Additional Information

Constructions play helps develops the following skills:

• Creativity: Everyone at some stage in their life is challenged to think creatively, more often than not, at unexpected moments. By helping a child to think creatively, it helps the brain to look beyond a one directional way of thinking. This is where ‘out of the box’ thinking comes into play. If children understand the importance of thinking different when undertaking a task, they will always use this skill in later life.
• Problem solving: Through their constructive play, a child will learn what will work and what will not. Trial-and-error is a great method in which to create structures and modify methods. Overcoming problems to build structures in a particular way will always aid creative thinking and problem solving skills.
• Fine motor skills: Fine motor skills describe your child’s ability to control their hands and fingers as they move, grip, and write. These skills improve when kids play with construction toys. Clicking pieces into place, manipulating blocks, and holding blocks and pieces of all sizes hones their fine motor skills and prepares them to dress themselves, throw a ball, and hold a pencil.
• Cooperative play: Construction play helps children to cooperate with each other in order to complete tasks. This could be something as simple as passing each other bricks or passing buckets to each other. By doing this children will strengthen their social skills and become better team players.
• Hand eye coordination: Children use hand-eye coordination whenever they build or construct. As they start building blocks, a child’s eyes send visual information to the brain to tell it where the hand is placed and if it is legible. With this information, the brain generates instructions for how the hand has to move in order to create appropriate shapes.

There’s so much more to construction play than meets the eye!