Building Area

Building with blocks helps children develop both their fine and gross motor skills.

Bring It Home

  • Allow your child to build with blocks at home. Make sure the blocks are age appropriate (larger blocks for smaller children and smaller blocks for older children). Recycle things you find around the house – such as empty milk cartons. 
    • For instructions on how to turn a milk carton into a block click here
    • To view a short video entitled “Can Blocks Build a Math Whiz” click here.
  • Allow your child to build with unconventional items - differently shaped objects give children experience touching and holding a variety of textures, shapes, etc.
  • Other activities that help build fine motor skills include: gluing, cutting/tearing paper, lacing, playing with play-dough, threading beads, sorting small objects (beads, pebbles, buttons).

Here are some ideas to support literacy development:

  • Point out signs and letters in their environment (i.e. road signs, food packaging).
  • Read, talk and sing with your child daily, these activities are the foundation of literacy development.
  • Encourage age-appropriate literacy activities (please see our website for a resource that provides information about age-appropriate literacy development).

Last updated September 14, 2017