Pre-K Printable Fun
  • Home
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook Group
    • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Themes
  • Lesson Plans
  • Resources
    • Dramatic Play
    • Art & Creativity
    • Language & Literacy
    • Math
    • Physical Health
    • Science
    • Social & Emotional Development
    • Social Studies
    • For Educators
    • For Parents
    • Free
  • Join Membership
  • *New Log In
  • Store

Create a space for building and construction

10/25/2020

Comments

 
This site uses affiliate links (what's that?)
Picture
The construction center, is often referred as the "block area"-It's a place for children to engineer new creations! In this area children are learning to manipulate new objects, and they are learning new math concepts such as size (Big & small), length, patterns and color. This learning space allows them to use their creativity to duplicate the world around them, it also provides them them social opportunities to cooperate and work together with their peers.
Children go through many stages of play in this area. Don't mistake a child who is learning the relationship between cause and effect (knocking over blocks) as a behavioral problem. Instead provide them with opportunities to make these discoveries in a safe environment, with appropriate materials.
Picture
Block area and loose part play at Tykes n Tots Daycare
You will observe young children learn many new skills in this space. You may notice a young child just starting out by carrying blocks. They will eventually start piling blocks, and move on to learning how to connect them to make simple 1-2 block structures, and roads. As they learn to manipulate the items in this space you may notice them creating more elaborate engineering designs such as bridges, and towers. Eventually you may notice them incorporating other items into their designs to re-create the world around them, which results in them  creating elaborate structures.
Picture
Sheena W,'s block play area at Building Blocks Family childcare includes a variety of building materials such as cardboard blocks, soft blocks, people, cars, and farm animals. She swaps the materials based on their interests. 

Selecting a place for building 

Picture
Cassandra S. of Mud Pies and Butterflies has this great low surface perfect for building in her space. 
Picture
Cathy M. of Happy Hands Early Learning Academy built this solid surface building area using a piece of 4'x4' particle board that she covered with self adhesive tile. It provides a sturdy building area in her carpeted space. 
A living room floor makes a great construction area! If you are short on space consider a mobile tray that you can slide under your sofa (such as the one made bySmart Girls DIY ). You can equip it with a variety of blocks, and small world play items (Play people, animals, items to create landscapes, etc).
This is an important space for learning, and one that needs some room to spread out. This area is buzzing with action, so it's best to place it in an area that is away from quiet play (such as the reading area).  A flat building surface is ideal. If you don't have a flat surface consider adding a low building surface to the space, or add a board to the space that will provide a sturdier base for building.

Storing materials 

A low shelf is a great way to house the materials for this area. Small bins, or baskets can be used to hold different types of building materials. Blocks can be set on top of open shelving to allow children to visualize their materials and determine which items they want to select for their structures.
Picture
This construction space above belongs to community member Liza D.
If you don't have a separate daycare space, invest in furniture that will serve as toy storage in your shared space. 
Picture
The IKEA TROFAST storage units featured in community member Susan L.'s space provide a sturdy surface with room to store building items above and  below.

Accessories

In addition to wooden unit blocks, you can add a variety of building, transportation and small world play items to this space (See some of my favorites here).
Picture
Heidi S. of Heidi Slaters Home Childcare has included a variety of accessories in her building area. 
You can add a variety of items to create landscapes, and habitats as well. This is a great space to fill with recycled items, as well as loose parts for play. ​
Picture
Sheena W. provided the children atBuilding Blocks Family Childcare a variety of items to create their own snake aquarium. 

Add print rich materials to your space

Provide materials for children to create their own signs, draw their building plans, and label their constructions. Add books to the construction space about building, or books that show photos of buildings. You can also hang posters, or photos from architectural calendars (*Money saving tip-you can often find these at the Dollar Store). You can also laminate photos of buildings (Check garage sales, and your thrift store for books). Grab my Let's build posters here.
Picture
Let's Build Poster Pack from Daycare Spaces and Ideas that club member Rachel M, adapted into building mats! 

Use Enriching vocabulary

Discuss the materials the Children are using:
"I see you have blocks in your wagon", "I see you have added animals to your building"
Discuss the Structures they are building:
"That tower you are building is so tall", "I see you can fit several cars inside the tunnel you made", "That bridge looks strong"
Discuss building concepts:
"Those blocks just fell down", "I see you moved that block", "I see you stacked 3 blue blocks"

Show off their accomplishments

Add photos of the children's creations to the space. You can attach them to the wall, or turn them into a photo album or flip book. Another option is purchasing a digital photo frame that displays a slideshow of their constructions.

More Construction Spaces from our Community

Shop my products: 

Let's Build STEM Poster Pack

$3.00
Shop

Landmarks Around the World STEM Building Mats

$3.00
Shop

You might also like:

Free & DIY Items for your building area

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Comments
    Picture

    What can I help you find?


    Free Plans

    50+ free sample Preschool Lesson Plans when you subscribe!
    Free Lesson Plans
    Subscribe

    Share your photos on our site!

    Submit your photo!

    Popular Products

    Let's Build STEM Poster Pack

    $3.00
    Shop

    Circle Time Binder

    $8.00
    Shop

    Alphabet Play Dough Mats

    $5.00
    Shop

    Let's connect!


