What are the Benefits of Building Blocks for Toddlers & Preschoolers?

Building blocks are a great toy for kids, and are particularly challenging and enjoyable for toddlers and preschoolers who are eager to learn about their environment. They may seem like the most common types of toys, but they’re anything but boring. Blocks are generally amusing, the joys of constructing and stacking are clearly seen but your little ones also learn a lot.

The benefits of playing with building blocks include developing problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking and building both fine and gross motor skills. Building blocks are not only beneficial for your children’s development, they also help with mental, physical and social growth.

Contrary to the popular belief about building toys, they are not just for entertainment. There are many benefits of building blocks for toddlers. With building blocks as a part of their toy set, children can learn a range of skills and cognitive capabilities. It can also be a great way to have fun!

What are Building Blocks for Kids?

The benefits of block play are numerous but what exactly do we mean by building blocks? Building blocks are a classic gift that offers children many possibilities to improve their critical thinking abilities, motor skills, problem solving skills, and much more. Building blocks for kids are construction toys that are super fun and challenge the children’s thinking while also allowing solo and collaborative fun.

Benefits of Building Blocks for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Building blocks have always been a favourite among children since they’re both fun and challenging. But there are some benefits of building blocks in early childhood that might take you by surprise.

Concentration

If kids can’t concentrate, then they’ll find it hard to build good communication skills. One of the great benefits of stacking blocks for toddlers is building concentration.

For kids to be able to engage meaningfully with others requires well developed concentration skills as early as possible. Building blocks for kids are a great way to improve their concentration level and cognitive thinking.

Spatial Awareness

Building spatial awareness is a great benefit of blocks for toddlers. Spatial awareness requires knowledge of forms, space, places, directions, and movement. This is a fundamental skill to develop before toddlers can understand how other objects work. Simply sitting down to play blocks with your toddler naturally introduces them to this concept. 

Puzzles are also a great activity to introduce them to this skill. Check out our post on benefits of puzzles to learn more.

Shape Recognition

One of the most obvious benefits of building with blocks for toddler is learning their shapes. Children’s building blocks can reinforce shape recognition with your kids. Discovering just how often circles, squares, and triangles occur in our everyday life make them relevant to children. Blocks can stimulate your child’s imagination with colours that help children learn about shapes with endless options for building!

Fine Motor Skills

Building blocks benefits also extend to motor development. Fine motor skills include important movements like grasping, reaching, and moving that allow children to perform essential everyday activities. Playing with building blocks strengthens their fingers and arms, while also developing their hand eye coordination.

Check out our post on imaginative play ideas for more activities to enhance their fine motor skills.

Creative thinking

Children can freely move toy building blocks since they are loose pieces, giving them the opportunity to mix and recombine them over and over. Just because kids are little, it doesn’t mean they don’t have great ideas!

The benefits of stacking blocks for babies and toddlers are far reaching but for more activities to exercise their creativity freely, check out our post on the benefits of painting next.

Different Types of Toy Blocks for Toddlers

Toddlers building blocks toys come in all shapes and sizes, from basic blocks of wood to high-tech building systems. The specific block play benefits may depend on what type of toy blocks you choose. They may seem like simple toys, but they are the best at offering multiple colours and shapes and they are an all time favourite among toddlers and parents.

Wooden Building Blocks for Kids

There is something uniquely comforting and enchanting about wooden blocks for toddlers. They are versatile, offer endless ways for educational and social exploration and they are way better than plastic toys! Wooden building blocks not only last longer, but they also biodegrade faster.

Building blocks made from wood are natural and traditional toys that help children to learn and never go out of style. Every toddler should have at least one set of wooden toys to build their creativity and to start engaging in play.

Soft Climbing Blocks for Toddlers

Big blocks for toddlers can keep them safe and secured as they have a non-slip bottom to keep the blocks in place. Climbing blocks offer more than fun and excitement to toddlers. It helps them to develop motor skills and improve their coordination.

These soft blocks are perfect for both indoor and outdoor activities. Climbing is a natural behaviour that can promote motor skills, creativity, and confidence! Soft blocks provide a safe area for children to crawl and climb as they master their new skills.

Magnetic Blocks for Toddlers

Magnetic blocks for toddlers come in different shapes and colours that can be used as a well-made educational tool for children. Your toddlers will have a lot of fun making these construction tiles into various designs, but they will also think about shapes, patterns, letters, and numbers.

These toys can entertain your toddlers in fun indoor activities when they can’t go outside. Magnetic blocks are a trendy toy that gives entertainment and has educational value. They are not heavy and the edges are not sharp, therefore they are completely safe for your kids!

Stacking Blocks for Toddlers

A normal part of a child’s growth includes stacking and arranging objects. One fun way to do so is by playing with stacking blocks, which are great for your toddlers! The sorting and sifting is a representation of what’s going on inside the brain of your child. They’re figuring out what goes together and how their world works.

Stacking blocks may look old-fashioned, but they have helped generation after generation to learn new skills. You can even demonstrate how to do the tasks, to facilitate your child’s development. Blocks remain one of the best toys you can give to your toddlers!

Looking for more toddler toys? Here are all our favourites for two year olds and three year olds!

Conclusion

Building blocks are often some of the toddlers’ and preschoolers’ first toys, but their impact can last a lifetime.  By simply playing, kids learn about colours, sizes, and numbers, while also improving their cognitive and motor development, spatial awareness, creativity and more. 

Take a look at our article all about toddler wagons for some fun block wagons. Then check out all our other playtime tips.

Sophie Marie

Sophie Marie is passionate about providing the very best for her kids and her family. She spends half of the year living in an isolated community in Far North Queensland so online research and finding the best products is a skill she's perfected over time.
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