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The Effective of Block Play and Pretend Play in Early
Childhood Development
Jiabin Lyu1,a,*
1Morey House, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JU, The United Kingdom
a. 1811121203@mail.sit.edu.cn
*corresponding author
Abstract: Cognitive, social, as well as affective development are significantly influenced by
early childhood development. This study investigates how block play and pretend play
independently or jointly influence the development of young children. The positive effects of
block play and pretend play on early childhood development include language and
communication skills, problem-solving abilities, social skills, and emotional regulation. In
addition, research indicates that children who engage in block play later demonstrate superior
academic achievement. It has been discovered that playing with blocks improves spatial
reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity. Children gain a deeper comprehension of
fundamental concepts, such as shape, size, and measurement, through block play. In this
paper, the author discussed that block play and pretend play should be emphasised in the
toddler years so as to promote the development of young children. This paper provides
parents, educators, and policymakers with insights for fostering children’s cognition,
sociability, and emotion through play-based learning environments.
Keywords: block play, pretend play, early childhood development, cognitive skills, social
skills
1. Introduction
During early childhood, children learn and discover from their everyday experiences. Whether at
home with their family or at a learning center with their peers, children constantly expand their
worldviews and develop new skills through various forms of play. In particular, free play time is
essential for young children’s early year development. Prior study demonstrated that children obtain
knowledge most effortlessly though play with various settings [1]. After being exposed to ample
opportunities for exploration and playing in different areas, children can learn and grow in a fun and
engaging way. Play is an integral aspect of appropriate childcare and take on a vital role in the
promotion of cognitive, emotional, social, and physical behaviors in children [2]. Vygotsky’s
sociocultural theory argues that children learn through play; when children play, their cognitive and
social skills are built upon each other [3].
Block play, as known as, construction play, is a common activity in early childhood classrooms
[4]. Block play can help children express their ideas and encourage divergent thinking. Block play
provides children with numerous opportunities for learning and skills development. Previous research
has demonstrated that block play is an effective way for early children to acquire foundational
cognitive knowledge in a variety of domains, including language, mathematics, and science [5].
Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7048/16/20231138
© 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Young children acquire a deeper understanding of the world through the hands-on exploration and
development of fundamental skills afforded by playing with blocks.
When engaged in block play, children also learn essential skills such as sharing blocks or ideas
with their peers, developing their mathematical abilities, and expressing their feelings in positive
ways [6]. It is undeniable that the act of creating and designing structures using blocks holds the
capacity to offer a setting for multifaceted learning scenarios. Additionally, block play can promote
problem-solving skills in children as they use their minds and try different approaches to achieve their
goals [7]. These skills are critical to building positive relationships with peers and developing
empathy and social competence, also helping children to build essential real-life skills [8].
2. Block play
2.1. The Effects of Block Play on Social-emotional Development
Block play promotes socialization, verbal communication, and encourages collaborative play,
providing children with a chance to share ideas with their peers and cooperate with another [9,10].
Sharing blocks or ideas with peers is an essential aspect of block play that fosters social and emotional
development. Children learn to communicate and collaborate to achieve a common goal [4]. When
children are building blocks, they must communicate their ideas and plans to their peers to ensure
that everyone is on the same page. This effort for synchronicity also provides young children valuable
chances to build and improve their mental images of objects and items [8]. In this case, in order to
cooperate well, children develop the ability to express their thinking clearly, listen actively to others,
and provide feedback in a constructive and respectful manner.
Taking turns is another crucial skill that children through block play. As children work together to
build structures, they must learn to wait patiently for their turn to contribute and respect the
contributions of their peers. They learn to appreciate the unique ideas and approaches that their peers
bring to the building process and to incorporate them into their own ideas. It will help children to
develop self-control and explore a sense of teamwork and collaboration which will serve them well
throughout their lives. Furthermore, self-regulation skills improve through block play. By waiting
patiently for their turn, children learn to control their impulses and delay gratification, which are
essential skills for success in many areas of lie including school and work.
