In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, play-based learning has emerged as a cornerstone of early childhood development.
It’s a proven approach that helps children build essential skills while having fun. These playful activities in fact become the basis for core skills for school success.
For educators, incorporating these types of hands-on tools into daily routines in educational settings can create an engaging, stimulating, and inclusive learning environment.
One of the most effective tools to facilitate this is the Six Bricks method, developed by Care for Education in South Africa and the LEGO Foundation.
This technique offers hands-on, multisensory skill building activities that build both physical and critical skills through playful learning.
The Theoretical Foundations of Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning is rooted in the theories of pioneers like Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, who highlighted the role of active engagement and social interaction in cognitive development.
Seymour Papert, known for his work in constructionism, also advocated that children learn best when they are actively constructing their own knowledge.
Teachers who use hands-on tools as part of play-based learning are assured that children learning how to put theory into action.
Embracing Play as a Learning Tool
Educators in Early Learning Centres are uniquely positioned to make learning an adventure.
By integrating play-based methods, children are more likely to be engaged, retain information, and develop holistically. They are able to see the application of numeracy skills as well as the development of comprehension skills – all through the power of play.
These play-based methods are also acknowledged in most childhood education curriculum across several countries. They are part of the way in which key skills can be developed without children even realising it.
By embracing strategies that cater to diverse learning styles and balancing structured and unstructured play, childhood educators can create vibrant, meaningful learning experiences.
This not only prepares children for school success but also nurtures a lifelong love of learning.
Why Play-Based Learning Is Important
- Enhances Social and Emotional Skills:
- When children engage in group activities where there is full participation among children, they learn to share, collaborate, and respect one another’s ideas.
- This builds emotional intelligence and equips them with the ability to navigate social situations. This is a vitally important part of overall growth of children towards hitting their developmental milestones.
- Promotes Physical Development:
- Activities that involve sorting, stacking, and building help develop fine and gross motor skills.
- Through repetitive handling of the bricks, children refine their coordination and dexterity.
- These activities are also suitable for autistic children.
- Encourages Problem-Solving:
- The open-ended nature of play encourages children to think creatively and solve problems.
- Whether they are figuring out how to balance bricks or complete a pattern, they learn to approach challenges innovatively.
What Is the Six Bricks Method?
The Six Bricks method is one well known approach to play-based learning. It is made up out of hundreds of activities based on the belief that you can achieve the curriculum learning outcomes in a playful yet structured way.
Six Bricks includes simple exercises where children engage with six brightly coloured DUPLO-type bricks.
Each activity focuses on developing core skills like physical coordination, cognitive flexibility, and perceptual skills.
Educators guide children in playful learning experiences that help develop literacy skills, mathematical skills as well as all forms of executive functioning skills.
These simple bricks resources achieve so much! The Six Bricks method, with its emphasis on active learning and multisensory engagement, provides a practical and research-backed way to make play a powerful educational tool.
Tips for Implementing Play-Based Learning with Six Bricks
- Create a Routine:
- Start each day with a Six Bricks activity. Routines help children feel secure and anticipate the joy of play.
- You might begin with a simple physical task, such as building a tower, to get them energised.
- You also know that these tasks are providing your children with lifelong learning skills.
- Use Guided and Free Play:
- A blend of structured activities and unstructured time gives children the opportunity to explore.
- For example, ask children to replicate a pattern with their bricks (guided play) and then let them build whatever they like (free play). This helps develop observational skills as well as spatial skills.
- Incorporate Critical Skills Development:
- Use the Six Bricks to engage in games that enhance memory, focus, and language.
- Activities such as “Repeat My Pattern” challenge children to memorise and recreate sequences, boosting their cognitive abilities.
- This also encourages active collaboration among children so that this powerful teaching tool is an essential educational resources you can always draw on to boost all aspects of child development.
- Adapt for Diverse Learning Styles:
- Every child is unique, and the flexibility of Six Bricks allows educators to tailor activities.
- These activities in turn aid the achievement of curriculum learning without disengaging the class.
- Visual learners may benefit from colour-matching games, while kinaesthetic learners thrive on tasks that require physical movement and manipulation.
- Connect to Real-World Concepts:
- Help children draw connections between play and their surroundings.
- For instance, use the bricks to create miniature settings that mirror their local environment or everyday experiences.
- This is a positive way to develop physical & Social-Emotional skills at the same time.
Benefits of Using Six Bricks for Play-Based Learning
- Physical Skills Enhancement:
- Handling the bricks hones fine motor skills and also gross motor movement.
- Children become adept at grasping, stacking, and balancing, which lays the foundation for tasks like writing and self-care.
- Improves Cognitive Flexibility:
- Switching between different types of activities with the Six Bricks enhances cognitive flexibility.
- This ability to shift thinking is critical in adapting to new learning environments and tackling various academic challenges.
- The method helps to cement concepts to make them more applicable to real life situations.
- Develops Memory and Attention:
- Many Six Bricks activities are designed to strengthen working memory and focus.
- For instance, games that involve recalling a specific sequence of colours encourage children to pay attention and process information efficiently.
- When you see these activities in action, and when you observe six bricks in classroom settings, you realise how school educators are using these hands-on resources to their full advantage.
- Facilitates Emotional Regulation:
- Play offers an outlet for expressing emotions. Through engaging and calming activities, children learn to regulate their feelings, improving emotional well-being and classroom harmony.
- This is another feature that ensures that Six Bricks is a perfect resource in so many ways!
Engaging Activities Using the Six Bricks
- Colour Sorting Races: Place a mixed pile of bricks on the floor and have children race to sort them by colour. This simple activity enhances physical coordination and introduces a playful element of competition.
- Simon Says with Bricks: Adapt the classic “Simon Says” game by incorporating Six Bricks. Instructions like “Hold a blue brick in your left hand” or “Stack two red bricks on your head” keep children engaged while improving listening skills.
- Memory and Matching: Lay out a sequence of bricks and cover them. Ask the children to recreate the sequence from memory. This is a fantastic way to strengthen short-term memory while making learning interactive.
Setting Up a Play-Based Learning Environment
- Organised Spaces: Designate areas for different types of play. Have a specific space for Six Bricks activities, ensuring it’s inviting and safe.
- Incorporate Nature: If possible, take some activities outdoors. Using the Six Bricks in a natural environment stimulates curiosity and connects children to the world around them.
- Reflect and Observe: Spend time observing how children interact with these fantastic tools. Reflection helps tailor future activities to meet the developmental needs of each child.
In summary: The benefits of Play-Based Learning
Play-based learning is an educational approach that emphasizes active engagement, curiosity, and exploration as children learn through play.
This method integrates activities that stimulate imagination, foster social connections, and support emotional and cognitive development.
By creating playful, child-centric learning environments, educators encourage children to experiment, solve problems, and develop their understanding of the world around them.
Are you ready to do Professional Development?
If you are looking for ideal resources for teachers as well as becoming an accredited educator of Six Bricks, we would love to welcome you to our community of educators.
Are you seeking to add this innovative methodology to classroom activities you use? Are you ready to help with the development of core skills for your class? And give them language skills and maths skills?
If the answer is YES, please follow the links below.