Benefits of Building Toys

It is well documented that Building Toys offers children multiple educational benefits – especially during their early years.

Building Toys have been proven to make a difference in the way children think and complete tasks. It is a form of play that is used in all nurseries and schools to improve Early Childhood Development.

Children all have different ways of learning and thinking (at different stages too). Using Building Toys, helps make education fun and engaging!

It is no secret that children learn faster in their early years. This is why open-ended activities allow them to grow and develop to their full potential. Playing with a variety of building and creative toys, helps children build self-confidence and encourages their independent learning too.

Building Toys, and the way they allow little minds to develop and play with “what if” possibilities, have quite literally, helped build the modern world as we know it today!

There are not many toys that stood the test of time, but building and construction toys have. They are classic, timeless and highly beneficial. The lessons and development associated with constructive play are endless, and will provide children, regardless of gender or ability, a venue for creative thought and problem solving skills.

Introducing Children to Engineering

Some of the more advanced Buildings Sets, include parts like hinges, pulleys, gears and motors. Children quickly develop an understanding of how these parts work together to make the model move and perform specific functions.

Older children can now get the opportunity to make their own robots. Some are very basic, but some are very advanced and can even be programmed to do different things, introducing children to software programming.

The Options are Unlimited!

Benefits Include

• Gross and Fine Motor Skills While children are moving, reaching and stretching to complete their builds, they are helping to strengthen their gross motor skills. Small muscle development in hands and fingers through constructive play, will help to hone fine motor skills as children piece together different parts of their project with increasing skill and precision. While playing with building toys, children have to learn how to move and manipulate various shaped objects, big and small, as well as have the fine motor control to “click” them into place. This helps build motor strength as well as visual skills and motor planning.
• Spatial Skills Building Toys teaches children how pieces fit together and encourages comprehension of differing directions, shapes and space. Building toys help children enhance their visual-spatial skills, which is crucial for reading readiness. As they build, they have to understand spatial organization in order to create a structure that does not fall over.
• Thinking and Reasoning Every time a child builds and creates a structure, he or she has to use reasoning and critical thinking skills. They also have to ‘problem solve’ when something does not work out the way they hoped it would. These skills are what makes children become well-rounded, independent and successful adults.
• Focus and Patience Children need to work slowly and carefully to be successful at creating their designs. This helps build their ability to focus and maintain attention for longer periods of time. It also teaches the important skill of patience.
• Builds Confidence Once that masterpiece is finished, children are so proud of their accomplishments. It increases their belief in themselves which, in turn, boosts their self-confidence.
• Develop Problem Solving Skills Children need to decide what will or won’t work. They have to think quickly and readjust designs when needed. This helps build important problem solving skills which are needed in school and in life.
• Creativity The simplicity of building toys is what allows children to design and create whatever they can imagine. Using the imagination, boosts cognitive, academic, language and social growth. As they create structures, they also create stories which leads to greater verbal skills including their ability to tell stories.
• Communication and Co-operation Children learn to work together and take each other’s advice. Turn taking is also a skill gained when building together. As children work together to build a structure, they will learn to communicate their ideas, listen to others suggestions and collaborate to find the best way. Also, by encouraging “team building”, children will build confidence as they become more comfortable speaking and expanding their vocabulary.
• Hand-Eye Coordination During a child’s “build time”, they are enhancing their hand-eye coordination by understanding how they control their hands and finger movement and the connection between touch and sight. Through picking up building pieces and placing them onto a structure or by connecting interlocking pieces, children develop awareness of how, what they see, is related to their movement.
• STEM An educational program developed to prepare primary and secondary students for college and graduate study in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to subject-specific learning, STEM aims to foster inquiring minds, logical reasoning, and collaboration skills.

My Thoughts

I know the above is a mouth full, but it’s well worth reading. We are always trying to give our children a head start in life – why not do it with Building Sets? Our children will learn while they play.

I will be looking at many different types of building toys and giving you some insight into each type. With so many options available to us, it can be quite a task to decide on which type of construction set will suit your child.

If there are specific toys that you would like me to research for you, please leave a comment and I will try to assist as best I can.

All the Best

Albie