Planning and Building a Structure for a Favorite Toy

With your child, pick an object that he would like to build a structure for, such as a favorite stuffed animal.

Together talk about what kind of structure he could build, such as a house, zoo, or race track. Then, think of any special characteristics to keep in mind when designing the structure, for instance, how tall or wide the structure should be depending on the size of the object. Remind your child that when Telly was designing protective gear for Humpty Dumpty, he had to remember that Humpty Dumpty was very fragile, and could crack easily.

Help your child draw a picture of his plan and talk about his design, such as what size blocks he needs to build his structure.

Build the structure using the materials and see what happens!

After you have built your structure, talk to your child about it. What shape is the structure? How did he build the foundation? How many blocks were used? Then, look at drawing and see if it matches his plan. Would he make any changes?