Block play offers children a rich environment for learning and developing important skills. By
collaborating with peers, communicating effectively, taking turns, and working together to achieve a
common goal, children develop the social and emotional competencies that are significant for
successes in school and beyond.
2.2. The Effects of Block Play on Mathematic Skills
Moreover, block play is an effective approach with which children can develop their mathematical
abilities as it provides them with hands-on and interactive experiences that enable them to explore
and experiment with mathematical concepts in a fun and engaging manner. The engagement in block
play has the potential to foster the development of logical thinking, problem-solved skills, and provide
learning opportunities on mathematical skills, including but not limited to sorting, counting,
classifying, and identifying shapes. The activity of block play serves to enhance early childhood
development, and it provides fundamental experiences that can facilitate future learning in the
domains of mathematics and literacy as well [11]. These early math skills form the foundation for
more complex mathematical concepts that children will encounter later in their education.
Counting and measuring are essential math skills that children develop through block play. For
example, children can count the number of blocks they have and compare quantities using
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comparative language such as “more” and “less,” as well as use blocks to measure distances or heights
and compare the relative sizes of various objects by using “tall,” “short,” “big,” and “small” [9].
Sorting blocks helps develop children’s sorting skills by classifying blocks by various attributes,
such as size, shape, and color. Sorting blocks helps children develop their categorization skills which
are essential for understanding mathematical concepts such as patterns and sets, and also helps
develop children’s visual discrimination skills.
In addition, block play promotes spatial awareness. Cohen and Janet showed that block play and
Lego activities play an important role in children’s spatial skills [12]. Children learn spatial
vocabulary such as “in front of,” “on top of,” and “underneath” through interactions with caregivers
or parents during block play [9]. These words can help children better understand their environment.
Spatial awareness enables children to locate objects and is useful not only for block play, but also for
navigating their living environment. For example, at the end of independent play time, children are
expected to sort and put blocks back in their place based on their shape and size. This activity not
only promotes the development of children’s sorting, measuring, and categorizing skills, but also
fosters the quality of responsibility.
Additionally, when kids participate in block play, the teacher played a crucial role in supporting
and enhancing children’s learning by providing scaffolding strategies. The strategies implemented in
this context aimed to enhance and broaden children’s language proficiency, while simultaneously
fostering opportunities for socialization. This was achieved through facilitating effective
communication between peers and modeling appropriate conversational techniques during one-on-
one interactions [13], ultimately contributing to the young children’ s growth of oral skills. The
teacher’s commitment to consistency in the block play area allow him/her to create a learning
atmosphere with safety and support for the children. By capitalizing on their prior knowledge and
experiences, the teacher is able to tailor his/her approach to meet each child’s unique needs, further
promoting their individual growth and development.
2.3. Effects of Block Play on Problem-solving Skills
When children participate in block play, they often encounter situations where they must negotiate
and collaborate to achieve their building goals [6]. For example, one child may want to build a tall
tower, while another may want to create a wide bridge. In such cases, children must learn to work
together to find a solution that meets both of their needs. This requires them to develop problem-
solving skills, for example identifying the issues, brainstorming possible solutions, evaluation of each
solution, and choosing the optimal one.
As children negotiate and collaborate during block play, they develop important social and
emotional skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. These competencies range from
communication with efficiency, listening with active attitude and capability towards problem-solving.
Moreover, by working together to achieve a common goal, children develop a sense of teamwork and
a positive attitude towards cooperation that will help them succeed in school, work, and life.
Furthermore, block play provides children with a platform to express their feelings and emotions
in positive ways. Children can use blocks to create stories, scenarios, and representations of their
experiences and emotions, permitting them to discover and manipulate their feelings in a safe and
creative way.
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3. Pretend Play
3.1. Influences of Pretend Play on Early Childhood Development
Pretend play refers to a kind of play where children create imaginary scenarios and play roles or
situations. It is an essential component of early childhood development, and Bergen indicates that
pretend play has a significant influence on children’s development [14].
A major benefit of pretend play is that it promotes a child’s cognitive development. According to
Lillard et al., pretend play allows children to engage in complex problem-solving tasks, which in turn
enhances their cognitive flexibility [11]. This flexibility enables children to adapt to new and
challenging situations and proves vital to success in both future academic and personal life.
