STEM hour: Building early STEM skills through block play

Blocks can be found in every early learning setting, but are you unlocking their full potential?

Research shows that children who engage in block play develop stronger early STEM skills, such as spatial and logical reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving. Their open-endedness encourages children to explore concepts, solve problems, and persevere through challenges, often while collaborating and negotiating with their peers. Yet, despite its simplicity, incorporating intentional block play into your program can feel challenging.

This evidence-based STEM Hour will inspire and empower you to transform your approach to block play forever, thanks to our guest speaker Dr. Jo Grimmond. Dr. Jo Grimmond is an early mathematics expert who has worked in ECEC for 30 years and is a Senior Lecturer at Charles Sturt University. Her PhD research explores the development of a play-based numeracy assessment tool for educators using blocks.

In this 60-minute STEM Hour, we will explore:

• Early predictors of mathematical success, including spatial reasoning, patterning, symmetry, and problem-solving.
• The different stages of block play and how to set up a block area in your setting.
• The unique properties of blocks as an early STEM learning tool.
• The benefits of block play for all children.
• Hands-on, block-based activities and provocations that spark children’s curiosity to test hypotheses and solve problems.

Purchasing a ticket allows you to tune in live or via a recording. While we strongly encourage you to attend live, a recording will be shared via email following the event and can be viewed for 3 days after the email is sent. This STEM Hour will be held on:

Monday 27 October
Time zones: 12-1pm (AEDT), 11am-12pm (AEST), 9-10am (AWST), 11:30am-12:30pm (ACDT), 10:30-11:30am (ACST)

Get tickets here.