A mom I recently met said she doesn’t let her two-year-old play with lego because it involves too much post-play cleaning. I have a toddler myself so I understand her concerns of a messy house.

However, I think there are a couple of reasons why building blocks may just be worth the trouble.

1. Motor skills — Kids use their fingers to pick up pieces of lego and place one on top of the other. This builds their fine motor skills. Sometimes, they need to hold the towers they build steady with one hand when they place the next block on top. This develops coordination and balance.

2. Mental processes — Lego helps kids be creative and use their imagination. Toddlers create bridges, towers and use lego wheels to make cars, while older kids can build spaceships, castles and houses. I’ve noticed that my 2-year-old uses her lego for different things. She makes prints on play dough with different lego shapes. She uses the open side of the pieces as little bowls to fill cheerios and other small objects. She even takes a few in the bath tub to fill and pour water. She places little stuffed animals in her lego car and pushes them around the house.
When kids build, they have to think about process (“First I should put this block on the table, and then place the other on top. Once that is done, I can place yet another block on the second”).  Continue reading →