“Blocks constitute blocks.”
I mentioned this last week on Instagram however if you’ve never seen it I’ll show you the video.
There are and will be a variety of options available on the market, ranging including cheap sets and expensive ones. Be sure to trust me when I claim that any block is superior to any other.
The presence of blocks in your toolkit of toys with an open-ended design (or your child’s entire collection) offers many advantages. No matter what kind or brand of blocks you own each one serves the aim of encouraging kids to build, create and imagine, create engineering, and experiment, as well as solve issues, among others.
If I had to suggest just one set of blocks I’d choose Grimm’s Large Stepped Pyramid (LSP).
Small set vs large set
The set is manufactured by the well-known German manufacturer of toys, Grimm’s Spiel & Holz Design The small and large sets come with 100 blocks of different sizes that are hand-crafted using lime wood. They are painted with gorgeous, vibrant, non-toxic water-based staining and oils that are derived from plants. Your child will be in safety while playing.
The big set includes blocks that range from 4 cm to 20 centimeters in length. The small set has blocks ranging between 2 and 10 centimeters.
First of all, should I purchase smaller blocks, it will be better to buy smaller ones since they’re readily available on the market. It’s also possible to get basic wood ones as they’re easy to color and also colour.
Also, the size of the smaller ones isn’t suitable for children who aren’t yet of one or for those who still have mouths for fun. They’re not big enough to be placed by the middle of the hand or even with your thumb and finger. These could pose choking risks.
Why is Grimm’s LSP? Let me list the reasons.
Overall, it meets all the boxes of being an impressive set of blocks.
Looking back to the reason we decided to put our money into the LSP in addition to its quality, here are five reasons I believe it’s worth the cost:
1) Size
I love that these blocks are large and big and. With a length of 20 centimeters for the biggest piece, they’re bigger than other blocks available on the market. The smallest size is appropriate and safe for young toddlers and babies who are mouthing.
For larger kids, they might be able to hold a few pieces of the block with one hand. For smaller children they’ll be able to have better control using two hands or drag blocks from one spot to another. Both hands can be used to practice gripping. Building with these larger blocks, kids would be improving their motor and physical abilities.
2.) Material
The surface of the blocks are raw and un-polished, which makes it easy for children to construct taller structures. The reason I do not recommend purchasing varnished blocks similar to the ones found in Kmart in Australia is due to the smoother texture of the blocks it is easy for them to slide off and slide away as you try to build taller.
This limits on imagination and creativity. For children in the early years who are still learning their abilities to engage in play that is constructive this can lead to frustration when it comes to developing.
Giving our children blocks to fun that set the stage for their success in the realm of creativity and building, helps develop confidence in themselves, their resilience and the drive to create and build more often, which will help develop and boost their learning growth.
3) Color
I like the fact that the colours are different shades and gradients. It’s an excellent source for exploring colour and cognitive development as well as language development.
For example, green. Green is available in four different shades. I make use of this to study the idea of symmetry using games such as if I choose one size and shade for this area, the other side needs to have the same shade and dimension on the opposite side.
In the process of trying to arrange and match the pom-poms to the blocks for example, my daughters are able to expand their vocabulary using descriptive words, participate in debateand improve their thinking skills.
4.) Proportionality
But the primary reason this is my top pick for a set of building blocks is because the blocks are mathematically proportional to one another. Five sizes are included within the set, and each size is increasing in length proportionally to the preceding size which is why we refer to them as one-piece and five-piece blocks.
Their proportionality is why they’re a great source for visualizing math concepts such as number relationships and representations of numbers. By playing with the blocks, my kids have learned to recognize and assign the right number to each block.
Imagine them easily mastering advanced math concepts, such as multiplication, fractions or the parts of a larger. For instance, my 4yo was taught that two three-piece blocks create 6 or that four two-piece blocks can make an eight while she was making steps to an escalator. Do you imagine how this improves the life span and longevity of these blocks, and is suitable for children after the age of preschool?
5) Open-Endedness
Then, I love the fact the fact that there isn’t a single method to use these blocks . It is an extremely versatile tool to add to your play area, particularly in the case of having several children of different ages to cater to as I do.
My kids have played with the blocks to construct roads, towers, houses and bridges.
They’ve constructed long structures, and they’ve constructed high structures.
They’ve been used as loose pieces and utilized them for puzzles to reset the set of blocks after playing.
With three children that differ in their pursuits and development stages It’s the kind of set of blocks that lets each of my children to play with the set in their own unique way by stacking, balancing, sorting and matching, writing making, building and designing, as well as to study math and numeracy using a visual and hands-on method.
In short, do you think the purchase of a Grimms toys Australia Large Stepped Pyramid necessary for your child’s participation in meaningful activities and to learn?
There isn’t a need to.
It is, however, worth the investment?
100% YES!
An Grimms Large Stepped Pyramid is an investment that is unquestionably worth it, however I strongly believe in being deliberate with buying toys and the importance of investing in toys that last. Toys that develop with kids and can be enjoyed regardless of age.
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