    By Category:

    All
    2D Shapes
    3D Shapes
    4th Of July
    Activities On A Budget Series
    Activity Pack
    Adaptive Equipment
    Addition
    Advanced Activities
    Advent Calendars And Activities
    Airport Dramatic Play
    Alphabet
    Animals
    Ants
    Aound The World
    Apples
    Aquarium
    Arctic Animals Igloos Ice
    Around The World
    Arts & Crafts
    Art Spaces
    Assessments
    Attendance
    Back To School
    Bakery
    Bathroom & Changing
    Beginning Operations
    Binder Activities
    Birds
    Black History
    Blocks
    Book Lists For Kids
    Busy Boards
    Calm Down Binder
    Camping
    Canada
    Candy Canes
    Car Wash Dramatic Play
    Caterpillars And Butterflies
    Childcare
    Chinese New Year
    Chinese Restaurant
    Christmas
    Christmas Around The World
    Circle Time
    Circle Time Binder
    Circus
    Classroom DeCluttering Challenge
    Classroom Management
    Classroom Resources
    Clouds Wind & Rain
    Colors
    Community Helpers
    Concepts Of Print
    Construction And Small World Play Spaces
    Conversation Cards
    Costume Shop Dramatic Play
    COVID19
    Craft Tutorial
    Crow Clip Cards
    Crows
    Cut And Paste
    CVC Printables
    Deck The Halls
    Dental Health
    Dentist
    Dinosaurs
    DIY Tutorials
    Doctor's Office Dramatic Play
    Donations
    Dramatic Play
    Dramatic Play Printables
    Dramatic Play Props
    Dramatic Play Space
    Early Learning Standards
    Earth Day And Recycling
    Easter
    Educator Resources
    Educator Spotlight
    Educator Tools
    Elf
    Essential Series
    Fall
    Family Friends Home
    Farm
    Farmers Market Dramatic Play
    Father's Day
    Feelings And Emotions
    Felt
    Fine Motor
    Fingerplays
    Fire Safety
    Flowers & Bees
    Focus Wall
    Forest Animals
    Free And DIY Ideas
    Free Printable
    Free Sample Lesson Plans
    Fruit And Vegetables
    Fun In The Sun
    Garden
    Gingerbread And Sweet Treats
    Goldilocks And The Three Bears
    Graduation
    Graphing
    Grocery Store Dramatic Play
    Gross Motor
    Groundhog Day
    Guest Post
    Halloween
    Health & Safety
    Healthy Me
    Holiday
    Holiday Printables
    Homeschooling Pre K
    Homeschooling Pre-K
    Hot Chocolate
    Ice Cream Shop
    Ideas For Educators
    IKEA
    Infants & Toddlers
    Insects
    Invitation To Play
    Kwanzaa
    KWL Charts
    Language & Literacy
    Learning Spaces
    Learning To Count
    Learning To Read
    Leaves & Trees
    Lesson Planning
    Lesson Planning Templates
    Let's Build
    Letter Formation
    Letter Recognition
    Little Miss Muffet
    Loose Parts
    March
    Martin Luther King Jr. Day
    Math
    Meals
    Medieval Fantasy
    Member Round UP
    Military
    More Vs. Less
    Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes
    Mother's Day
    Movie Theater
    Mud Kitchen
    Music
    Music Space
    Music Wall
    Name Recognition
    Newsletters
    News Station
    New Years
    Number Formation
    Numbers
    Ocean
    One To One Coorespondence
    Oral Language & Literacy Activities
    Organizing
    Outer Space
    Outside
    Outside Spaces
    Parent Communication
    Parent Engagement
    Pattern Blocks
    Patterning
    Penguins
    Pets
    Phonemic Awareness
    Physical Development
    Picnics
    Pie Stand
    Pizza
    Play Dough
    Police
    Pond
    Pond Animals
    Positional Phrases
    Post Office
    Post Office Printables
    Pre-K Activities On A Budget
    Pre K At Home
    Pre-K At Home
    Pre-K Printables Club
    Preschool Assessment Binder
    Pre-Writing
    Printable
    Printing Tips
    Process Art
    Product Tutorials
    Pumpkin Patch Dramatic Play
    Pumpkins
    Puzzles
    Rainbow
    Reading Space
    Rebus Stories
    & Rhymes
    Rhyming Words
    Rocks Dirt And Mud
    Round Up
    Routine
    Safety
    Sandwich Shop
    Santa And His Helpers
    Santa's Workshop
    Scarecrows Corn And Crows
    Science
    Science And Discovery
    Science Space
    Seek And Find Activities
    Self Care
    Sensory
    Sensory Bin Activities
    Shapes
    Sight Words
    Snack Tutorial
    Snakes
    Snakes Printables
    Snow And Snowmen
    Social Emotional
    Social Studies
    Songs
    Sorting And Classification
    Spaces
    Spiders
    Sports
    Spring
    Spring Cleaning
    Spring Weather
    Squirrels And Acorns
    STEAM
    STEM
    Storage & Organization
    Storybook Theater
    Story Table
    Storytime Activities
    St. Patrick's Day
    Subtraction
    Summer
    Sweet Treats
    Teaching Tips
    Theme Pacing Calendar
    Themes
    Toy Rotation
    Toys
    Transportation
    Turkeys And Thanksgiving
    Tutorials
    Under The Sea
    Valentine's Day
    Veterans Day
    Veterinarian
    Visual Discrimination
    Water Cycle Science Activities
    Weather
    Winter
    Winter Clothes
    Winter Themes
    Word Families
    Word Wall Activities
    Worms Snails Slugs
    Writing Activities
    Writing Tray
    Zoo
    Zoom

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    February 2013

    RSS Feed

FREE PRESCHOOL LESSON PLANS

Would you like a free copy of our Sample Preschool plans?

Yes, Please!
Picture

Let's Connect

Picture
Copyright © 2020 prekprintablefun.com
  • Home
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook Group
    • Contact Me
  • Blog
  • Themes
  • Lesson Plans
  • Resources
    • Dramatic Play
    • Art & Creativity
    • Language & Literacy
    • Math
    • Physical Health
    • Science
    • Social & Emotional Development
    • Social Studies
    • For Educators
    • For Parents
    • Free
  • Join Membership
  • *New Log In
  • Store