Having fun with Building

Here is an article by our guest blogger Dr. Rick. I know that we love to watch children play but did you know how much they are learning when they build...

Kids Learn About Building
by rbavaria

I stayed after school the other day at the invitation of some pretty excited kids who were eager – that’s putting it mildly – to show me their creations in the Engineering Club, or as the kids call it, the “Lego Club.”

They had forts, flying fighter planes, houses, small cities, fire stations, rockets, even a school playground. They were in various stages of completion and resemblance to their intended outcomes, but, my goodness, were these kids having fun! They were all talking at once, each thrusting a project my way or pulling me toward one, each explaining his or her work. I had to plead happily, “One at a time! I’ll get to them all.”

It was another example, as if we needed one, that hands-on, involved, and interesting learning really gets kids moving.

I’ve written before about kids building stuff. Building blocks, Legos, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, magnetic construction sets, K’Nex toys, Crazy Strawz, and Erector Sets are just a few of the popular and useful toys for those kids who enjoy indulging their creativity.

As I watched these youngsters excitedly create, my teacher-brain noticed things I’d never share with the kids for fear of having them think that what they were doing was actually good for them, educational even.

But I’ll share my thoughts with you.

1. They were solving problems. Each project presented unexpected challenges. Not enough construction pieces. Not planned well enough. Too hastily done. (“Haste makes waste,” I can hear my old man saying years ago.) The kids had to solve their predicaments.

2. They were exercising their creativity. “What if we could make it shoot X-rays!” “What if we could have a moat with alligators!” “What about a pole the fire fighters could slide down!” And they’re off and running, feeding off one another’s creative ideas.

3. They were following directions. They listened to their more skilled buddies who shared their experiences and techniques. “No, Alex, try it this way.”

4. They were working in teams. No one assigned the kids to teams; they just naturally formed partnerships and groups that met everyone’s needs. They were learning the power of shared strengths and goals.

5. They were doing math. They were counting, measuring, adding, and subtracting. “I have sixty-seven blocks. Can I make this fort two feet high?”

6. They were indulging their inquisitiveness. Curiosity is an amazing thing to watch. We adults learn to keep our “helpful” suggestions to ourselves and just watch their little brains working.

7. They were enjoying friendly competition. Those natural-forming teams just as naturally started friendly competition with their classmates. “We can make our fort bigger than yours! Feast your eyes on this look-out tower!” (“Feast your eyes.” I love it.)

8. They were expanding their interests. Even if they don’t realize it yet, they’re fostering an interest in science, technology, engineering, math (yes, STEM), architecture, and aeronautics, among others.

9. They were expanding their skills. They were learning about organizing, planning, patterns, proportions, design, measurement, and working together.

10. They were having a ball. Nothing makes the heart of a parent or teacher happier than seeing kids learning and enjoying themselves at the same time. It’s pretty darn cool when it happens.

There’s something for us adults to learn, too. Despite all the planning of lessons and experiences, despite all the field trips and interactive worksheets, despite all the pedagogy and family advice we read, there’s nothing like kids taking their learning and fun into their own hands and showing us how it’s done!