Construction and Building
To develop creativity and spatial awareness through construction play.
- Framework: EYFS
- Unit: EYFS Expressive Arts & Design
- Learning area: Expressive Arts and Design
- Level: EYFS 2-3
Objectives
- Builds structures independently
- Experiments with balance and stability
- Shows increasing complexity in constructions
- Talks about what they are building
Materials
- Large wooden blocks
- Connecting bricks (Duplo, Mega Bloks)
- Cardboard boxes and tubes
- Natural construction materials
Instructions
Provide plenty of time and space for construction. Building takes time, and children need room to create large structures. 'You've got all morning to build—what will you make?'
Observe before intervening. Watch the process—what is the child trying to achieve? Are they experimenting with balance? Making an enclosure? Understanding their goal helps you support appropriately.
Offer comments, not corrections. 'Your tower is getting taller! I wonder what will happen if you add another block?' rather than 'It's going to fall—put that one differently.'
Celebrate the process, including when things fall. 'Oh! It fell down! That was exciting! What do you think happened? Shall we try again?' Model resilience and curiosity.
Extend language during play. 'You've built a tower. It's very tall! Now you're adding a roof—like a house!' Use positional and descriptive vocabulary.
Photograph constructions before they're tidied away. 'Let me take a photo of your building so we can remember it!' Display these to value ephemeral creations.