Use wooden building blocks and a wooden tray to create a stimulating puzzle activity for preschoolers.
I enjoy making homemade puzzles for the toddlers and preschoolers in my care. Over the years I’ve made a variety of simple, engaging puzzles: name puzzles, matching games, and puzzles crafted from recycled cereal boxes. Today’s idea is a homemade block challenge puzzle I put together when I was loading a tray of blocks to take upstairs for the children.
Homemade Puzzle Challenge with Building Blocks
Supplies:
- wooden tray
- building blocks
Give a child a tray, a shallow box or a box lid and a generous pile of wooden blocks. Their challenge is to fill the tray completely with blocks so there is no empty space left. It sounds simple, but arranging blocks so they fit perfectly is trickier than it seems and encourages spatial thinking and problem-solving.
For younger children, use a much smaller tray or shallow container and only a few blocks so the task matches their attention and skill level.
Alternative to a wooden tray — use the floor
If you don’t have a tray or box, create a framed area on the floor with painter’s tape and ask children to fill that taped rectangle with blocks. Marking a boundary gives the activity the same puzzle-like constraint and keeps the task focused.
I tested this challenge myself, arranging blocks to perfectly fill the tray before presenting it to the children. It took me about 20 minutes to find a configuration that filled the space completely. When I showed the kids, I removed several blocks and asked them to put them back so the tray was full again. Some of the children were a little young to fully grasp the spatial challenge, but they enjoyed rearranging the blocks and experimenting with different fits.
Another fun outcome: once the puzzle task was done, the children emptied the tray and used the blocks to build a city on the car mat. The activity easily moves from a focused spatial puzzle to creative open-ended play.
Although some of the children were a bit young for the full puzzle challenge, the idea is an excellent fit for older preschoolers who are ready to work on spatial reasoning, planning and problem-solving.
More easy block and building activities for preschoolers:
Stacking and Spreading with Shaving Cream and Foam Blocks
Frozen Fractals – Building with Ice Blocks
Construction Activity with Styrofoam