How Lego Bricks and Block Toys Boost Children’s Cognitive Function

What if we told you that Lego bricks and other block toys could actually boost your child’s cognitive abilities? There’s overwhelming evidence that block-based play leads to positive mental development in children. In fact, these play sessions help children develop language, math, problem-solving, and spatial skills.

Legos for Spatial Reasoning

Legos and other block toys help children to develop strong spatial reasoning skills. Children develop these skills after repeatedly handling and visualizing two- and three-dimensional objects. When researchers surveyed undergraduate students to discern their spatial skills, they found overwhelming disparities (1). Since spatial skills are rarely taught in schools, researchers concluded that individuals had to have established these skills elsewhere. One way that the students may have acquired these skills is through construction-based play that they participated in as children.

Benefiting Math Skills

Studies also show that construction toys teach math skills as well. In fact, researchers have concluded that there is a close relationship between math and spatial reasoning (2). There even seems to be a direct correlation between math skills and building skills. That’s because construction-based play and math both use many of the same brain processes, including spatial memory and general intelligence.

Since Legos come in all sorts of unique shapes and sizes, they also make excellent math tools. Children can use them to solve problems related to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurement, and more. Children tend to enjoy and gain more from relatable, familiar lessons. If your child already enjoys playing with block toys, they may see Lego lessons as play.

Teaching Problem Solving

Children’s building blocks also teach problem-solving. When children build walls, towers, and other structures, they have to confront and overcome a unique set of problems. A child’s crude experiments with construction can even boost their engineering skills.

Building Language and Speech Development

Lego building blocks can also help children with a range of speech skills. In fact, parents, teachers, and speech therapists often use these children’s toys to teach language skills. Children can use the toy to expand their vocabulary. They may start with color recognition and expand to more expansive descriptions.

Boosting Creativity

Block play can also boost your child’s creativity and divergent thinking. While many Lego kits come with instructional booklets, this usually doesn’t stop young ones from coming up with their own prototypes. Kids should be designing their own creations, building them, and destroying them. While there are many benefits to building a Lego kit to completion, there might be even more to gain from free-building (3). Younger children may even use their Legos to come up with imaginative storylines.

Amplifying Convergent Thinking

While Lego kits allow children to participate in divergent thinking, they also enable them to explore convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is the process of coming up with a single answer to a problem. When a child follows the instructions in a Lego set pedantically, they participate in convergent thinking. Regular convergent thinking can make it easier for children to find solutions in real-world situations.

Social Cognition

Researchers have even used Legos to teach children with autism spectrum disorder social skills (4). Dr. Daniel LeGoff even developed a Lego-based therapy to teach children with autism to share, solve problems, negotiate, communicate, and cooperate with other children (5).

Many libraries and therapy centers even host structured Lego playgroups. In these groups, children usually work with other children to solve problems and/or complete tasks related to Lego building. They can interact with their Peers while exercising their building and engineering skills. Since Legos embrace popular movie and videogame themes, it makes them even more approachable.

Memory

A child must exercise their visuospatial, short-term, long-term, and non-verbal memories to construct their Lego sets successfully (6). In fact, memory functions seem to be the key connection between math and building blocks.

Legos for Career Development

Researchers have found a direct connection between block play and STEM education. Those little plastic building blocks could even serve as the launchpad to your little one’s future as a scientist, mathematician, or engineer. There’s no doubt that Lego blocks can influence a child’s intellect. If your child has a genuine interest in construction toys, do what you can to foster and nourish their curiosity.

Here’s What You Can Do Next

Who knew that Legos and other building blocks were so beneficial to children? Be sure to check out MuddySmile’s top Lego City Set picks. While you’re at it, check out HealthSoul’s tips for limiting screen time. Studies show that kids who partake in hands-on activities are more likely to perform well in STEM fields (7).

The next time you stub your toe on your child’s building blocks, think twice before scolding them. After all, those little blocks might be the key to their future!