Blueprint Building Math Activity

Colors and shapes are the building blocks for higher-order math concepts. (Think of them as pre-pre-algebra.) Your child needs basic shape knowledge to be able to sort, match and complete patterns. Here, with simple building blocks, you can turn a childhood favorite into a very important lesson.
What you need:

• Building blocks
• Sheets of paper
• Pen or pencil

How to do it:

• To create the blueprints (and encourage your child to help): Take a piece of paper, and place the blocks on top of the paper. Arrange them to create a bridge, a tower, building, etc.
• Trace the shapes of your creation onto the paper. Be sure to name the shapes as you trace them.
• Then, have your child choose a blueprint and try to recreate the structure, using the shapes of the blocks, to figure out what goes where (like puzzle pieces).
• For older children: Make it a game by timing how long it takes her to complete the blueprint.
• For multiple children: Make photocopies of one of the blueprints and give each child a set of blocks. On your mark, get set, build! Who will build the block structure first?

Brain-Building Bonus: Ask your child: Can you build a bridge using only square blocks? Can you build a castle with just the rectangle blocks? Can you build a "shape" town with rectangle roads, square-block houses, and triangle block bridges? How this builds brains: Constructing all types of structures helps boost children's spatial-reasoning skills and also exercises their problem-solving skills. Plus, they'll help develop their spatial awareness, cause-effect understanding and even their creative expression.
Get more brain-building activities for your kid! Check out our Brain Building Boot Camp with Dr. Christine Ricci.