Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Creative Block Play Ideas and
Maths !
Hollow blocks and unit blocks are one of the most open ended play materials available.
Their versatility provides endless learning opportunities across all areas of the EYFS
curriculum. They naturally lend themselves to mathematical development!
‘Block play allows young children to mix creativity with mathematical problemsolving.’ Anne O’Conner Nursery World
The Characteristics of Effective Learning
Close observation of children playing with blocks provides us with information about how
they learn and what they know, giving insight into their developing mathematical
understanding and ideas.
Show curiosity
Test ideas
Be proud
Find ways to solve
problems
Solve problems
Initiate activities
Trial and error
Persist
Block Play Offers Opportunities to Develop
Numbers
Children may count as they place
blocks into lines and towers or put
them away
.
They learn 1-to-1 correspondence:
a cylinder on each square, a car in
each bay.
Children may add or subtract
while developing block structures.
Shape, space and measures
size of another.
Children absorb mathematical
concepts while playing with
block :
Sorting blocks, children learn
shape recognition: square,
oblong, cylinder, triangle, etc.
Children internalise concepts
of fractions and proportion:
although they may not know these
terms, they notice that one block
is half (or quarter or eighth) the
Children learn spatial relationships
when they visualise space taken
by each block and need to plan
their constructions to fit into the
available space
Ideas to promote mathematical development and learning using unit
blocks and hollow blocks

Consider where you store your unit and hollow blocks indoors and out. Are
they accessible ?

Store your blocks in baskets, containers or storage units which are visually
labelled. Encourage younger and older children with opportunities to sort, count
and match when tidying up.

Begin to use the language of shape and number. Support and model early
problem solving for example, where might this belong and how can we fit these
together?
Follow through younger children’s interests and schemas. Enclosures, children may
fill up and empty containers with bricks or build ‘cages’ .Connection, a child will
spend time joining bricks together. Transporting, bricks will be carried from one
place to another in a bag/bucket etc. Allow children to think through their ideas and
problem solve.

Model and encourage building 2D structures based on familiar or magical
characters from stories and popular fiction eg: dragons, giants, imaginary
creatures. Model and introduce appropriate mathematical language.

Outdoors. Use familiar stories and children’s imagination to encourage building
3D structures eg: spaceships, houses, trains, castles, bridges (The Three Billy
Goats Gruff, Whatever Next!)

Provide laminated images as a reference or point for discussion to extend ideas
and imagination, using and modelling mathematical language.

Provide natural materials such as shells, pebbles, feathers, cardboard tubes,
fabrics etc to stimulate the imagination and language. Allow play to evolve and be
open ended. Introduce simple open questions to support mathematical thinking.

Leave non standard measures (ribbons/string) and measuring tapes with pencils
and clip boards alongside your blocks and see what happens!

With hollow blocks outdoors, provide a range of simple props/dressing up
clothes or just hats for open ended play. Eg builders hats and tools

Smaller unit blocks can be used to represent animals and people etc . Support
story telling (real and imaginary) by introducing mathematical language, open
questions and problem solving. For example, so tell me about the Billy Goat
Gruff ….(size, number, position). So, they need a bridge to cross, what could we
do to help them? How could we make the bridge strong?
Useful articles/publications
www.communityplaythings.co.uk
www.suffolk.gov.uk Block Play book (£6.50)
www.dorsetforyou.com Schemas
Understanding schemas in young children: Again! Again! by Stella Louis,
Clare Beswick and Sally Featherstone 2013
Understanding Schemas and Young Children from Birth to Three By :
Frances Atherton and Cathy Nutbrown 2013 Sage Publications
www.nurseryworld.co.uk (articles below)
Enabling Environments: Making Spaces…Block Play (2 year- olds)
Anne O’Conner June 2012
Learning and Development: Block play – Stacking Up
September 2010 Daniel Spry, Pauline Latchford , Annabel Hollis
All About Block play
April 2007 Anne O’Conner
EYFS Practice: All about Friedrich Froebel
Tina Bruce 2011