LEGO bricks are a toy that not only entertains but also supports the development of key skills in children, including fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Manipulating small elements and creating structures from them requires precision and concentration, which is an ideal exercise for developing hands. In this article, we will look at how LEGO affects children's motor skills and why it is worth using these bricks to support their development.
1. Development of Fine Motor Skills and Precise Movements
Building with LEGO engages the muscles of the hand and fingers, which is crucial for the development of fine motor skills. By regularly assembling and disassembling the blocks, children learn to precisely manipulate small elements, which is important for their overall manual dexterity.
- Finger and Hand Exercise : Moving and matching blocks requires the involvement of the fingers and hand muscles, which builds their strength and dexterity. This allows children to develop precise movements that they will need, for example, when writing.
- Precision Block Matching : Matching blocks to create a stable structure teaches children delicacy and precision movements, which positively affects their motor skills.
2. Strengthening Hand-Eye Coordination
LEGO is a great way to develop hand-eye coordination, or the ability to synchronize vision with hand movements. Fitting the blocks together and creating different shapes requires children to be good at judging distance, shape, and how the elements connect.
- Matching Shapes : By observing and manipulating blocks, children learn how to match their hand movements to what they see, which improves their hand-eye coordination.
- Accuracy and Attention : During the building process, they must focus on the exact connection of the blocks, which requires concentration and manual dexterity, as well as learning to observe carefully.
3. Increasing Perseverance and Patience
Building complex LEGO structures can take time and trial and error. This game develops the perseverance and patience needed to complete a project.
- Pursuing a Goal : Children learn that in order to achieve a desired result, they need to put in effort and be patient, which develops their ability to concentrate longer.
- Learning from Mistakes : If something falls over or doesn't fit, the child learns to analyze the problem and try again, which develops resilience to failure.
4. Supporting the Development of Bilateral Coordination
LEGO engages both hands at the same time, which supports the development of bilateral coordination, or the ability to use both hands in a coordinated way. This is an important skill that children will use in everyday activities, such as getting dressed or drawing.
- Using Both Hands : When building with LEGO, children learn to use both hands at the same time – they can hold the base of the structure with one hand while adding pieces with the other.
- Application in Everyday Activities : The development of coordination between both hands will also be useful when children learn other skills, such as writing, eating with cutlery or playing instruments.
5. Improving Healthy Posture and Concentration
Long sessions of playing with LEGO teach children to maintain a healthy body posture and develop their ability to concentrate. Correct body position during building helps to maintain proper posture, and the process of creating construction teaches children to focus on the task.
- Focus Exercise : Building structures requires focus, so children learn to concentrate on one activity for a longer period of time.
- Taking care of posture : Playing on a properly adapted table or desk helps the child maintain correct posture, which has a positive effect on the development of the muscular system.
6. Developing Creativity and Spatial Imagination
Building with LEGO is also a great exercise in spatial imagination. Children learn to think in three dimensions, which is especially important for developing spatial perception and orientation skills.
- Understanding Space and Relationships Between Elements : By building a variety of structures, children learn to think spatially and understand the relationships between individual elements of the structure.
- Developing Imagination and Planning : LEGO allows children to create new structures, which develops their ability to plan, think creatively and imagine spatially.
7. Easy Transition to Other Motor Development Activities
Playing with LEGO prepares children for other activities that require precision and fine motor skills, such as drawing, writing, and manual games. Regular fine motor exercises with LEGO help children gain confidence in using their hands, which is the basis for their further development.
- Preparation for Writing and Drawing : With the skills they gain from playing with LEGO, children become more adept at precise movements when drawing or writing.
- Developing Other Manual Interests : Fine motor skills and precise movements are also useful in activities such as folding paper, sculpting, or making crafts, which supports the development of their artistic and technical abilities.
Summary
LEGO is a unique toy that not only entertains, but also supports children's motor development on many levels. Manipulating blocks and building structures from them develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, precision of movements and spatial imagination. Additionally, playing with LEGO teaches children concentration, perseverance and cooperation. It is worth introducing LEGO into a child's daily play to support their development in a natural and engaging way, while giving them the joy of creating and building.