Furthermore, pretend play was revealed to increase young children’s creativity and imagination,
which are major features of a child’s cognitive development. Park maintained that “pretend play leads
to real life learning” [15]. The capacity to use imagination is a cognitive ability that individuals rely
on throughout their lives. Consequently, it is imperative to develop this skill in young children from
an early age. Encouraging and fostering imaginative play during early childhood is crucial in
developing and training cognitive ability, enabling children to explore their creativity and developing
crucial problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Pretend play also takes on a crucial role in young children’s social-emotion development. Jaggy
et al., [16] indicated that actively encouraging and promoting the quality of children’s social pretend
play is positively related to their social behavior and peer relations. By participating in pretend play,
children engage in interactive conversations and friendly negotiation which assist to develop
children’s communication and social skills.
3.2. Correlation Between Block Play and Pretend Play
Block play and pretend play are both playing essential roles in early childhood cognitive and social
development, and these two types of play are often intertwined. As discussed earlier, during block
play, children are presented with opportunities to explore spatial relationships, experiment with
balance and symmetry, and develop their problem-solving skills.
Pretend play, on the other hand, involves the transformation of objects and actions symbolically,
and encourages children to engage in imaginative play scenarios. Pretend play offers children the
opportunity to develop their communication and social skills through interactive dialogue and
negotiation, role-taking, script knowledge, and improvisation [14].
The connection between block play and pretend play is that they both involve the use of creative
imagination and problem-solving skills. For instance, during pretend play, children may build a
fictitious structure with blocks, while during block play, children may utilize their imagination to
create a structure that reflects a story or scenario they have formulated mentally. Both block play and
pretend play are effective methods for children to develop their imagination. Through these activities,
children not only enhance their problem-solving abilities, but also their social interaction skills,
fostering their overall cognitive, emotional, and social development.
4. Suggestion
In terms of future discussion, it is essential to continue researching the long-term effects of pretend
play and block play on a child’s development. This paper has the potential to help parents, educators,
and policy makers understand the important role that play-based learning plays in the context of early
childhood education. The insights gained from this paper can help practitioners (educators) and
parents make choices that are beneficial to children’s development when implementing play.
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Additionally, future research should be investigated on how technology can be used to enhance
pretend play and block play in early-year education. While technology-based toys and tools have their
advantages, it is necessary to investigate their effects on young children’s cognitive, social, and
physical development. And the present study regard it equally important to compare the effectiveness
of technology-based play interventions with traditional play-based programs. Moreover, researching
the impact of modern technology on early childhood education is crucial due to its increasing
prevalence in daily lives. It is essential to explore how technology can enhance children’s learning
and development, especially in traditional forms of play like block play and pretend play.
Incorporating augmented or virtual reality into block play could provide a more immersive and
interactive experience, while digital tools like storytelling apps and animation software could boost
children’s creativity and imagination.
However, the potential risks and disadvantages of technology usage in early childhood education
should also be considered. Screen time can negatively impact the physical, social, and cognitive
development of children. Therefore, research should concentrate on strategies for achieving a balance
between the use of technology and other forms of play and learning.
In conclusion, investigating the impact of modern technology on early childhood education,
including block play and pretend play, is crucial. Understanding both the benefits and drawbacks of
using technology in this context will ensure its rational and sustainable usage, supporting children’s
learning and development.
5. Conclusion
Overall, the effects of pretend play and block play are significant and far-reaching in early childhood
development. As discussed in the earlier chapters, both forms of play can enhance children’s
cognitive and social- emotional development. Pretend play provides kids with opportunities to
develop their creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills, while block play helps them develop
their spatial awareness and mathematical concepts. Furthermore, pretend play and block play have
been shown to promote social skills such as cooperation, communication, and negotiation. These
skills, in general, are crucial for success in school, relationships and life for young children. Therefore,
it is important for parents, educators, and caregivers to encourage and facilitate both forms of play in
early year childhood.
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