Adventures in Block Play – Part 1 by Robin Taylor
In this blog post by Robin Taylor, Associate Head of St Pauls Nursery School and Specialist Leader in Early Mathematics, discover how block play unlocks deep mathematical thinking in young children. Explore the unique “language” blocks speak through their dimensions, ratios, and properties, and learn how educators can nurture spatial reasoning, comparison skills, and problem-solving through purposeful observation and environment design.
Robin Taylor is Associate Head of St Pauls Nursery School and Children’s Centre and a Specialist Leader in Early Mathematics. He is professional development lead for the NCETM’s Early Years Programme in Somerset and facilitates the Maths Network for Bristol and Beyond Stronger Practice Hub. Robin is obsessed with Block Play and is currently working with Bristol University PHD student Michael Rumbelow in researching block play at St Pauls.