Building Block Addition

Do you have siblings who just can’t seem to stay away from each other’s activities? I know that there are a lot of strategies to prevent this, but since we do enrichment/afterschool activities and not full homeschool, I usually try to make simple adjustments to activities that were meant to be for one of them only so both can participate if they want to.

This Building Block Addition sibling activity was really simple, and they both thought it was pretty cool to work together in this way 🙂

 

(E was 5 years and 9 months old.
 N was 2 years and 1 month old.)

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

 

Materials for Building Block Addition

• Blocks with numbers on them. We used Infantino Squeeze and Stack Blocks. Here’s the actual set we have, but it seems really overpriced – I definitely didn’t spend that much! There’s a smaller set of 8 blocks that’s a much better value. You could even buy two and end up with more blocks while still paying less than for the bigger set we have!
  If you don’t have any on blocks on hand that have numbers on them, you can write your own numbers on any type of blocks you have. Use paper and sticky tape if you don’t want to mark your blocks permanently.
• A sheet of paper.
• A pen, pencil or marker.
• A container to hold the blocks (optional).

N and E sat across the table from each other, and N pulled out one block at a time and handed it to E.

 

 

E had her sheet of paper and marker ready and turned the numbers into partial addition sentences as they went.

 

 

N was a little faster handing out blocks than she was writing down the numbers, but it was okay, no one got upset.

Once N had given her all of the blocks and she had written down her addition problems, N and E worked together to put the blocks back in the container before E started completing the addition sentences.

 

 

In the meantime, N stayed busy building towers 🙂

 

 

It was a great little activity that gave E a chance to practice addition skills, let N felt important and involved in E’s “homework” (that’s what she calls it, I certainly wouldn’t have labeled it that way 😉 ), and they both got to spend a little quiet time together working on shared goals. Perfect 🙂

 

Do you involve little brothers and sisters in older kids’ activities? Do you prefer to do activities separately? What works for you? Leave a comment below!

 

Do your kids love learning activities?

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Are you looking for more simple sibling activities?

Sibling Play with Green Sensory Soup

Fine Motor Practice with Acorns and Leaves

Process Art with Fizzy Flour Paint

Eight Games Older Siblings Can Play with Baby by Stay at Home Educator

Making Time for Siblings by The Educators’ Spin on It

10 Easy Painting Projects for Siblings to Do Together by Crafty Kids at Home

 

 

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