Spatial skills involve the ability to see patterns and rotate pictures and objects in two- or three- dimensions. Well-developed spatial skills are important for success in diverse fields such as, engineering, science, mathematics, design, art and architecture.
Playing with blocks helps develop spatial skills in two ways:
- Spatial visualization is the ability to mentally combine different shapes to produce a new design (e.g. tangrams and pattern blocks). When children play with blocks, they learn how to make whole structures by using smaller parts.
- Mental Rotation is the ability to look at an object or a picture of an object and imagine what it would look like if it is rotated in either two- or three-dimensions. When children play with building blocks, they rotate the blocks to fill spaces or to build structures a certain way.
Children develop block building skills over time. Small children use blocks to represent single objects e.g., a car. As they grow older, children start stacking blocks or making trains by laying blocks next to each other. Between 2-3 years, children start building 2-D structures like walls and floors, by laying blocks next to each other. Children begin to start building 3-D structures around 3 years of age. Initially, these structures are piles of blocks with no inside space. Between the ages of 4-7 years, children start understanding spatial relationships and start building more complex 3-D structures with inside spaces, like bridges and tunnels.
Researchers have found that activities where children are encouraged to build or copy more complex structures help them develop their skills faster. So while playing with blocks with your children, build with them and have fun as they develop their spatial skills!
This post is based on the following article:
Casey, B. M., Andrews, N., Schindler, H., Kersh, J. E., Samper, A., and Copley, J. (2008). The Development of Spatial Skills Through Interventions Involving Block Building Activities. Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 269-309.
