WonderHuddle Episode 1: The WonderHuddle of Building

Welcome back to WonderHuddle! Today's episode is exploring the power of Building.  Why some kids and adults love it so much. Let's huddle in!

Weekly podcasts.

Music Credits:

Did you know? (Curiouser and curiouser)
by Fabian Measures (Free Music Archive) (CC BY)

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Wonder Huddle is a podcast that dives into the childhood activities that sparked joy, creativity, innovation, and allowed us to escape when needed. Each episode explores how games, activities, and our imagination shaped our skills, knowledge, and passions. Through hands-on activities, educational research, and insight from educators, parents, and listeners, Wonder Huddle uncovers the hidden lessons in the things we loved as kids and how they continue to inspire and drive us today. Welcome to the podcast Wonder Huddle. Today we're going to talk about something many parents and educators notice, but don't always fully understand why some children seem to live in the Wonder Huddle of only building blocks. If you've ever watched a child in their classroom, or as soon as they walk into a room, or if they go to a neighbor's house and they head straight for the blocks, the loose parts, the building materials, day after day, this episode is for you. Okay, so what is the wonder huddle of building blocks? The wonder huddle isn't just a space, it's a mindset. It's where open-ended materials live, where blocks, connectors, recycled items, and loose parts invite children to imagine, design, build, knock down, and rebuild again. There are no instructions, no final product, no right or wrong. And for some children, this wonder huddle of just building blocks isn't just a favorite area. It's where they most feel themselves. It's where they most get excited and reach for the stars. Why is this the only place they want to be? This is the question adults often ask. Why won't they try anything else? Should I encourage them to move on? Some children don't avoid these areas. They connect deeply to these areas. So how do we encourage them? How do we make this space even better for them? For these children, the Wonder Huddle of Building Blocks offers control in a world where they often have little, predictability paired with endless possibility, a place where their ideas matter and come to life. When a child builds, their thinking becomes visible. They don't need to explain it in words. It's right there in front of them. For children who are highly focused, sensory aware, visually or spatial thinkers, emotionally sensitive, or still developing language, the wonder huddle of building blocks becomes a safe home base. So what is actually happening developmentally when a child is building and in their wonder huddle of creativity with all these blocks? When a child spends long stretches building, several powerful things are happening at once. They are developing executive function, planning, sequencing, and problem solving. They are strengthening fine motor and spatial reasoning. They are practicing emotional regulation, especially when something doesn't work. And you build that huge tower you've spent so long, and then it just falls to the ground. And then they have to try again. They are building confidence because they are the experts in their creation. For some children, this kind of deep engagement sometimes allows them to really control their play. And this is where your brain and their brain learns best. It isn't a fixation, it's a foundation of building. Why we shouldn't rush them away. Adults often feel pressure to encourage balance or variety. And while exposure matters, belonging matters too. When we rush children away from their wonder huddle of building blocks, we may unintentionally send the message, your way of learning isn't enough. But when we honor it, something powerful happens. When we honor it by maybe adding more blocks, or having a surprise, little loose part around, or celebrating it by taking a picture, children feel seen. They feel capable, they feel safe to take risks. Ironically, when children feel secure in their preferred space, they are more likely to explore others on their own timeline. So encourage and celebrate their wonder huddle of building blocks. So how as adults, teachers, can we support the wonder huddle of building blocks for our kids? How do parents, how do we do this? We always ask. One thing is to not interrupt. Just have uninterrupted time for building and creating. Encourage it. Observe before redirecting. Ask what they're working on. Seem interested. Ask lots of questions. Use language that values process, not product. Say, I love the way you lift those blocks and you place them gently, or I like the way you're thinking about the design. Document their learning. They love, kids love when you take pictures. They love when you ask them to draw it. They love when you draw it. So document their learning. Connect their building to the real world. Ask them, can you make something so that we can keep the garbage container from not overflowing? Or maybe can you design something so we can maybe think about building something for the backyard? Connect it to their worlds, to your worlds. It provides meaning. Most importantly, just trust the play and the process. Okay, we were Wonder Huddle builders when we were younger. That was our wonder huddle, and we just loved it. We we felt safe and we were exploring it every day. But now we're adults. So, what happens to those children when they grow up? What happens to us if we were builders when we were younger? Today we're exploring how the children who once lived in the building block wonder huddle often replace it with an adult version and how the same instincts quietly guide them and guide us through life. So, as children we loved building, but as adults, it never leaves us. We find our wonder huddle of building blocks in careers. We look for and find activities such as carpentry, woodworking, home renovations, furniture building, gardening, landscaping, or outdoor spaces. Or we find careers in design and engineering, like architecture, drafting, design, or product design, coding, and software development. Or we look for creative construction in art, sculpture, ceramics, sewing, knitting, quilting. It's endless. Also, even just composing music or sound design. And we can also find careers in systems and strategy, building businesses, entrepreneurship, project management, strategy games, puzzles, or simulation. In all of these, the same satisfaction exists. We find our wonder huddle of building. We build, we work hard on it, we work through it, and we build something. Now that we understand the power of building and how powerful this wonder huddle is, let's get some real-world listener stories so that we can kind of have a better understanding of what they love. For example, one listener wrote in and they said, I barely remember circle time, but I remember building cities. I'd lie on the floor for hours, lining up everything, rebuilding after it collapsed. I just loved it. And so today, as an adult, this former block builder is a civil engineer. He describes his job as an adult block play with higher stakes. I love that one. Another listener wrote in and said, I took everything apart. I didn't just build, I needed to know how everything worked: toys, remotes, clocks. Nothing was safe. And so now she is a software developer. Another listener said, building was how I calmed down. I was a quiet kid. When things felt loud or overwhelming, I'd go straight to the blocks. It was the only place my mind slowed down. And now she is a ceramic artist and a potter. It is really exciting to hear how little builders grow into big builders. We know that kids are natural builders, but one thing I always get asked is what materials should I have in my classroom, home, or daycare? I'm just going to share you the top toys that I've seen throughout my career that really, really allows the children to explore, create, and take it to the next level. It's important to note, children can build with anything. Anything, boxes, sticks, rocks, and we have to always encourage that because them picking their materials are super important. But here are the five toys that I really think are great. Number five, Snap Cube Link Connectors. They're colorful, they're six-sided, they're easy to use, they're simple, and they allow for 3D construction while fostering fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Number four, simple wooden blocks in all sizes, timeless, open-ended, and are a must for every classroom. Number three, mobile. It's often overlooked. A lot of people really don't know a lot about this toy. It's flexible, comes with little clips, and the possibilities are endless. Check it out. Number two, Magna tiles. The original Magna tiles. Every classroom needs them. The kids love them. They're durable. And um, yes, I must say the kids love them. And of course, number one, Lego. Lego. I can't say enough about Lego. It's classic. You don't have to have sets, just have lots and lots and lots of Lego. In closing, if you're raising or teaching a child who lives in a building wonder huddle, remember this. You're not watching a phase, you're witnessing a language, a way of thinking that often becomes a lifelong strength. And if you were once in that wonder huddle, remember it's still with you. It's still with you. You might just call it something else now. The wonder huddle of building isn't something we outgrow. We carry it with us. It may change, the tools may change, but at its core, it's still the place we return to ourselves. So build today. In our next episode, we will continue to explore our childhood activities and how many of us unknowingly seek them out as adults through work, hobbies, and moments of escape. Until next time, pay attention to what still brings you a sense of wonder and joy, and give yourself permission to find your one to huddle. And remember, your curiosity didn't disappear. You just need to huddle back into it.