Motor planning and what it means when stacking blocks
You'll spot the term 'motor planning' a few times in the app. It involves making lots of different connections between the body and brain. Watching your toddler stacking blocks is a great way to see this complex process played out in a seemingly simple (but incredibly skillful) way.
Motor planning is a skill used in loads of everyday activities; it’s a combination of thought, sensory information and movement
Our bodies and brains communicate each time we move. Every movement we perform, from brushing our teeth to tying our shoes, is the result of the brain organising information and sending it to the body.
To plan a movement, your toddler first solves a problem; in the case of stacking blocks, they decide which one to move and where to move it. Their brain assesses how to accomplish this and sends information to the limbs, muscles and joints needed to make the movement happen.
Each time they move a block, they plan and carry out the same sequence of thought and movement.
Loads more goes on in motor planning...
Your toddler needs to use both hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills in order to pick up the block.
They use sensory information from their eyes to move their arms and hands to pick up the block. Your toddler’s developing grasping skills give them control over the block, helping them to achieve the movement they had planned.
Not all blocks are the same size, shape and weight, so your toddler responds to the sensory feedback received from each one. Their fingers titivate each block while their brain figures out how much force will be needed to hold onto and position it in its new location.
When they play with blocks, you'll see that their gross and fine motor movements start to match their intentions.
Are we talking physics and maths now? – Yes, we certainly are!
When we apply physics to stacking blocks, your toddler will be considering the size of each block and the speed they move it at. Because of the pull of gravity, they may discover that it’s easier to lift and move a smaller block than a larger one.
It's possible that they'll discover a block is lighter than expected. They may move it quickly towards where they want it to go and then completely miss the target.
At this point, they're linking knowledge about forces, weight and speed.
While they play with moving blocks, tons of mathematical learning takes place. They won’t know it, but your toddler is learning how to calculate whether a block will fit on top of another and whether it will remain balanced. They continually make connections between the size and shape of the blocks.
Their brain learns from all this information just how to coordinate and plan sequences of motor movements
Over time, these movements will become refined. Their cognitive, motor and mathematical skills will develop, and you'll see your toddler building taller towers and then more complex structures. It’s a fascinating watch!