The three children in my class this week reminded me why I love blocks so much. I had put out the blocks and some plastic lids. I made a J on the floor. (J related to our focus this week.) One child did what I "planned."
Then the kids began to build. They built independently, totally on their own and with no interaction with one another.
I watched all the learning that was going on. Kids tried different configurations and arrangements. They moved blocks around and made them "just right" for what they wanted to do.
They used every single block. We pulled some more blocks from the supply room and they incorporated them into their structures. The lids also worked into the various buildings.
One boy explored symmetry. He kept building things, adding the same things to each side or to the middle to keep balance.
One boy kept working to create a roof on his building. He figured out how to keep blocks suspended across his walls.
One girl built a rectangular wall. She worked and worked to get the triangles to balance on the columns she made in the middle of the building.
Blocks are so versatile. They allow children to explore in their own ways. They encourage different ideas and lots of creativity.
My group worked with blocks almost the entire time this week. A couple of kids did a few of the other things but the block center was the "happening" place this time. No fancy plans or unusual materials. Just lots of play and exploration.
And the best part? When we knocked down all the structures!
