As a Kindergarten teacher, I know that play is a critical component to the development of young children. Unfortunately, with all the demands put on teachers, including time allocation, testing, and a rigorous curriculum, play is often overlooked, and in some cases, frowned upon in the Kindergarten classroom. As an Early Childhood educator, this breaks my heart.
Photo Credit: E.C. Campbell Photography
I am determined to bring play back into my classroom any way that I can. My students deserve it AND they desperately need this time to interact with their peers and use their imaginations. With my Early Childhood training, I know that a Block Center is an essential component in the classroom. A Block Center encourages children to use their imaginations, practice math skills, use creativity, practice scientific reasoning, it requires students to use their fine and gross motor skills, encourages sharing and cooperation...and the list goes on and on!
When I was creating my classroom, I knew that a Block Center was a MUST, however, I couldn't imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a very basic set of wooden blocks. As I'm sure you know, a wooden block set costs a small fortune! As I was scrolling through the Oriental Trading website, I stumbled upon these large cardboard building blocks. They were an amazing price and I could fill my entire Block Center without breaking the bank! I knew that these blocks would be the answer to my problem. With the help from my student's parents, we got the blocks put together quickly and I began creating our new space. 
The blocks were very easy to put together. Since the blocks are made of a very thick and sturdy cardboard, it is necessary to teach your children how to handle them. I certainly wouldn't open up the Center and let the children go at it! We took some time to talk about my expectations and how to use them appropriately (no kicking or throwing). The children have been great so far and we haven't experienced any issues. 
I decided to give our new area a "Construction" theme by using all the materials above. I also made a trip to our school library and found some books that my students could look at to inspire their creations in their new Center! 
I found some images of famous towers, buildings, and structures and printed them off and mounted them on to yellow construction paper. I made sure to label each picture as well. I wanted my students to be excited to use our new space, so I included them in the entire set up of the Block Center. We talked about the books, the images, and even used Shared Writing to label our pictures. I also incorporated environmental print by including images and logos of popular stores, restaurants, and businesses around our town. This was a class favorite by far! I cut out the logos and taped each one on to a block. When it was time to introduce this to my class, I hid the blocks and pulled each one out, one block at a time, and...OH MY GOODNESS! They could NOT contain their excitement! They loved being able to "read" some of their favorite places! I included: Target, Bueches, Kroger, and Meijer (our town grocery stores), Speedway and Beacon & Bridge (our town gas stations), McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Applebee's, and Subway. 
We also spent some time talking about teamwork and coming together to create a shared structure. I explained what blueprints were and modeled how to sketch their ideas. I created these printables for the children to use in the Center. You are free to use them too in your own Block Center! 
The children could NOT wait to get dressed up and begin their "work!" 
Honestly, their ideas blew me away! I was so surprised at how serious they took this activity. I loved watching them work together and come up with some amazing ideas! 
...and the planning begins! 
I loved watching these two cuties work so hard to create their own Applebees'! Without any direction from me, they were using the environmental print blocks as part of their sketch. 
Here they go! I wonder what they will come up with? 
We've also started our Measurement unit in Math. This was a great way to practice our skills. I ordered enough tape measures for the entire class. They were well worth the purchase. The children cannot get enough of measuring their structures, themselves, and everything else in the classroom! 
I placed the tape measures, rulers, pencils, and printables where they can have easy access. I love how our Block Center encourages my students to measure their creations. It's such a great way to apply their learning in a real setting. 
One of my students created their own, "Leaning Tower of Pisa." They learned about this during one of our whole group lessons before we opened our Block Center. So clever! 
I can't even begin to tell you how successful this Center has been. The level of engagement has been more than what I had ever hoped for. Incorporating Math and Literacy into this area was the perfect way to let my children "play" while covering essential Kindergarten standards. The large blocks were great for creating bigger structures and using their gross motor skills, while the Construction Worker outfits encouraged a level of imagination that was amazing to observe in my students! My children can't seem to get enough of this area and I predict that this will be a favorite for many years to come!
