Pattern blocks are fabulous math manipulatives. Here is the secret to making BIG pattern block scenes – frustration free pattern block play is so much fun!
I love pattern blocks – they are one of my all-time favorite toys! Which is saying a lot, because I tend to get as excited about toys as my kids!
One way in which they sometimes frustrate my kids, though, is that they will be in the middle of building some huge, complex structure when they bump a piece and all the other pieces shift, too. I had considered buying magnetic pattern blocks, but they still have this issue to some degree – and they are much more expensive.
Then I saw this Sticky Table Art post at No Time For Flashcards, and I had my solution!
We taped a large sheet of contact paper (sticky side up) to the floor, and the kids went to town! I had intended to use painter’s tape to attach it to the table, but the painter’s tape cleverly donned an invisibility cloak so that I couldn’t see it sitting right in front of me, so we used plain old scotch tape on the rug instead.
This was so much fun!!! Our babysitter even got into it, helping the kids create this elaborate ship scene (with a red fish under the water)!
I love that this method allows the kids to work together to create scenes, and that they can stick their pieces on and know that they aren’t going anywhere. They also get some great fine motor skills practice pulling pieces off of the sticky paper!
Do your kids play with pattern blocks? Another non-traditional way we love to use them is with play dough!
Next up: pattern block mosaic wall art. Seriously awesome!
