Blocks - Page 3 of 4

Resistant Yarn Unravel

Steps:

Press a large lump of firm playdough onto the heavy block to create a dense base.
Wet a long piece of yarn slightly to increase the friction and resistance.
Tightly wrap the damp yarn all the way around the playdough-covered block. Leave a small yarn tail sticking out.
Place the wrapped block on a stable table. Hold the base firmly steady with your helper hand.
Use your working hand to pinch the yarn tail with a strong pincer grasp.
Pull the yarn steadily and forcefully to unravel it from the resistant playdough anchor.
Repeat the wrapping and unwrapping process to continue the heavy work challenge.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Yarn and playdough are small objects. They pose a choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure the child maintains a stable seated position while pulling.

Block Tower Tug

Steps:

Help your child build a tall tower using heavy blocks. Use Masking Tape to secure a piece of String or Yarn tightly to the bottom block.
Place the finished tower about four feet away on a smooth, non-carpeted floor. Clear the path between the tower and your child.
Ask your child to assume a tall kneeling position behind the string. This requires good core stability.
Challenge your child to pull the tower toward them using the string. Encourage them to use both hands in an alternating, hand-over-hand motion.
Remind them to use slow, steady, and strong pulls. They must grade their force so the tower does not tip over when it reaches them.
Once the tower is rescued, rebuild it quickly. Try pulling the tower with only the non-dominant hand for a challenge.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the playing area is clear of all trip hazards. Always supervise children when they are using string or yarn to prevent strangulation risks.

The Gravity Trap Challenge

Step 1: Set the Foundation. Have your child build a medium-sized tower (about 10-15 blocks tall) on a sturdy surface. This foundation needs to be stable enough to handle tension.

Step 2: Create the Lever. Place an index card onto one of the upper layers of the tower, allowing a small portion of the card to hang slightly over the edge. This will be the unstable platform.

Step 3: Tie the Trap. Guide your child to tie a long piece of string to a block at the very base of the structure. Then, loop the string up and over the edge of the index card ‘lever’ created in Step 2.

Step 4: Place the Keystone. Identify one specific ‘keystone’ block and balance it precariously on the index card, positioned directly over the string loop. This is the block that must fall first.

Step 5: Execute the Plan! Have your child move several feet away, holding the free end of the string. The goal is to apply tension or a quick, smooth pull on the string to dislodge the keystone block, initiating a chain-reaction collapse of the entire tower. They must judge the exact force needed for success!

Step 6: Assess and Adjust. Discuss what worked and what didn’t. Did the tower fall as planned? If not, sequence the steps again and troubleshoot the structure or the tension.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the activity area is clear of trip hazards. Supervise closely when children are handling string to prevent accidental wrapping around the neck or fingers.

Pillow Mountain Delivery Service

Build a ‘Pillow Mountain’ obstacle path across your living room floor using 5-8 pillows. Arrange them so your child must step or jump carefully between them without touching the floor.

Guess the Toy

Step 1: Take an empty cardboard box & glue construction paper around it. This simplifies the exterior to eliminate distractions.

Step 2: Use any toy or item in the house, so long as it is safe, to put in the box. Make sure the toy or item has an identical partner (i.e. use 2 identical markers, 2 identical stuffed animals, etc.).

Step 3: Place each toy or item inside the box (3-6 toys/items at a time), and keep the toy’s/item’s identical partners right next to you, so the child does not see them.

Step 4: Lay the box on a horizontal surface.

Step 5: Take any of the toys/items right next to you, and place 1 of them on top of the box.

Step 6: Ask, “Which one of these (the toys/items inside the box) feels like what this (the toy/item on top of the box) looks like?”

Step 7: Have the child reach into the box to feel all items, making sure they do not see.

Step 8: Have them place their answer on top of the box in order to see if they got it right.

Step 9: Repeat until they have correctly identified all items.