Block play – Baby

Simple wooden blocks will be used in a variety of ways over many years, making them a valuable addition to the toy collection.

Did you know?

Playing with simple chunky blocks helps babies to use two hands together when holding and exploring the block.

As they grow and develop, your baby may enjoy holding a block in each hand and banging them together.

Add language

Provide the words that describe what baby is seeing and doing e.g. “blue block”, “red block”, “bang, bang, bang”.

Other development

Placing blocks into a container helps your baby practice the essential skills of grasp and controlled release.

Learning to place one block on top of another helps your baby learn about position in space and refine their placement skills.

Variations

Try providing a range of different sorts of blocks e.g. wooden, plastic, or textured. You can make light and colourful blocks out of milk cartons.

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 toddlers, children and playgroups.

Activities listed under “baby” are suitable for children under 12 months. This age is largely about babies exploring their own bodies and the world around them from the safety of a close relationship with their caregiver.