The Block Center for Preschool

Block Center for Preschool

What is important about the block center for preschool? Besides being a favorite space, it has significant educational value, too.

Favorite Spaces

It is one of the children’s favorite spaces in a child care center. Young children love to use the large wooden blocks to create structures. Most classroom teachers consider it one of their favorite spaces because children are thoroughly engaged with the materials. As a former preschool teacher, it was one of my favorite spaces because it was one of the top centers selected each day.

Think About the Development -The Block Center for Preschool

Those of us that have studied early childhood education know that there is more to blocks than just a place to play. In fact, the block center provides the space to build many of children’s developmental skills.

Developmental Areas

Physical Development

Children enhance their physical development by holding, stacking, and balancing the blocks. They build large motor skills through the movement of their entire bodies. As they grasp blocks during building, they are building their fine motor skills.Watch them move as they reach for blocks to add to their structure.

Social and Language Development

As they interact with other children in the center, you hear the lively discussions. “Let’s build a building for the fire trucks!” "Will you hand me the unit block?" The language skills are addressed through their exchanges.

Creativity, Emotional and Cognitive Development

The children create wonderful structures based on their own designs, therefore increasing their creativity. I've seen children spend their entire hour of free-choice play building a particular structure such as a fire department, train station, airport, and more.

Afterward, they are proud of their project and feel good about it. This enables them to feel good about themselves after their structure is completed. This "good feeling" about their accomplishment enhances their self-esteem. Cognitive development is addressed in multiple ways. “I need two of the 1 unit or 2 half units for my bridge.” While they may not realize what they are learning, they learn that it takes 2 half units to equal 1 unit block. Children sort the different sizes, count, and problem solve while playing. They think through and plan their projects which takes intellectual skills.

On The Shelf

Make sure that the blocks are stacked long ways on the shelves so that the children can clearly see what is available.Add pictures and labels to help children know where to put them back at clean-up time. See the picture above on ways to stack the blocks.

The Number of Blocks

A good block center should be well-stocked. Four children can participate at a block center with around 100 wood blocks. There should be half units, units, doubles, quads, arches, half/Roman arches, quarter circle arches, quarter circles, elliptical curves, intersections, pillars, double pillars, small cylinders, and large cylinders. While plain wood blocks are not cheap, it is well-worth the cost based on the learning potential.

The Space

Set up Accessories for Block Play

The space at the block center should provide plenty of room with a carpeted area for play. Books shelves can define the borders of the space. Stock the block area with plastic figures of people, animal sets, large trucks, buses, cars, hard hats, etc. Make sure that your figures of people represent diversity and special needs. See the photo above on how to label some of the accessories that you have for your block center. I found this on PreK Pages. There are some excellent information on the site. After a field trip to visit a fire station, you could add fire trucks, fire hats, hoses, and other items that pertain to the fire station. Like other centers, it is important to change the materials often.

Be Patient for Real Building

In the beginning, children may not want to remove all the blocks. You may notice that they are only stacking a few blocks or lining the blocks up. As children's skills develop, they will start to build bridges, roads, and buildings. I have sat down with a group of inexperienced block builders and started building something as a way to help them see the possibilities.

My Mistake at the Block Center

A mistake I use to make was to not allow the children enough time to play in the area. A group of two or three preschoolers would spend the morning Group Time building a large structure and then I would expect them to clean it up before lunch. I could see the disappointment on their faces. Thankfully, I realized my mistake and I allowed the children that wanted more time to play to leave it up until the afternoon Group Time. This gave them a full hour more to play at their project.

The Teacher's Role

The classroom teacher should move from center-to-center expanding learning. For example, she/he could have the children: 1. Sort all of the quad blocks together, 2, Match the quad picture with the quad blocks, 3. Count out the small cylinders. Through her interaction, she is challenging and encouraging. Perhaps, she could provide pictures of a fire house to encourage the children to build the structure. The classroom teacher should keep a record of the observation for each child. Do they need more help with fine motor skills? Is Christopher sharing the blocks? Was Kimberly using the words “dispatcher” that she heard in the story that I read today? All these anecdotal notes should be added to a record to file away on each child and share with parents/guardians during conferences.

Tip on Taking Anecdotal Notes

Keep sticky notes with you on a clipboard as you go from center-to-center. Simply put the child's name down, date, and the statement or the accomplishment that you observed. During nap time, the teacher can add the notes to the children's folders.

The Block Center for Preschool

The block center is one of the most favorite spaces in a preschool classroom. The teacher should keep it interesting by changing out some of the items to add novelty to the experience.  You can find more information on the NCSite. You may be interested in the page titled Advantages of Learning Centers.

I hope this article, The Block Center for Preschool, has been helpful. I would love to hear your comments.

Wanda Wyont

Wanda has worked over twenty-five years in the field of early childhood education. She owned and operated a preschool for over ten years and taught early childhood education on the college level for over fifteen years. She holds an MA in Education (Birth-Kindergarten). Recently, she published her second children's book, Barkley's Great Escape.