Building Toys for Preschoolers

Building toys for preschoolers are exceptional educational toys. As children construct using interlocking bricks, nuts and bolts or wooden blocks, they are using reasoning skills and critical thinking. They are learning about how things work. With trial and error and planning, they are discovering how to build a tower so that it doesn’t collapse, and they are witnessing gravity in action when it does fall down. They are adding wheels so their creation can roll down a ramp, now learning about speed and velocity. With more sophisticated building toys, they may be experimenting with gears, levers and pulleys. They are becoming aware of early engineering skills.

Building toys are also great fine motor skills toys for preschoolers. Children will need to move and manipulate various shaped objects using their fingers and hands. They will be perfecting eye hand coordination as they place pieces together. Depending on the building sets, this may require threading, twisting, pushing, hammering or grasping. The preschoolers are improving finger strength and dexterity. The larger sized building sets, such as jumbo nuts and bolts, are specifically designed toys for fine motor skills for toddlers. The pieces are easily grasped by small hands and smoothly thread together.

Building toys for preschoolers help with early math skills. Kids are learning about one to one correspondence. They are matching pieces together and comparing length and quantity. They may be making patterns such as largest to smallest or estimating how many pieces are needed. These are all necessary concepts for future math understanding.

Even wooden alphabet blocks which are a simple and traditional building toy, provide opportunities to practice fine motor skills and learn early math and engineering concepts. They are more than just alphabet toys for toddlers.  Another classic building toy is a set of small wooden blocks in a variety of shapes such as cubes, cylinders and cones. These blocks are so good for math skills. The preschooler will put together two triangles to make a cube, or match 2 short blocks to a long one. They are recognizing shapes for geometry awareness.

Building toys for preschoolers offer so much. They are open ended and encourage creativity. The toys can be used both independently and in cooperative play. They also grow with the child; a toddler may simply pile blocks together and an older child will create a rocket ship. Building toys are excellent educational toys for toddlers and preschoolers.