There are many ways that your child will benefit from block play. Blocks are an open-ended material, meaning that your child is free to create and imagine whatever she dreams of. When she is building with blocks, she is learning problem solving and mathematical concepts including spatial relationships, balance, and shapes.

Block City

Help set the stage for many block-building adventures.

• Lay out the tarp to define the city limits. Help your child use the ruler and marker to draw streets, parks, and other desired features.

• Trim magazines of buildings to fit onto the face of your child's building blocks. A fun alternative is to help your child take photos of buildings in your neighborhood. Capture easy-to-recognize buildings such as city hall, the library, or the firehouse. Only a few blocks have to be decorated with pictures.

• Let your child enjoy building a cityscape with the blocks.

Stuffed Blocks

Save money and add fun to your child's imaginative block play. These blocks are lighter than traditional wooden blocks as well.

• Show your child how to crumple the newspaper into tight wads.

• Have your child stuff the newspaper wads into the boxes. Be sure to stuff each box to the top.

• Securely seal each box with tape.

• If you wish, you can help your child decorate the blocks with contact paper.

Paper Logs

Here is a simple way to create safe logs for building and imaginative play.

• Spread three sheets of newspaper on the table.

• Show your child how to roll the paper into tight tubes.

• Securely seal each tube with tape.

• Let your child make a lot of these to use for building, pretend campfires, and more.