Be Prepared: Secure larger fit-together blocks, such as Grid Blocks or Little Tikes® Big Waffle Blocks. (Smaller versions of fit-together blocks are offered in Option 2.) Also gather a small assortment of small toys, such as animal and people figures, dolls, soft animals, and toy vehicles. Select small toys that you anticipate will be of interest to toddlers who participate in the activity. Include several small frog toys as an extension of the book sharing focused on frogs in the current block. Place the toy assortment in a basket or on a tray.

Offer the activity at a large, low table or on the floor, away from usual traffic flow. Set up the activity space so all blocks are next to you for distribution to toddlers.

Consider identifying several toddlers in your room who rarely engage in block play. The novel material offered in this activity may be appealing. Example: “We have special kinds of blocks to play with.”

Invite 2–4 toddlers to join you in playing with special blocks. Show the basket or tray of small toys and invite each toddler to take a toy. Explain that we can use our special blocks to make something for our toy. Some toddlers may want several toys. Put aside the basket or tray of unselected toys.

Give each toddler 3–4 blocks. If the special blocks are new to toddlers, encourage them to use their fingers to feel one of the blocks. Use your own fingers to explore a block and describe what you feel and see. Describe toddlers’ initial actions with, or reactions to, the blocks.

During the period of block exploration, draw attention to a toddler’s efforts to fit together two or more blocks. Demonstrate and describe how two blocks can fit together or invite a toddler to show and tell how blocks can fit together.

Encourage toddlers to use their blocks to build something for their toy. Emphasize that we can build whatever we want. Pause for toddlers to consider this invitation. Offer suggestions only if needed. Examples: a runway for a toy plane, a road or garage for a truck or car, a house for a doll, a barn for an animal. Offer suggestions that align with a toddler’s block-play skills.

Support each toddler in playing with blocks as he/she wishes. The selected toy may not be part of a toddler’s play.

Demonstrate how to build a road/runway or simple structure if these are of interest to one or more toddlers in the gathering. For a structure, use three blocks to create sides of a building that is open at one end. Do not fit together the blocks in a road/runway or structure if you anticipate connecting the blocks may be too challenging for toddlers in the gathering.

Describe each toddler’s efforts. Offer suggestions when appropriate. Draw attention to size by asking whether a toy needs a bigger house or a longer road/runway. Ask toddlers if their creation needs anything else. Provide more blocks to toddlers who need them.

If a toddler builds a structure without an opening, suggest that he/she may want to add a door. A door might be a block that swings open/shut.

Stay actively involved in the building process by talking about the various ways the toddlers are creating. Example: “You are making your road longer by adding more blocks.” Ask toddlers to talk about what they are doing. Encourage toddlers to look at what a peer is doing.

Conclude the activity by engaging toddlers in talk about their efforts.

Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who have experience building with the larger blocks offered in Option 1. Secure smaller versions of fit-together blocks, such as Mini Grid Blocks or Little Tikes^® Waffle Blocks. The Waffle Blocks may be more challenging for some toddlers than the Mini Grid Blocks because the connectors are somewhat smaller. Also secure one large block used in Option 1 for each toddler.

Gather a small assortment of small toys, such as animal and people figures, dolls, soft animals, and toy vehicles. Select small toys that you anticipate will be of interest to toddlers who participate in the activity. Include several small frog toys as an extension of the book sharing focused on frogs in the current block. Place the toy assortment in a basket or on a tray.

Offer the activity at a large low table or on the floor, away from usual traffic flow. Set up the activity space so all blocks are next to you for distribution to toddlers.

Invite 2–4 toddlers to join you in playing with special blocks. Show the basket or tray of small toys and invite each toddler to take a toy. Explain that we can use our special blocks to make something for our toy. Some toddlers may want to use the toy included in the Option 1 activity. Some toddlers may want to play with several toys. Put aside the basket or tray of unselected toys.

Give each toddler one small block and one large block. Point to and name each smaller block and bigger block. Demonstrate how one block is smaller than the other block by inviting toddlers to put their smaller block on top of their bigger block (flat on the table) or place the two side by side on the table for comparison. Collect the larger blocks at the end of this exploration.

Give each toddler more smaller blocks, so each toddler has 3–4 blocks. Use the strategies suggested in Option 1 for supporting toddlers in their play with the smaller blocks. Important actions include the following:

• Demonstrate and describe how two blocks can fit together or invite a toddler to show and tell how blocks can fit together.
• Encourage toddlers to use their blocks to build something for their toy. Emphasize that we can build whatever we want. Pause for toddlers to consider this invitation. Offer suggestions aligned with a toddler’s block-play skills if needed.
• Support each toddler in playing with blocks as he/she wishes. The selected toy may not be part of a toddler’s play. Encourage each toddler to talk about what he/she is doing.
• Demonstrate how to build a road/runway or simple structure if these are of interest to one or more toddlers in the gathering.
• Describe each toddler’s efforts. Offer suggestions when appropriate. Draw attention to size by asking whether a toy needs a bigger house or a longer road/runway. Ask toddlers if their creation needs anything else. Provide more blocks to toddlers who need them.
• If a toddler builds a structure without an opening, suggest that he/she may want to add a door. A door might be a block that swings open/shut.
• Stay actively involved in the building process by talking about the various ways the toddlers are creating. Encourage toddlers to look at what a peer is doing.

Conclude the activity by engaging toddlers in a discussion of their efforts.