Construction

Construction play involves manipulating one or more pieces of play materials to create something new. This may involve a variety of methods – stacking, sticking, putting together, taking things apart, sorting or moulding, to name a few.

Construction play develops all types of skills and behaviours;

• The motor skills necessary to create and manipulate the items
• Imagination skills
• Planning & ideation skills; the ability to try out and test ideas
• Perseverance when things don’t work
• When working with others turn taking and collaboration skills

Activity Ideas

• Give your child plenty of opportunity to play with construction toys; not just Duplo or building blocks but playdough (see below for homemade playdough recipe) and making things from everyday objects e.g. toilet roll tubes and shoe boxes.
• Build things with your child, talking to them all the time.  Introduce them to new worlds through your imagination.
• Construct an obstacle course together using pillows, cushions and duvets.
• Have a look at your ‘Play at Home’ book for other ideas.

• Putting together a train track.
• Making cars, rockets or houses out of cardboard boxes.
• Building sand castles.
• Building models with recycled materials.

 

Further Activity Ideas

• Add new materials to your child’s building block set- empty plastic tubs, pieces of fabric, balls of wool, shells, bottle tops, lengths of ribbon, stones etc.
• Make models from a cereal box or toilet roll tube adding lollipop sticks, buttons, googly eyes, string, sequins, felt tipped pens, tape, cotton wool, paint.

• Add new materials to playdough (see below for homemade playdough recipe) – matchsticks, lollipop sticks, googly eyes, buttons, sequins etc.

Please be aware that playdough (both shop bought and homemade) may contain wheat.  Make sure you use a wheat free alternative if there is a known wheat allergy.

• Build a den from sheets, chairs, large boxes.
• Follow instructions to build a lego model.