“A simple geometric shape could become any number of things to a child. It could be a truck or a boat or the car of a train. He could build buildings with it, from barns to skyscrapers. I could see the children of my as yet unborn school constructing a complete community with blocks.” –Caroline […]
There are a few approaches to offering materials to children for play and exploration. There are toys and materials that are accessible to kids in those bins, bags, and boxes. There are the structured plans: a craft or an activity, designed to be followed (roughly) step by step. Then there is something in the middle: […]
In this episode, mom, architect and teacher, Lauren Magee, continues her conversation with Yale University’s Dr. Carla Horwitz about Unit Blocks and what makes them the most essential toy during early childhood. Carla shares her passionate knowledge about block play and early childhood education and explains why blocks are the ultimate natural toy for young […]
We know that children are going to play, no matter what: through good days and bad days, celebrating their interests and digging deep into the unknown. No matter what materials we have around, kids will play with them. We can choose some of the materials, of course, when we buy or acquire toys. The other […]
The world is a naturally playful place. Children don’t need to be in a playroom or at a park to explore playfully. In fact, they’re often playing when we don’t have time, and when it definitely doesn’t go along with our adult agenda. This is because children will find the inherent playfulness of all materials […]
“In play, a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.” – Lev Vygostsky* Picture a child at play, with materials and ideas they are interested in: perhaps some classic unit blocks. They are balancing and stacking in ways […]
