Be Prepared: Put together up to four simple block creations, such as a short tower and a row of several blocks. Use no more than half of your available blocks for all creations, so there is an ample supply of unconnected blocks for the activity.

Invite 2–4 toddlers to join you in playing with blocks on a large low table or on the floor. Provide a block creation for each toddler. Draw attention to how the creations are different. Demonstrate and describe how a block can be removed from a creation. Explain that we can take apart a creation. Provide time for toddlers to explore the creations you provide. Describe toddlers’ actions.

Then demonstrate and describe how 2–3 blocks can be put together. Encourage toddlers to put together some blocks. Give each toddler some unconnected blocks or put all unconnected blocks in a central location for toddlers to use. Describe each toddler’s actions. Focus on their efforts, not possible outcomes of their work with the blocks.

Be Prepared: Secure a set of items that are made for putting together and taking apart. Possibilities include Builder Blocks or Animal Chains (links). The activity description assumes blocks or links are used.

Invite a toddler to join you to play with blocks (or links). Give the toddler 4–5 items and keep 4–5 items for demonstration, all unconnected. Provide time for the toddler to touch and manipulate the items. Draw attention to a key feature of an item that helps put items together, such as the raised part of a block or the curved part of a link. Encourage the toddler to feel the feature with his/her finger.

Explain that we can put together the blocks (or links). Put together 2–3 of your items as you describe your actions. Focus on the process of connecting the items, not the anticipated outcome (what you are creating). Encourage the toddler to put together some of his/her items. Offer verbal guidance, as necessary, without telling the toddler what to create. The links are generally more challenging to connect than the blocks, and the toddler may benefit from your hands-on assistance, such as a holding a link while the toddler connects another link to it.

A toddler may wish to take apart what he/she has put together.

Be Prepared: One material possibility is Mega Bloks^® by Fisher Price.

Invite 3–4 toddlers to join you in playing with blocks that can be put together and taken apart. You may wish to put the collection of blocks in a central location of the activity space or provide each participating toddler with a 5–7 blocks as a starter. Draw attention to the part of a block that enables blocks to connect. Encourage toddlers to use their fingers to feel this part of a block.

Watch toddlers’ early engagement of the materials to determine whether it would be useful to demonstrate and describe putting together some blocks. The activity focuses on connecting the blocks, but toddlers may wish to disconnect blocks while they are building something, or take apart what they create. Describe each toddler’s actions with the material without asking or commenting on what the toddler may be creating.

Anticipate that some toddlers may wish to take some building blocks to another part of the room. A toddler might put and carry blocks in a toy wheelbarrow, for example. Taking things from one place to another place is a keen interest of toddlers and has cognitive and motor development benefits.