Learning Brick by Brick: Cultivating STEM Skills Through Block Play
Block play isn’t just child’s play—it’s a fundamental tool for shaping future innovators. As children stack, balance, and engineer with blocks, they’re not just building towers; they’re constructing a solid foundation in STEM skills. Through hands-on exploration, problem-solving, and collaboration, block play cultivates creativity, spatial reasoning, and engineering principles, setting the stage for a lifetime of curiosity and discovery in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM!).
Our Block Party program provides blocks for young learners to play, innovate, and learn. At each event, Extension will set up 5-10 block stations for free play. To learn more about the types of blocks we have available, please click here!
Our partnerships have allowed us to purchase and provide everything you need to host this event. All we ask you to bring is:
- Committed staff/volunteers to facilitate play (all materials/training provided)
- Space for as many (or as few) block stations as you choose (up to 11)
- 1 ½ – 2 hours set aside for your event
Interested in hosting a free (to you and participants) block play session? Extension Winnebago County has resources available. Contact Katie Jaegly at 920-232-1979 or katie.jaegly@wisc.edu to learn how to bring block play to your organization or classroom.
Block Party Resources
Block Party: The Importance of Play (Purdue Extension Video)
How to Model Play (Purdue Extension Video Playlist)
Are you a Block Party volunteer? Please watch the Block Party Training Video to prepare for your event.
