Block Play Not Just for Boys

07/21/2021

Convince yourself every day that you are worthy of a good life. Let go of stress, breathe.
Germany Kent, author

One of the Exchange Out of the Box Training Kits is called “Block Play: It’s Not Just for Boys Anymore,” based on an article by Barb Tokarz. We at Exchange asked ourselves if this Training Kit was still needed, or do all genders now use the Block Area equally? Recent comments here on ExchangeEveryDay, however, made it clear that in many programs the scenario Tokarz outlines in her article is still the norm:

“It is center time in the four-year-old class. Groups of boys and girls are busily engaged in play in the dramatic play, the art center, the library, discovery center, and with table games. The teacher notes that since she has changed the dramatic play area to an ice cream parlor, boys as well as girls are enjoying creating and serving ‘frozen treats’ for their friends. However, an area of ongoing concern is that the block center has only boys playing in it once again. Two girls stand on the perimeter, looking at the skyscraper that the boys are building and appearing as if they would like to join in. However, the boys are using most of the blocks and are so involved in their building that they don‘t acknowledge the girls, so the girls move on to the art center where they begin painting at the easels.

As teachers of young children, most of us have seen this situation, with some variation, played out in our classrooms. The absence of girls in the block center concerns early childhood educators because block play provides valuable opportunities for expanding language, social, cognitive, and motor skills.”

We’d love to hear from you, readers, about what your observations have been around blocks and gender. Please share in the comments. Thanks!

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