At Edx Education, we believe the best learning happens through play. Whether you're at home or in the classroom, simple, engaging activities can spark joy, curiosity, and a love of learning in young children. One of our favourite tools for hands-on, open-ended play? Pattern blocks!
These colourful, tactile shapes are perfect for exploring early maths, language, communication, creativity, and even social-emotional development. Our new Green-n-Learn Sensory Tangram Set takes it to the next level—made from recycled materials, they're eco-friendly and have a lovely textured feel to enhance sensory learning.
So, how can we turn a simple set of pattern blocks into an early years learning adventure? Here are 10 fun and easy ways to play, learn, and create with pattern blocks at home or in the classroom.
1. Shape Scavenger Hunt
Hide pattern blocks around the house or classroom and send your child on a scavenger hunt! As they find each shape, ask them to name it (triangle, hexagon, square) and describe its colour, edges, and corners. This simple game boosts shape recognition, descriptive language, and gross motor skills.
2. Sensory Tray Fun
Add your Green-n-Learn Sensory Tangram Set to a tray filled with rice, sand, or lentils. Children can dig for shapes, trace them with their fingers, and sort them by colour or size. A brilliant way to combine sensory play with fine motor development and early maths.
3. Build a Picture
Challenge children to make a flower, animal, rocket, or house using pattern blocks. This supports creative thinking, spatial awareness, and geometry. Talk about the shapes they’re using and how they fit together—developing languageand communication naturally through play.
4. Pattern Challenge
Start a simple pattern using different shapes (triangle, square, triangle…) and encourage your child to continue the sequence. Then switch roles! They create a pattern and you follow it. This builds logical thinking, sequencing, and early coding skills.
5. Storytelling Shapes
Choose a few shapes and ask your child to create a story around them. For example, “Once upon a time, the blue triangle flew over the yellow hexagon…” This imaginative activity builds narrative skills, vocabulary, and creative expression.
6. Sorting & Classifying
Provide sorting trays or bowls and invite children to group shapes by colour, size, or type. Ask open-ended questions like: What do these shapes have in common? or Can you find all the red shapes? A playful way to introduce data handlingand problem-solving.
7. Mirror & Symmetry Play
Use a small mirror and encourage children to create symmetrical designs with their pattern blocks. This supports maths concepts like reflection, balance, and geometry—while developing an eye for visual beauty!
8. Counting Creations
Count how many blocks are in each design or how many sides each shape has. Use number cards or dice to add an extra challenge. This playful practice builds numeracy skills, one-to-one correspondence, and an early love of maths.
9. Tactile Matching Game
With eyes closed, encourage your child to feel a shape and guess what it is. Then match it to its pair. The textured Green-n-Learn blocks are perfect for this sensory challenge, helping build memory, language, and touch recognition.
10. Group Design Collab
Working together, create a large pattern or scene on the floor or table using all your shapes. This encourages teamwork, negotiation, and shared decision-making, key components of social and emotional development.
Pattern blocks are more than just shapes—they’re building blocks for lifelong learning. Whether you're focusing on maths, communication, or creativity, there's so much you can explore through play. At Edx Education, we love seeing children engage with these tactile toys to develop essential skills in joyful, playful ways.
For more activity ideas, free downloadable resources, and inspiration, tune in to our podcast Play, Learn & Create with Edx Education. Let’s keep learning playful and purposeful for happy, confident children.
Happy playing,
Heather Welch
Author of Happy Children Play and General Manager, Edx Education UK