Blocks and Manipulatives

Blocks

In the block area your child develops:

• an understanding of weight and balance through construction
• pre-math skills, concepts of big/little, more than/less than, equal to/same as, shapes, sizes, and one-to-one correspondence
• cooperative play skills
• small and large muscle skills
• divergent thinking
• problem solving skills
• planning skills

The block areas include many different types of blocks and building materials, animals, people, cars and trucks. Props and toys from one area may be moved and used to enhance imaginative play in other areas.

Manipulatives

In the manipulatives area your child develops:

• visual problem solving skills
• visual memory skills
• eye/hand coordination and small muscle skills
• classification skills, organizational skills

On the manipulatives tables, activities are changed daily and throughout the day. The manipulatives are all age appropriate and include puzzles, Legos and other small building materials, alphabet blocks, mazes, lacing beads, hammer and pegs, matching games, etc.

Playdough

At the playdough table your child develops:

• self-expression and creativity
• small muscle skills
• imagination and role playing
• social interaction
• cooperation skills
• language skills

In addition to playdough, the table is used for other sensory activities. We use gak, shaving cream, clay, gelatin, and bins of flour, corn meal, rice, baking soda, beans, water and ice. As well as providing different tactile sensations, our sensory tables provide beginning science awareness and math skills.