My kids go through phases of being really into block play and then phases of not. Right now, we seem to be in a block heavy phase again. I love watching them create with blocks, explore different ways to build, combine, and imagine with them. They are a great way to add pretend play to a Montessori home that is child-led and open ended.
Now, I'm no expert when it comes to block play. For that, I would recommend going to a checking out all the resources from Sami at Everyday with E and J and her instagram for so much inspiration. But, sometimes it's helpful just to see what blocks make other people's collections - especially when it's not a huge collection of every kind of block.
Favorite Blocks in Our Montessori Home
Again, this is not some extensive list of all the possibilities for blocks, not even close! This is just a look at our sets in a house with kids that like block play, but aren't obsessed with it. There are lots of possibilities when it comes to block play and I think it's very likely that we add additional sets to our collection into the future. In no particular order, here are the block sets we have in our home:
Grimms Large Square Pyramid - absolutely most used block set in our home, we've owned for 8 years and it's never been rotated away
Unit Block Random Set - FB market place find for us, I would love to add more unit blocks to our collection
Grimms Giant Blocks - similar shapes to standard unit blocks, just bigger. Their scale makes them really popular with my younger kids.
Gluckskafer slats - love that these perfectly fit with the Grimms blocks
Mirror Blocks - adds interest and creativity to their builds
Hello Sugar House Sugar Houses - these houses are such a beautiful addition to our block play and a very popular way for my kids to start their creations.
Hello Sugar House Complete Block Set - my kids love these as castles, houses and villages, the gems just add a flexibility that is really unique
Random Bauspiel Gem Blocks - I've thrifted some random sets on FB so very random
Block Play Accessories
Accessories add half the fun, I've been trying to be better about offering some seasonal accessories to spice up our block play. But, there are also some staples that we have available to the kids all of the time. Sometimes I rotate these, but mostly these are always available:
Interlocking Houses - these are sort of blocks, sort of accessories, but they are a popular choice for creating all sorts of structures with and without the other blocks
Loose Gems - all the decorating, these add color and texture to
Lucite Cubes - thrifted a small set from Bauspiel (but honestly prefer the Hello Sugar House gem blocks)
Small Wooden Rainbow - just gorgeous and so well made
Grimms Gnomes/Pocket Babies - the cutest little dolls that are just a great scale for all sorts of play with blocks
Grapat Lola - its building, it's people, it's wheels, it's tunnels - just a lot of different ways to add fun to the more traditional block play
Again, this is just the tip of the block building iceberg and there are so many amazing choices that you could add to your home. If you haven't explored block play with your children, I highly recommend it as a complement to more close-ended Montessori materials. The creativity, spacial awareness, and planning skills really can't be beat.
Do you like block play in your Montessori home? What blocks have to be available on your shelves?
