I use Legos to teach academic, language, fine motor and social-emotional skill acquisition in my classroom. Legos are best known for fine motor skill development and harnessing creativity. Children learn to manipulate small pieces of blocks using their tiny fingers. They build structures based on their imagination -- a house, a car or a giraffe. But Legos go far beyond developing these skills. It can be used to teach colors, compare attributes and sort by category. Legos are good social-emotional tools for children. Children learn to ask for a piece that they want or exchange a piece that need. With adult help, it facilitates the use of language both receptively and expressively.
The only downside of Legos I think is that they can be quite expensive. But if you think about it, $50 is much cheaper than the cost of an Ipad. I wish parents will be more choosy when buying their children toys. Though technology has greatly improved our way of life, it should not equate to how children play. Children should be allowed to play with toys that helps them build and think. Hands down Lego wins in this regard.
I grew up playing with Legos. I built houses, buildings and small villages. I learned to follow directions based on visual instruction (maybe that's how I got my love for assembling Ikea furnitures). Legos challenged my imagination to make what I can think of. I spent hours playing with Lego. Up to this day, I play Legos with my students when I can. You can never be too old for Legos! I am looking forward to playing it with the LO. Hopefully, she likes it as much as I still do.
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