A couple weeks ago I shared a short video on Instagram of our block area. Our block area has changed a bit over the years to reflect Jack (6yrs) and Sarah’s (4 yrs) evolving interests and play. Tonight I thought I’d give you a bit of a closer look of how it looks now. But Kate, we […]
At what developmental stage is it appropriate to expect children to share? 3 years old? 4? 5? And what about siblings? My sisters and I still have a little bit of angst towards sharing (terrible, isn’t it? And we’re adults!) Well I can tell you that at 3.5 and 19 months, Jack and Sarah rarely […]
contains affiliate/sponsored links Blocks are the epitome of open-ended materials. They allow a child to design, invent and create. Blocks encourage a child to think creatively, problem solve, test and hypothesise. Children can explore concepts of balance, stability and design as they construct. Blocks are also aesthetically beautiful. So, here’s my top ten blocks for open-ended, creative play. What […]
I really could never have predicted that when we gave Jack his first set of wooden blocks that he would derive so much joy from building. He spends time in our block area everyday creating; sometimes specific sculptures, other times seemingly just the cathartic repetitious motion of stacking. Through blocks, Jack and Sarah are learning to share and Jack is […]
‘Mummy! I CAN’T DO IT!’ Followed by a scream of frustration and then usually a block is thrown across the room. Jack is so focussed on blocks at the moment. He will sit in the block area for seemingly ages building. Usually this level of concentration is reserved for his drum kit. He is completely invested in […]
I’ve been having a bit of a think lately, and a bit of a read, well actually quite a bit of a read. I’ve been reading a lot about how the materials we select for our children and the way we offer them reflect our view of children. What do we believe to be true […]