Block play supports children’s informal and formal spatial skills
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
The present study evaluated unstructured play with blocks as a method of understanding children’s informal spatial skills to establish a link with direct cognitive assessment (e.g., formal spatial skills) in contrast to prior research using semi-structured paradigms. Participants were 110 socioeconomically diverse preschoolers (56% male, M age = 58 mos., range = 4 yrs. 1 mo.–6 yrs., 0 mos.) filmed in 55 dyads during play with wooden unit blocks. Children were coded for informal spatial skills using eight spatial configurations in block building (e.g., stacking, symmetry, tiers) and directly assessed on formal spatial skills with the Spatial Skills and Transformation Task (Levine et al., 1999). Block structure size was measured by area and volume. Informal and formal spatial skills were significantly related (b =.11, p = .011). Children with stronger informal (b =.42, p < .001) and formal (b =.99, p = .014) spatial skills built larger, more complex block structures. Findings suggest that prompting children to build large, spatially complex block structures may support broad spatial development.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2026.101740
Publication Information
Gold, Zachary S.; Perlman, Jesseca; Howe, Nina; and Byrd, Natalie S. (2026). "Block play supports children’s informal and formal spatial skills." Cognitive Development .79.
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