Learn through play with Play Blocks

We've written before about how play blocks can play an important part in a child's growing up - more than just a toy, they encourage creativity, cooperation and improve spatial awareness.

To help you make the most of play blocks as a fun learning tool, we've put together these simple tips to turn playtime into an exciting and educational adventure!

Play Blocks - Learning Tips

Encourage cooperation.

Having children build together is a great way to improve their social skills and encourage cooperation. Try to set cooperative building tasks with your play blocks - perhaps you could give different children different roles - Alice could be in charge of building turrets, while Jimmy is on bridge-building duty.

Set a building goal.

Challenge your children to improvise and work towards a specific goal by setting them a building goal. Task them with building a castle with three turrets, or a tower more than four blocks high. This exercise will help improve their focus and their problem-solving capabilities. 

Involve toys and stories.

Introduce an element of role-play to playtime by including play blocks as part of a story-telling experience. Other toys can easily be added to help tell the story - the children could be building a tower for Rapunzel, or houses for the three little pigs. Introducing guided role-playing is a great way to fuel children's imaginations. 

For more role-playing ideas, check out our article on teaching with role-play.

Play together.

Get down on the floor with your children and help guide their play directly. Not only will your children love playing with you, but research has shown that children benefit the most from creative play when they have someone there to guide their playtime.

Red Monkey Play Blocks - Built Just For You

Looking for the best way to introduce play blocks to your learning environment? Our new Play Blocks are designed specifically with learning and play in mind, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes to encourage creativity and role playing.

Built from the same play-grade timber as our playground equipment, these are a first-class play product. At only £19.90 for a box of 25 blocks (including delivery!), adding some creative play to your playtime won't break the bank!

To get yours call 0116 2813 975 today, drop us an email to service@redmonkeyplay.co.uk, or simply get in touch in the comments or by social media.

Written by Tom for Red Monkey Play. For more play ideas and great play products, visit www.redmonkeyplay.co.uk.

The Importance of Play Blocks

Sometimes the old ways really are the best - it's been 100 years since wooden building blocks were first mass-produced as toys and learning tools for young children, and yet recent studies show that they are still one of the most effective ways for children to learn basic skills. Don't believe us? This BBC report highlights just how important play blocks can be in aiding learning development.

Generate, Concentrate & Communicate

Red Monkey Play Blocks come in a range of sizes and
shapes, to encourage imaginative play.

It's often modern technology that attracts children's attention these days - bright screens and colourful games - and there are some excellent digital teaching aids out there. However, experts believe that there's nothing to compare with the physical act of basic building for developing children's spatial and social awareness.

So how do play blocks help children's learning? Well, by building even basic structures, children start to understand things about the world around them. When gravity pulls their new tower down, they'll instinctively build it less top-heavy next time. When a bridge won't support any more blocks, they'll look for ways to reinforce it. These are things they'll pick up innately, just by by playing. The more they build, the more the learn about the basic physics of building.

Play blocks are also a great way for children to develop their social skills. After all, we can build bigger castles faster if we work together, right? As children start to appreciate the benefits of cooperation, they also begin to develop a greater sense of empathy for those around them.

Introducing Red Monkey Play Blocks

Play blocks may prove to be an invaluable tool for children's development; so how about getting your hands on your very own? Well, Red Monkey have you covered. We've just launched our new Play Blocks; chunky wooden blocks in a range of sizes, especially designed to inspire imaginative play in young children, and provided in a handy box.

Our new Play Blocks are available now!

A 25-piece box of Play Blocks costs only £19.90 including delivery; if you're interested in getting your hands on some, give us a call on 0116 2813 975, or alternative send us an email to sales@redmonkeyplay.co.uk and let us know you're interested!

Written by Tom for Red Monkey Play. For more play ideas and great play products, visit www.redmonkeyplay.co.uk.