When the children are building with blocks they learn about sizes, shapes, colors, amounts, and why it's important to build on a sturdy base. They do this by counting blocks, discovering which ones are the same shape, and learning the names of the different shapes. The children learn to share and develop their language skills as they play together and talk about their block structures.
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