Stacking blocks (like the awesome ones shown below by Melissa and Doug Toys. Please note, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases; this costs you nothing. To learn more, see my disclosure policy) are an excellent and simple way to build fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and work on vocabulary and math skills (color, geometry, and spatial/relational language and concepts), so what better type of activity than this to start the series off with. Blocks are ubiquitous, and it is likely you have some at home. This activity is best for younger toddlers (~18-2 or 2.5 years, depending on your child), but can be modified for older ones as well. It is also something you may be doing already; if so, just know that you are on the right track with promoting valuable cognitive skills.

Fine Motor Skills/Hand Eye Coordination: Model building a tower with blocks, and encourage your child to join in. Let them try starting one themselves, too.

Want to learn more about Fine Motor Skills? Check out these great resources!

• Fine Motor Skills: What You Need to Know
• Help Your Child Build Fine Motor Skills
• Fine Motor Control

Vocabulary Skills (Color, Geometry, Spatial/Relational):

• Label the blocks based on color. Ask your child to do the same (e.g. "What color is this?"), or to select a block by color ("Can you find me the red block?").
• Label the blocks based on shape. Ask your child to do the same (e.g. "What shape is this?", or to select a block by shape (e.g. "Can you find me a square block?").
• Use spatial/relational terms as you build. These are challenge for young children, so building towers with blocks offers a great opportunity to model them. For instance, "let's put the red block above the blue block", or "let's put the blue triangle next to the tower". If your little one is a bit more advanced, try building a bridge with blocks (Duplo and Mega Blocks* are great for this as well) and using terms such as "let's put the red block under the bridge", "let's have your doll go through the tunnel in the bridge", or "let's put your toy on top of the bridge".

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Counting Skills: Work with your child to count the blocks while you are building. Try counting how many blocks fall into each type of category (color, shape). ​

STEM Skills: Believe it or not, stacking also requires planning (informal hypothesis building) and execution (testing of hypotheses). What will make the tower tip? How can you balance one block on another to ensure the tower grows ever taller? Learning to test cause and effect is a great way to build early STEM thinking strategies. If you have an older toddler, try asking them to make predictions ("What do you think will happen if you put a block here") and engage them to discuss their process, too!

This activity may seem incredibly simple, but it offers a multitude of ways to work on several cognitive domains. ​

---

More Products to Check Out!

Disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. I may receive a small commission from any purchase made. It costs you nothing. To learn more, see my Affiliate Disclosure Policy.

Looking for other block products for your toddler? Check out these excellent options. My little one loves the Mega Blocks and the Duplo sets, and while we do not own the recommended Melissa and Doug products below, we love their entire line of high quality, educational toys!

LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train 10847 Learning and Counting Train Set Building Kit and Educational Toy for 1 1/2-3 Year Olds (23 pieces)

Content on this website is for informational purposes only. Read more of our information disclaimer here.