Junajuno's Educational Emporium

Of all the toys your child plays with, blocks might be the most important. In the early 1900s Caroline Pratt, an innovative and pioneering New York City teacher, recognized the value of a simple set of wooden blocks to expose children to mathematical principles through play. The set she developed, Standard Unit Blocks, vary proportionally in size. However, blocks are important even before your child is old enough to start experimenting with size or proportions. Children can use a well-made set of blocks for years, getting more out of the activity at each stage, making them a great investment in your child's development. For an infant, learning to grasp, lift and hold a block is a triumph. As toddlers they begin to develop muscles and imagination as they start lining blocks up and building small structures. For children ages 3 and up, blocks become a passage to their quickly developing fantasy world and they can realize larger, more sophisticated structures and develop a finer sense of balance. Block play in schools helps children develop important social skills, like sharing and respecting someone else's creative decision. Blocks also encourage language development and shape recognition as children master a vocabulary for selecting the size and shape block they want. The open-ended possibilities of block play helps children make individual, confident choices that develop their own creative confidence.

How children play at different ages Finding toys for infants can be intimidating because many people don't understand how infants play. Rattles and objects with sound elements are fascinating for infants. Rattles with a moving interior part, can give children one of their first ''cause and effect'' experiences. Soft knit balls and safe cars without moveable parts are interesting over and over as children gain more understanding of objects and motion by the day. Infants don't need much to be interested and entertained. As children get older it is important to try to match their toys to their level of development so that they are challenged but not frustrated. While many toys have age ranges printed on the packaging, it is really important to know your child and make choices based on their individual needs. At age two and three most children are really creating a base understanding of motor skills and orienting objects in space. Block play is a lasting exercise that can start as early as one and continue throughout childhood as children mature and create new ways to use blocks. After age three children are developing more language and social skills. Games start to be fun for them, and ride-on toys give them much needed exercise and balance control. There is a wide variety of Montessori learning materials that offer children important learning experiences through play and sensory exploration. Like safety concerns, it is important to watch how your child plays both alone and with others, to ensure that you are giving them the best toys possible for them to grow into confident, creative individuals.