Toy cars are a staple at any preschool blocks center – but stepping up the imagination by creating road blocks. Road blocks are easy to make from the standard wooden blocks found in nearly every classroom. They entice students to work together to create entire transportation networks and are the perfect addition to any transportation unit!
Where Can I Buy These?
Road blocks can be purchased online or in some stores, but they can be difficult to find. They’re adorable but often, they can be far outside a teacher’s budget. Many have interlocking pieces like a puzzle but are only compatible with that particular brand. The interlocking parts limit students to using them the ways the pieces fit together, and the small connectors sometimes break off easily, which can be frustrating. The good news is – it’s easy and inexpensive to make your own!
How To Make Your OWN Road Blocks
It’s surprisingly easy to make custom road blocks out of standard wooden blocks from any blocks found in a preschool classroom! All that is needed is a little patience, and some road tape bought online. There are several different types, including crosswalks and train tracks, but the basic kind is wonderful. Just tape along one side of the block, and suddenly there is a fun addition to a unit on transportation!
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Benefits of Road Blocks
Sometimes it takes just one simple prop to spark imagination in preschool children. They don’t require much help in that department. Displaying the blocks in easy-to-use baskets alongside toy cars and other simple additions encourages them to jump right in! Block play like this encourages cooperation, planning, and strategizing with the group. Vocabulary words such as “curve,” “angle,” and “arch” are used – with hands-on examples that cement the meaning of each one.
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Building a Road Block Center
What is a road if there are no cars? Here is a list of some things that can help keep students engaged and learning!
- Toy vehicles, of course!
- Animals
- Dollhouse People
- Small toy buildings
- Large blocks
- Traffic lights and road signs (like the ones found at Constructive Playthings)
- Empty boxes
- Paper towel tubes
- Loose parts
Adding a few extras, like the natural wood slices or KEVA planks, can extend the learning as students create their own stories. For example, in this picture, the road is closed (by wood slices), so the city bus has to find a different route.
These road blocks are a fantastic addition to any block center during a unit on transportation or just to add novelty to the area.
Read about more fun with road tape here!
Have fun playing and learning with your students!
