Children should start playing with wooden building blocks from an early age, not only because wooden unit blocks are hailed as the most versatile teaching aids in the international field of preschool education, but also because they are highly suitable for the cognitive development characteristics of preschoolers.

Why are they called the most versatile teaching aids in preschool education?

Because they not only enable spatial construction to develop children's spatial thinking (closely related to logical-mathematical intelligence) but also possess artistic beauty, which can promote children's situational imagination and language communication. Large-scale constructions require cooperation and negotiation among children; blocks can be used as symbols to express ideas and also involve simple calculations. Meanwhile, wooden building blocks are excellent toys in children's daily lives.

Children don't need many blocks. A small number of natural wood blocks will make children calm and think independently, as each variation becomes a unique creation for them.

They imagine, express themselves, and tell stories—this makes them independent and confident!

The eight blocks in the picture are the simplest shapes in unit blocks: squares and rectangles.

Even a few simple wooden blocks can have many variations, with the focus being on spatial and strategic changes. So how can children play with wooden blocks, and how to guide them?

For children under 3 years old, a small number of basic-shaped wooden blocks are recommended, preferably unpainted (to prevent slipping). Children at this age prefer simple stacking, which is relatively monotonous, but we can play situational games with them.

Studies have shown that young children can imagine without highly realistic toys; in fact, providing overly realistic objects may reduce their imagination space. As they grow older, older children gradually prefer highly realistic toys for situational games.

Therefore, we often see young children piling up a few blocks randomly and saying they are gardens, castles, animals, and so on.