Practice Matching Shapes With a Block Blueprint

Place small blocks of different shapes on a large piece of construction paper to make a picture.

With a pencil, trace an outline around each shape and then remove the blocks.

Give the construction paper to your child and have her create the same design with the blocks, using your picture as a blueprint. After she has created a blueprint, use it as a guide to make a structure.

When the structure is complete, compare it to the blueprint to see what is the same and what is different. Ask your child how the blueprint was helpful and why she thinks blueprints are helpful when building structures.

Talk about the importance of planning a design before you engineer it. Walk around your neighborhood and point out places that needed blueprints such as buildings, bridges, and playgrounds.

Create another blueprint using more blocks and do the activity again.