If you routinely have more than one child in your home, whether they be your own kids, relatives, or friends, a Construction Center can be a great way to corral that creative energy while giving your kids a place to learn and grow. And even if you've only got one kid under your roof at any one time, it's still a great way to encourage independent play.
A Construction Center is always a favorite with kids. All the activities are open-ended; there is no right answer. Your child will explore the process of putting things together and taking things apart. He'll also practice thinking creatively and learn how to solve problems, two critical developmental tasks.
Because a Construction Center is stocked with open-ended materials, your child will develop the ability to take different approaches to solve problems. He might ask himself, “What would happen if I...? Where will this fit? How can I make this side the same as the other one? How can I make an open space here?" All that questioning is good for brain development. So let's get cracking!
What You Need:
- A designated area
- Tape or hook-sided velcro
- Small bookcase
- Trays
- Various contruction-related toys (try Legos®, Tinkertoys®, Bristle Blocks®, Unifix Cubes®, Lincoln Logs®, or wooden blocks)
What You Do:
- Ask your child to help choose a location for your Construction Center. Construction can be loud business, so it's best to put it somewhere you won't mind additional noise.
- Use the tape (on hard floor) or velcro (on carpet) to mark off your Construction Center area. The size will depend on how many kids will be using the Construction Center. You'll want to remove the tape or velcro once a week or so and replace it after a day or two to keep from damaging the floor.
- The bookcase will store the construction materials and define one of the sides of the Construction Center. This will save you a bit of tape/velcro duty and help to define the space's purpose and boundaries.
- Use one construction material in the Center at a time. This means you'll need plenty of each type of toy for the kids to share without feeling like they have to fight for materials.
- Choose your first construction material (Legos®, for example) and fill the trays with a generous amount. You should fill one tray for every child you expect to play in the Construction Center at one time. When your child goes to work, he can grab a tray of Legos® from the shelf, work with it and when he is finished, refill the tray and return it to the shelf. Although the Legos will get mixed, from one tray to another, each builder can be responsible for refilling his own tray at clean-up time.
- If you'd like, you can include instructions with pictures to help your child get started. Eventually, he will come up with his own projects to try.
Keep an eye on play to know when it is time to change the materials in the Center. If you notice a lack of interest, it's time for a change! After one material is put away for awhile, bring it out at a later date. Your child will be glad to see an “old friend” again and will have developed enough to find new and different things to do with it.
By Sharon MacDonald
Adapted with permission from "Squish, Sort, Paint & Build: Over 200 Easy Learning Center Activities." Copyright 1996 by Sharon MacDonald. Used by Permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.
Add your own comment