Block play – Playgroup

Playgroup provides wonderful opportunities for children of all ages to learn and cooperate through block play.

Did you know?

Block play at playgroup gives children opportunities to work together to negotiate, plan and build collaboratively or to share blocks to construct individual projects. This helps build social and emotional skills, a sense of independence and belonging, as well as coordination skills.

Add language

Make comments on the building structure and ask occasional questions that require some thinking and reasoning by the older playgroup children.

Including some toy people or animals with the blocks can encourage pretend play, with people and animals interacting with the structures that have been built.

Other development

Providing the blocks and giving the children some space and time to work it out for themselves gives them an opportunity to develop and practice their social, negotiation and resilience skills.

Variations

Using boxes of different shapes and sizes can allow for some large scale block constructions, particular if using packing boxes as blocks.

Across the ages

All the activities listed on our “Play Ideas” page can be applied across different age groups. See how block play can be fun for babies, toddlers and children.

Activities listed under “playgroup” are suitable for groups of children of various ages. They provide opportunities for early learning and social play.