Children share blocks equally and build towers.
The children try to divide up the blocks equally.
Then they build towers.
Materials
- Any number of same-sized blocks
Preparation
- Put the blocks out for the children.
Directions
- Show the children the collection of blocks. Tell them that their goal is to share the blocks equally and then to build towers that are the same height. Model for them building a tower that has one block in each layer to encourage them to build similar towers.
- Let children organize the sharing and building. (They might share as they build, or they might share first and then build.) Have the children build their towers right next to each other so they can easily compare them.
- Once the children have built their towers, help them evaluate whether they shared the blocks equally. Ask, How did you share the blocks equally? How did you know how many to give each person? Do you think you each have the same number of blocks now? How do you know? (The children may count the blocks in each tower, or compare the towers’ heights.)
- If the children identify that their towers are not even, ask, Why do you think your towers are not even? Which tower has more blocks? Which has fewer? What can you do to make the towers even? (The children might use these strategies: Count the blocks in each tower and add to the shorter one until the towers have the same number of blocks; remove blocks from one tower and add them to the other, checking to see when the heights are the same; start the towers over, adding one block at a time to each structure.)
- Collect all the blocks and repeat the activity with a different number of blocks for the children to share equally.
Note: As a variation, have the children build same-sized trains (blocks placed end to end along the floor). To increase the challenge, give the children several sets of differently-sized blocks to build their towers or trains. They will have to share each type of block equally to make sure they each use the same number of each block size.