BRICKS 4 KIDZ® are passionate about the education of young children and strongly believe in the importance of play as a vehicle for learning. For this they know they have found the perfect tool – LEGO ® bricks!
No matter the age group, abilities or interests, here are just four of the many key ways in which their proprietary BRICKS 4 KIDZ programs, using the popular LEGO building bricks, will help children’s minds grow:
Increased social skills
Construction play gives children the opportunity to use their imagination to create a whole new world. Studies reveal such pretend play leads to better cognitive flexibility, empathy, communication and problem solving abilities.
When building and creating with other children, these skills are combined with the invaluable experience of collaboration to achieve a common goal. As they come together to create their project, children have to learn to understand each other’s points of view and
assume various roles – such as builder, supplier or engineer – to realise their ideas.
The collaborative structure of a BRICKS 4 KIDZ program allows children to build conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills, gain knowledge from their peers and pass on their own understandings. Thus encouraging the development of soft or people-based skills, for example leadership and emotional intelligence, by allowing an opportunity for problem solving, collaboration and imagination. High-level soft-skills are associated with long-term success in the workplace.
Improved spatial ability
As little hands manipulate and test different designs, construction play challenges children to think laterally and improve their spatial abilities. The ability to visualise and place 3D objects increases as your understanding of the space around you grows. Strong spatial abilities are associated with in-demand science and technology careers, such as those in the fields of chemistry, engineering and mathematics.
Research also suggests that spatial skills underlie many creative career paths including architecture, visual arts and medicine, and that there is a correlation between strong spatial reasoning, innovation and creativity later in life.
Inexplicably, hands-on LEGO construction play is an aspect of education often forgotten in a traditional classroom setting. At BRICKS 4 KIDZ they aim to fill that gap by providing children with the opportunity to engage with building materials to enhance their learning.
Strengthened mathematical skills
For visual learners, construction bricks are the perfect stepping stone to understanding basic mathematical concepts. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, fractions, measurement and even early algebraic concepts are all readily conveyed in a fun and friendly way when playing with LEGO bricks.
Studies indicate that not only are building bricks a great tool for learning, but engaging in construction play also provides crucial skills and strategies to encourage improved mathematical abilities. Many of the weekly sessions in a BRICKS 4 KIDZ After School
Program cover mathematical content.
Promotion of engineering skills
Watch children at play – they are creating a world, changing it to suit their needs. That is precisely what engineers do!
When young children are building with blocks, there is actually a lot of engineering going on. Toddlers may prefer destruction over building … this is an important step in their development! Every construct has a cause and effect. What happens when you swipe a
stack of loose blocks? Gravity pulls them down.
As time goes on, with each structure attempted and completed, watch them become more experimental with their designs. Children will discover new solutions to improve their projects. Engineers spend a lifetime doing this. Even the most brilliant invention is never
truly complete.
We LEARN, We BUILD, We PLAY
As the evidence suggests the time, expense and effort invested in programs such as those run by BRICKS 4 KIDZ, using building bricks alongside good curriculum, is an investment worth making.
BRICKS 4 KIDZ is set apart from other similar programmes by their diverse offerings. Their STEM based After School Workshops and School Incursions have a greater focus on the educational aspect of what they offer, whilst their School Holiday Workshops, Birthday Parties and Vacation Care Incursions all allow children to develop their engineering talents, problem solving skills and social aptitudes.
The BRICKS 4 KIDZ tagline “We LEARN, We BUILD, We PLAY” says it all. Children who go along to their programs always walk away having learnt something, they will always build something with LEGO and they have fun while they play.
Get in touch to learn more or sign your children up to one of their high quality, hands-on learning programs today.
BRICKS 4 KIDZ ® contact details
Logan City, Browns Plains & Northern Gold Coast
Tiara Lesslar: 0434 476 074
logancity@bricks4kidz.com
Website: Click here
Redlands, Manly-Wynnum & Brisbane Inner East
Melina Chapman: 0416 476 311
mchapman@bricks4kidz.com
Website: Click here
Sunnybank, Southern Suburbs & Brisbane Inner East
Holly Wang: 0430-121-061
sunnybank@bricks4kidz.com
Website: Click here
Currumbin & Southport
Jo Fang: 0452 512 300
currumbin@bricks4kidz.com
Website: Click here
Brisbane Inner West, Springfield, Ipswich & Toowoomba
Carlo Blak: 07 3818 0066
springfield@bricks4kidz.com
Website: Click here