We all know that playing with building toys is beneficial for kids but did anyone ever tell you why?
Building toys have significant cognitive and academic benefits for children of all ages. Not only are they fun and exciting, but they help kids develop a wide variety of skills and abilities. They help prepare kids for school, sports and life! I guess you can say that these toys are the “building blocks” for success!
Did you know that playing with toys such as Legos, blocks and K’Nex helps kids develop now AND in the future?
There are both short and long term positive effects of playing with construction toys. For instance, kids can learn basic colors and shapes which are rote and immediate, while also learning visual-spatial awareness which will help develop future reading and writing skills. Kids will also learn to cooperate with others as well as problem solve. Both skills are needed in childhood and as an adult.
Mommy University Presents
Benefits of playing with Building/Construction toys
Improves Fine Motor Manipulation and Strength
While playing with building toys, kids have to learn how to move and manipulate various shaped objects, big and small, as well as have the fine motor control to “click” them into place. This helps build motor strength as well as visual skills and motor planning.
Enhances Spatial Awareness
Building toys help kids enhance their visual-spatial skills which is crucial for reading readiness. As kids build, they have to understand spatial organization in order to create a structure that does not topple over.
Encourages Thinking and Reasoning
Every time a child builds and creates a structure or even an entire world, kids have to use reasoning and critical thinking skills. They also have to problem solve when something does not work the way they hoped it would. These skills are what make children become well-rounded, independent and successful adults!
Involves Focus and Patience
Children need to work slowly and carefully to be successful at creating their designs. This helps build their ability to focus and maintain attention for longer periods of time. It also teaches the important skill of patience.
Sparks the Imagination!
Building toys allow children to create their own fantasy worlds and stories. Using the imagination boosts cognitive, academic, language and social growth. As they create structures, they also create stories which leads to greater verbal skills including their ability to tell stories.
Builds Confidence
Once that masterpiece is finished, children are so proud of their accomplishments. It increases their belief in themselves which, in turn, boosts their self-confidence.
Helps Develop Problem Solving Skills
When building, kids need to decide what will or won’t work. They have to think quickly and readjust designs when needed. This helps build important problem solving skills which are needed in school and in life.
Encourages Children to Use Their Minds Instead of Relying on Technology
Kids today rely too much on technology so it is always beneficial to play with toys that focus on hands-on, interactive fun that requires thinking skills!
Can Lead into Pretend and Imaginary Play
Once the castle, fort, city or whatever your child creates is complete, then the story telling and pretend play begins! This is great for social and language development.
Introduction to Science
Through building, kids learn to experiment and make new discoveries about how things work. They are also introduced to worlds of architecture and design which brings them into the STEM world.
Helps Develop Math Skills
Introductory math concepts are introduced such as counting, adding, subtracting and basic geometry as kids play with building toys. Not only can children build shapes and numbers with the toys, but they can also count out the pieces and use mathematical calculations to build the perfect design.
Encourages Cooperative Play
Often times kids play with their peers when building so it helps foster teamwork and cooperation. Kids learn to work together and take each other’s advice. Turn taking is also a skill gained when building together.
They enjoy making towers, but you can encourage them to match colors or create patterns.
Are your kids not ready to build?
Some kids are either too little or just not interested in building. That’s okay because building/construction toys can be used in other ways to enhance learning. Here are some ideas:
- Label the colors and shapes of the building materials
- Sort by shape, color and size
- Count the blocks/pieces
- Use the blocks or Lego pieces as manipulatives for math word problems. For example, you have 10 Legos and take 3 away, how many do you have left?
I hope these benefits have encouraged you to head out and buy some building/construction toys. If a limited budget is a problem, then use household items such as:
- Cups
- Various sizes of bowls
- Cardboard boxes (including shoeboxes)
- Cans (including empty peanut butter jars and coffee cans)
- DVD cases
- Books
Have fun building, creating and playing! Building and construction toys can be purchased at amazon.com!
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My kids LOVE building toys!!! Magnatiles are an absolute favorite in our home
Those are great! My son plays with them at school. I definitely need to get them for my house too!
My son loves to build. What are those things called in your last photo?
My kids LOVE building toys. We have about a million Legos all over the house.
I bet your house looks like my house then, Barbara! Legos are in every room:)
My kids LOVE them! They just pile them all together. They never like building to the instructions but prefer to let their imaginations runs wild. We have K’Nex, Tinkertoys, Legos, and Goldie Blox.
Letting your kids use their imagination when building is a great way to foster development!! Those are great examples for building toys!
I used legos often with children in my kindergarten class struggling with writing. It really helps to increase those fine motor skills. PLUS, it’s fun! My 15 month old loves wooden blocks and the mego blocks.
That’s such a great idea! It definitely helps with fine motor development and visual-spatial skills, both needed for writing! Thanks for following Mommy University!
I love that by playing with legos or other toys, children are encouraged to use their minds instead of relying on technology. Today, so many children only play on their tablets or computers. They miss out on the fun that can be had by toys or the growth that comes from building things.
Thx for sharing! I am so glad that more and more parents have realized that playing can also be meaning. There’s a concept called “informal learning”. Several researches have proved that different types of toys can actually have different impacts on children’s developments. Therefore, in order to select the most suitable toys for your kids (to suit their different interests), you’d better know something about education psychology and brain development
I heard one educational subscription box which is amazing. Every month, they have Harvard educated experts curate qualified products from the market! You should definitely check this out. cubbycase.com
This is great!! I grew up with all kinds of building blocks and loved them. And as an early childhood teacher, blocks are very important to our learning space. But so many parents these days don’t seem to understand the importance and benefits. You’ve outlined them very nicely – well done.
My sister has been wondering what kind of toys she should get for her children. You mentioned that children who use building toys can build their confidence when they complete their masterpiece. Toys that are practical and can be applied to real life sound like a great option for her children. I’ll definitely recommend she look for toys that can help her children develop. Thanks for the read.
My boys love building and construction toys. Most of the toys I get them are STEM related.
It was a very good article and I got an insight to help my younger sister to build a good personality and skills.. thank you so much. Keep doing the great job. God bless u immensely.