Stages of Play with Materials

Stage 1 - Becoming Familiar with the Feel of Blocks - children take blocks off the shelf to hold and carry around.

Stage 2 - Beginning Exploration of Blocks - children make rows of blocks by laying them side by side or stacking them.

Stage 3 - Further Exploration of How to use Blocks - children make rows that are horizontal or vertical, then use a third block to make a bridge between the other two blocks.

Stage 4 - Problem Solving with Blocks - children who are exposed to blocks regularly create enclosures by building walls, often only one block high, to define a space. Making walls and bridges balance are two challenges of this stage.

Stage 5 - Experimentation with Blocks - when children have access to blocks of different sizes and shapes, they experiment with patterns and symmetry. Their buildings tend to be decorative and may not be called by a name that indicates function.

Stage 6 - Creativity, Imagination and Problem-Solving with Blocks - children build more elaborate buildings that generally reflect their own experiences. Children often want to identify them with signs indicating the building's use and/or its builders.