B is for Building #AtoZChallenge

It’s the second day of the Blogging from A-Z Challenge! Every day throughout April (except Sundays) I’ll be posting a range of ideas and tips for keeping your family entertained at home. It will include arts and crafts, games, learning ideas and imaginative activities for all ages. I thought it would be particularly useful while we’re all self-isolating or socially distancing, though it can be used for any time of year.

Letter “B” is for Building. Construction play is a great way for children to learn about the properties of materials and the basic principles of engineering. Building things helps improve fine and large motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination and spatial awareness, as well as encouraging children to use their imagination. Below are some ideas for things you can build together using regular household items.

Get Building

• Who can build the tallest tower using only sellotape and plastic straws?
• Use old delivery boxes and cereal boxes to make a model town, a dolls house, a car, a castle, an aquarium, a puppet theatre, or anything else you can think of! This Pinterest board has some great ideas.
• Build a den in your living room using tables, cushions, blankets and anything else lying around.
• Cut up plastic bottles to make pipes for a marble run or water feature.
• Construct 3D shapes using toothpicks, lolly sticks or cotton buds and blue tac or marshallows.
• Get out the sand pit and build some sand castles.
• Bake and build a gingerbead house!
• Make pyramids or igloos from paper cups or toilet roll middles.
• Turn an empty plastic bottle into a rocket, birdfeeder or planter.
• You can build almost anything using Lego, Duplo or wooden blocks. Try these Lego building projects for kids.
• No building blocks to hand? Cut up and paint egg boxes.
• Build a bridge using straws, dried spaghetti or sticks.
• For older kids or grown-ups with lots of patience, try a matchstick model kit.
• Introduce your kids to a retro building toy like K’Nex or Meccano.
• Try one of these fun engineering projects for kids.
• If you have some wood and tools available, consider building a play house or tree house.
• Use sticks and paper to build mini rafts and test them out in the bath.
• Build a mini fence for a dolls house or fairy garden out of lolly sticks.
• If you have a large garden or can access local woodland, try making a den from sticks and branches.

There are many more ideas for building with kids on Pinterest.

Over to you!

Have you tried any fun construction activities before? Share your ideas in the comments!