#1
LET’S READ!
Some people think building blocks have been around since prehistoric times, with the first ever building block being a rock or a piece of wood. Makes sense, right? But building blocks didn’t officially become a painted kid’s toy until 1820, when someone by the name of Hill had the idea to paint a block surface with two colors. That was the first time that mass production of toy building blocks ever started!
Throughout the rest of the 1850s, a few other people made their own models of building blocks, and during the 1900s, the production of these toys grew and grew until there were all kinds of them–that’s how we have all the different blocks we have now! Lincoln Logs became popular in 1924, Legos came around in 1932, Megablox were invented in 1967, and by the 2000s, building blocks were one of the most popular kids’ toys! Now, in 2022, new kinds of toy blocks are being built, like ones that connect with magnetic sides!
LET’S TALK!
1. Talk about building blocks. What are they? How do you use them? What can you do with them?
2. Did you have building blocks as a child? Did your friends? Do you have any good memories of playing with these blocks? Tell your child what your experience was with blocks growing up.
3. Have you built anything big or significant with building blocks before? If you have pictures, show them to your child. If not, tell them about it!
#2
LET’S READ!
You can make so many things with building blocks, like houses, castles, fences, barns, rockets, and more! Different kinds of blocks are good for different projects. For example, wood blocks might be better for buildings that need to be heavier and sturdier, like a castle or a barn. But plastic blocks are great–especially interlocking ones like Legos–for things like spaceships. And magnetic blocks are awesome for building pretty much anything. Just Google it and you’ll see!
Blocks can be all different shapes and sizes. For example, Lego pieces can range all the way from the size of your pinky nail to the size of your entire hand. Some of them are big square panels and others are little circles. Some Lego sets even come with plastic animals or action figures!
Meanwhile, Lincoln Logs are all pretty similar. They’re the same width, but there are three different lengths: short, medium, and long. The difference in size is small, but it allows you to build lots of really cool cabins and mini-towns.
LET’S TALK!
1. Do you have any toy blocks in your home? Show them to your child.
2. If you have building blocks, show your child the differences in size between them. Teach them which blocks are bigger and which are smaller.
3. If you could build anything with blocks no matter how crazy, what would you want to make? Tell your child, then ask them what they would make!
#3
LET’S READ!
Building blocks are great toys because they have so many benefits for little kids like you! They help your brain and body develop in important ways.
First of all, blocks teach your brain how to switch between activities quickly. We call this “cognitive flexibility!” This skill will be really important as you grow older. Plus, even though playing with building blocks doesn’t require reading, it’s scientifically proven to help kids read better. Building blocks also encourage creativity and problem-solving skills. That means that building blocks are a great way to help kids learn the things they need to succeed in school!
Blocks also help develop social skills. If kids build something with other children or with their parents, it gives them the opportunity to practice cooperation–or working with other people to reach a goal. It also allows kids to take turns and share with the people they’re playing with.
Finally, playing with blocks helps develop the muscles in your fingers and hands! You have to be careful when you’re building a tower or a house, because you don’t want to knock it over. When you practice this caution as you build something, it helps your muscles get better at precise work!
LET’S TALK!
1. Talk to your child about how to build something high. What is needed? (A flat surface, caution, lining up all the pieces correctly, a strong, wide foundation, etc.)
2. How long does it take you to build something with blocks? Why?
3. Which block is your favorite?
#4
LET’S READ!
One of the reasons toy blocks are so great is because you can build whatever you want. If you can imagine it, you can make it! If you want, you can make a new thing every single time you pick up your blocks. Or, you can start a big project and work on it for a few days, or even a few weeks!
Another reason to love toy blocks is because scientists love them, because along with all the other things playing with blocks teaches you, it also builds skills in math and science. Kids who play with blocks a lot are more likely to become mathematicians and scientists!
To get the most out of block play, there are some things you can do! First of all, you can play with other people. That’s always fun! Second of all, tell stories as you play and build the buildings in your story. And third, add some challenges–build difficult things! Have fun and remember if you can think it, you can do it!
LET’S TALK!
1. Do you like building with blocks?
2. What’s the longest period of time you’ve ever spent building with blocks?
3. What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever built, and why was it difficult?
VOCABULARY WORDS:
build, building, block, stack, house, castle, barn, wood, plastic, lego, up, fall, gravity, crash, foundation, surface, flat, smooth, tip, lean
ACTIVITIES:
• If you have some building blocks, get them out! Let your child touch and feel them while you talk about them. Help them stack the blocks and build something.
• Tell your child a story–or read them a knowonder! story–and encourage and challenge them to build the structures that come up in the story. For example, if the character lives in a house, build a house!
• If you have toy versions of things like cars and people, have your child build a mini-scene. Think of all the things that might be present in real life and try to build them!
RESOURCES:
1. Let’s Build a Fun Marble Maze out of Building Blocks! (YouTube Video)
2. Building Blocks for Kids (YouTube Video)
3. Mega Bloks – Let’s Build a Playground! (YouTube Video)
4. Building Blocks – The Fixies (YouTube Video)
5. When I Build With Blocks by Niki Alling (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012)
6.Changes, Changes by Pat Hutchins (Aladdin Picture Books, 1987)
7. If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen (Rocky Pond Books, 2012)
8. Architecture Shapes by Michael J. Crosbie and Steve Rosenthal (Preservation Press, 1993)
9. Roberto, The Insect Architect by Nina Laden (Chronicle Books, 2000)
10. Look at That Building! by Scot Ritchie (Kids Can Press, 2011)
11. Block City by Robert Louis Stevenson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005)
12. Let’s Build by Sue Fleiss (Two Lions, 2014)
13. Billions of Bricks by Kirt Cyrus (Henry Holt and Co., 2016)
