What is the big deal with blocks, really?

Ever wondered why blocks remain a staple of any kid's playtime? I mean, they're just blocks...right? How great can a cube (or cylinder, or cone) be?

Truth is, early childhood educators have known for a long time that block play (PDF) is a simple, effective, and therefore indispensable, tool in the development of our kids. Playing with blocks starts kids learning basic math and science concepts (abstract) -- sorting, counting, size, shape, weight, spatial relationships -- and the imaginative story-telling that it stimulates improves language and reading skills. When you add in other kids and parents into the equation, your child develops social skills like cooperation, negotiation, and responsibility.

Worried about having to pick up the blocks after your little one is done? Make that part of the process and putting toys away can be a sorting game all on it's own.

Here's some good guidelines used in play-based classrooms:

• We build with blocks, not throw them.
• You may knock down only the tower you build.
• You may build as tall as you are.
• We keep the blocks on the carpet.
• We build away from shelves and other people and furniture.
• We take out only what we will use.
  

We've got a great selection of blocks here at Urban Kids Play, too. Stop by to say hi and check them out!

Product Review: Automoblox

We had fun dressing up and hanging out with the neighborhood an the annual Community Center festival and Helpline Kid's parade. Unfortunately, it is raining today so I thought I'd share a great product for adventure imagination play. Mix the fun of zooming around a wooden car with the fun of putting together car models and you get Automoblox.

Automoblox was designed to inspire creativity in children by allowing them to visualize and assemble cars of their own design. The Automoblox X9-X Sport Utility is a perfect mix of style and utility. It has running boards, front and rear skid plates, a roof rack and spare tire and is equipped to tackle the craggy mountain trails and stark canyon floors at the far edge of imaginations landscape.

Imagination Boost

The best thing about a child’s imagination is that it needs very little to kick it into gear. When our girls visit a friends house they always want to put on a show, which is usually a random assortment of running, hopping, and dancing to music. Here’s a fun way to give your budding actors a little more to go on (from: http://fun.familyeducation.com/):

You'll need

1. Large paper bags
2. Various household items for props

Directions
Ask someone who is not playing with you to put twelve props into the large paper bag. Things like a dust pan, scissors, underwear, wig, rag, card, toy, or anything else they can find.
Each group of two or more is given a paper bag and they must make up a skit using all the props in the bag. Have fun, laugh, and over-exaggerate!

During Thursday story time at Urban Kids Play Store: checking out what's in the bag

If you’re in the neighborhood on Thursdays at 10:30, stop in for some imagination activities and dress-up with Moon Paper Tent. We also serve free coffee for the adults and snacks for the kids.