Balancing Blocks and Books
"I think we need another cylinder on this side," Rowan says to Parker. "Can you put one on for me? I will keep it balanced."
Rowan and Parker are deeply engrossed in block play. Their investigations into balance, gravity, force, and cause and effect have led these four-year-old friends deep into the STEM zone.
“Do you want the big cylinder or some of the smaller ones?” Parker asks.
“We need the big one," says Rowan. "See the two big ones on that side? We need another big one on this side."
“I think so too!” Parker agrees as she carefully adds the big cylinder to the block structure.
Measurement skills are important, and this activity gives the girls an opportunity to experiment with size, shape, volume, area, and weight. All of these activities can be carried out with unit blocks.
By asking questions, making observations, and gathering information, these two friends are following the scientific method—just like real-life scientists.
When you give children ample time to explore and investigate, the learning becomes even more relevant. As they experiment with concepts such as cause and effect, children can develop their problem-solving skills, test hypotheses, and use scientific reasoning.
“This reminds me of that book we read about the frog that jumps on the teeter-totter that the mice made,” says Rowan with a giggle.
“Oh yeah, I remember that book!" Parker replies. "Let's ask if we can read that one during rest time this afternoon!”
Today’s hands-on play has reinforced a concept introduced during one of our book shares! I just love these moments of connection. As educators, we know that the right book can spark imagination and curiosity in our young learners.
Sure enough, at rest time, I find a pile of engineering books that the girls have chosen for our afternoon reading session.
There's a growing collection of children's books that will inspire your early engineering explorers to engage in hands-on investigation and exploration. It seems like I discover a new title in this category every week.
These books—which feature characters who build, create, and problem-solve—help lay the groundwork for a rudimentary understanding of engineering concepts. Stories about architects, inventors, and builders help children visualize what engineering looks like.
The three books featured below are classroom favorites—and they'll offer an engaging introduction to your own early engineering adventures.
Books like The Balancing Act (pictured above) by Ellen Stoll Walsh introduce engineering terms and concepts such as materials and structural stability.
This is the book that Rowan mentioned during the girls' block play. In this sweet and engaging tale, two adorable mice create a teeter-totter by balancing a stick on a rock. They hop on opposite sides, but then a salamander hops on too, creating an imbalance. A second salamander hops on the other end, and all is balanced again. But then more animals hop on, and the stick snaps under their weight!
Walsh has written and illustrated many award-winning early concept books for young children, including Mouse Count, Mouse Paint, Mouse Shapes, and the Dot & Jabber trilogy. Her books are requested again and again by our early learners.
Balance the Birds (above) by Susie Ghahremani is an engaging tale about weight, size, and logic. We were big fans of the author's other book, Stack the Cats, and this one fits right into our classroom library.
When half of the birds perch on the left side of the tree, and the other half perch on the right side, the tree is balanced. But what happens when the birds on one side fly away? The tree starts to wobble—until another flock of birds lands on those empty branches. But now that side is too heavy!
This delightful book stimulates many animated classroom discussions about what it will take to balance the tree. Our early learners also love to locate the squirrel hiding in plain sight on every page!
Your engineering explorers will also love Roll, Slope, and Slide: A Book About Ramps (pictured above).
From award-winning author Michael Dahl, this nonfiction picture book introduces early learners to one of the most important machines that humans rely on with fun facts and bright illustrations.
Our risk-taking gang is especially fond of this book, which features skateboards, playground slides, roller coasters, and more—some of their favorite things!
"Hey, I think we could make skateboards!" suggests Rowan after we read Roll, Slope, and Slide. "Do you want to try it out?”
Thankfully, after a few quick tries, this ill-advised experiment proves unsuccessful, and the girls move on before the need to redirect it.
When children build teeter-totters or block cities, they combine creativity with hands-on learning. Block play encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and exploration, making it a vital part of early childhood development.
Through books like the ones featured in today's post and the hands-on experience of building, you can encourage your early learners to construct their own adventures—one block at a time.
Books and blocks: What better way to inspire the builders of tomorrow?