Playing with blocks helps kids develop language skills

If your young child is a "hands-on" type of kids who loves his or her blocks and building materials, those language skills may be under development along with motor skills, according to a study released this week.

The study revealed that language scores were about 15 percent higher in the group of kids aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent blocks to play with out of a group of 175 kids.

Parents of each block-supplied child were given instructions on how to help their kids play with the blocks, then each kept copious notes during a four-day study period. After studying the responses from all involved parents, the researchers concluded that 'block play ' stimulates thinking, memory and physical mastery -- all of which are precursors to language construction and expression.