Custard Crafts

Our Soft Stacking Blocks support your child's learning and deveopment stages outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework which you can read more about here: http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2014/07/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf
All areas of learning and development are
important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. We believe our Soft Stacking Blocks help your child to develop in all these areas.

The three prime areas are:
• Communication and language - talking to your child whilst playing with the blocks will encourage their language skills. Describe what you are doing, the colours you can see or instructions they need to follow to stack blocks in a certain order.
• Physical development - motor skills are developed in younger children whilst reaching for and moving the blocks around; and in older children whilst they learn to stack the blocks unaided.
• Personal, social and emotional development - children will learn to play independently, but also to take turns and share when playing with others. They can also learn to share their emotions if they feel happy/sad/angry when blocks are stacked up or fall down.

The three prime areas are strengthened and applied through:
• Literacy - teach your child to spell their name or to recognise single letters. They can start to learn the sounds letters make.
• Mathematics - count how many blocks you have or how many are stacked up/fallen down. Begin exploring 3D shapes and to teach your child about corners and sides.
• Understanding the world - a first look at Physics as blocks balance/fall down.
• Expressive arts and design - why not use the blocks in imaginative role play? They could become drums, bricks, something to buy in a shop. The possibilities are endless :)