When the sun is shining and school is out, summer might seem like the perfect time to just relax and let loose. But did you know it’s also the perfect season to sneak in some serious STEM learning? And the best part? Your child might not even realize it's happening—especially when they're building castles, spaceships, or lemonade stands with large building blocks.
Why Blocks = Brain Boost
STEM toys aren't just high-tech gadgets or coding apps. At their core, they spark curiosity and support science, technology, engineering, and math skills. Large building blocks do all of that and more through hands-on play that builds more than just towers:
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Cognitive Growth: Building helps develop planning, memory, and problem-solving skills. Kids think critically about what pieces they need, what fits where, and how to fix something when it topples.
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Spatial Reasoning: According to child development experts, block play improves a child’s ability to visualize and manipulate objects in space—a core STEM skill linked to future success in math and science.
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Motor Skills: Lifting, stacking, and placing large building blocks helps strengthen fine and gross motor coordination, especially in toddlers and preschoolers.
STEM Skills in Action
Let’s break it down:
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Engineering: Figuring out how to stabilize a tall tower? That’s basic engineering.
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Math: Sorting blocks by color or size, counting pieces, or recognizing patterns? All early math concepts.
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Science: Experimenting with balance, gravity, and cause-and-effect? That’s physics at play.
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Technology: No screen needed—just using tools and materials to create new solutions builds the mindset needed for tech fluency.
Tips for Making Summer Builds STEM-Boosting
STEM learning works best when it doesn’t feel like homework. Here are a few ways to integrate learning into everyday play:
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Pose Challenges: Ask questions like, “Can you build a bridge that holds your toy car?” or “How tall can you make this without it falling?”
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Mix in Nature: Bring Biggo Blocks extra large building blocks outside. Use leaves, twigs, and rocks with blocks for some eco-STEM exploration.
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Create Roles: Make your child the "Chief Builder," "Engineer," or "Site Manager." Let them assign jobs to siblings or friends.
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Document the Build: Take photos and ask your child to describe what they made. This boosts language development alongside STEM learning.
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Add a Story: Ask them to build a scene from a favorite book or movie. Now they’re mixing STEM with literacy and creativity!
For Homeschoolers and Teachers
Looking to make playtime part of your curriculum? Jumbo blocks from Biggo Blocks are perfect for early STEM lesson plans. Create themed build days (like Space Day or Build-a-Zoo), let kids work in teams, and use the builds as storytelling prompts or writing starters. Plus, they’re easy to clean, store, and reuse again and again.
Keep the Learning Going All Summer
We believe every child should have access to creative, brain-boosting play. That’s why we put together a FREE printable activity pack just for July—packed with themed build challenges to keep the fun (and learning) going. Download your printable Builds for July here
Whether your kid is a future architect, scientist, or just loves to build, Biggo Blocks is the go-to for summer STEM play that’s big on fun and learning.
