Block Colour Sort

What you need

• a set of blocks or card shapes
• two or three bowls

How to do it

1. Tip the blocks onto the floor between two or three bowls.
2. Ask your toddler to put all the same-colour blocks in one bowl.
3. Keep going until every block has a bowl.
4. Tip them all out and start again if they want another go.

Why it matters

Sorting by colour builds early maths thinking and gives little hands practice picking up and placing small objects with care.

What they're learning

colour matching

spotting which blocks belong together is the same skill used later for matching socks or sorting toys by type

pincer grip

picking up individual blocks strengthens the grip needed for holding a pencil

categorising

grouping by one feature at a time is an early step toward the logical thinking used in school maths

What to look for

Watch for them checking a block against others already in the bowl before deciding where it goes.

A tip

Use blocks that are already in the house rather than buying anything new. Cut card shapes work just as well.

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