Teaching Toys: 3 Ways to Learn with Blocks in Your Homeschool

Using blocks to homeschool was inspired by a sponsorship from the new teaching toy, BionicBlox.  I was given a free set to use and compensated for my time, but all opinions are my own.  To learn more please read my full disclosure.

One of the best things about homeschooling is how learning can come from almost any experience.  One of our favorite ways to learn is using blocks.

Blocks naturally engage children in problem solving, motor skills, and basic science and math concepts.  With just a little bit of help from you, blocks can aid in teaching your children these skills on more advanced levels.  Here are 3 ways you can use blocks in your homeschool!  Don’t forget to scroll down for an exclusive discount!

1.  How high?  How wide?

My daughter built a tower with her BionicBlox as high as she could.  I gave her a measuring tape and had her record the measurements of the structure (height, width, depth).  Then we compared those measurements with the measurements of her body and did simple calculations to see the differences.  The structure was 4 inches taller than her and she was 3 inches wider.  I asked her questions like, “How much taller would you need to build to make the tower as tall as me?”  This was so fun for her that she wanted to build and measure even more!

2.  Lines and Shapes and Angles, Oh My!

While measurement is a more obvious concept, you can also introduce and demonstrate all kinds of geometry concepts when building with your BionicBlox.  Even if your children are young, you can start exposing them to the basic geometry vocabulary when talking about their structures.  I pointed out the differences between lines (shorter, longer), named the shapes, and explained angles.  You could do so much more!  The possibilities are endless.

3.  Little Engineers

To combine math and science concepts using your blocks, simply introduce natural science vocabulary and experimentation!  I had my daughter build different structures that we could put books on.  We experimented to see how many books the structures could hold.  You could even weight the books and then add the amounts together to find the total amount of weight your structure was able to hold.  There are many other engineering projects you can experiment and build with your BionicBloxs like cantilevers, earth quake proof towers, bridges, and more!

A Brand New Teaching Toy

We had so much fun learning with our BionicBlox 100 piece set!  The pieces were sturdy and I love how everything is made in the USA.  These blocks are perfect for children ages 3+ and even combine with other building sets like Citiblocs® and Keva® Planks.

To help you get started exploring math, science, and engineering with blocks, BionicBlox is offering an exclusive discount for Blue Manor’s Readers!

Save 10% on your order of BionicBlox! 

Use code: HOMESCHOOL10 at checkout

Expires November 10th 2013

To find out more about how you can incorporate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into block play visit www.BionicBlox.com or follow them on Twitter ~ Facebook  ~ Google+ ~ YouTube

How do you learn with blocks?  Please leave a comment!