ThinkingPreschoolers9 Comments
Using the iPad as a guide for building with blocks brings technology into a real hands on activity. Photos can be taken of any tower of blocks to rebuild!
What’s awesome is that once you get your child started with this activity, they’ll likely want to build more towers to take photos of to use as new block building guides!
One morning while George and I were playing with blocks when Henry was at school, I decided to snap some photos of the things we were making together. I used my iPad to take the photos.
Ever since getting the iPad (we have the mini,-affiliate link- its awesome!), the boys have kind of fallen into a rut of playing on it a lot. I haven’t set up boundaries yet for it, but probably need to.
However, I did find a way to incorporate the iPad into a fun hands on activity that also got Henry out of the iPad rut.
I put the photos I took earlier of the block towers that day into a separate folder on the iPad. I had about 6 of them at the time. I did this so Henry could swipe back and forth through the photos himself and wouldn’t end up looking through a hundred other photos that didn’t matter.
For the first block tower, I showed Henry what to do, how to use the photo on the iPad as a guide to build the tower.
Henry grasped it right away and was going to town building block towers exactly like the photo showed.
I thought this was great for two reasons.
- It stretched Henry’s building capabilities. Some were super easy that gave him the confidence. Some were more difficult that make him work on balance and paying close attention to how he placed them.
- Henry followed ‘directions’ from the photo. While its not someone telling him to place a block here and there, the photo is telling him that.
I think technology has its place in our kids lives.
They’re going to need to learn how to use it. Its in their future, that’s for sure. But I do think it should be used in a constructive way. Instead of, for instance, to just play mindless video games on it for hours at a time.
If you’re not a fan of the kids using technology, the photos you take could easily be printed out and laminated if you’d like.
For us, the iPad works great for this block activity. Henry can create his own towers, snap a photo of it, and build it again later. And I’m excited to see what other ways I’ll be able to incorporate the iPad into more activities.
You could do this with any type of blocks. Wooden blocks in different shapes and colors (affiliate link) and Mega Bloks (affiliate link) would both work great because of the different colors and shapes to follow.
Never be bored with blocks again and be inspired by 40 block activities I shared previously.
How will you be building with blocks?
WANT TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox so you can access this activity later! Plus, you'll get simple activities from us every week!
Veens @ Our Ordinary Life says
This is such a brilliant idea!
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks Veens!