When you hear “spatial skills” what do you think of?
Perhaps maps and driving directions, geometry and 3D cylinders, or putting together a crib.
Or perhaps pivoting a couch up a narrow New York City staircase. I feel for you, Rachel.
With the sexes*, we hear a lot about men being better at spatial intelligence than women. But is it true?
Do boys have better spatial intelligence than girls?
If you read the studies, you’ll hear lots of conflicting opinions. It’s the age-old nurture vs. nature debate. A study in 2008 showed indications of 5 month-old baby boys grasping the rotation of an object more than baby girls. A more recent study in 2016 revealed that the way in which tests are framed to men and women can make a big difference in the results. On the same spatial test, women performed better when the object was replaced with a person, and the test was called a “social intelligence test” rather than a “spatial intelligence test.” There may be immense power in people’s expectations of their performance, and resulting confidence.
Whether or not there are biological differences (I’m not a scientist, but the general consensus in science seems to be that cognitive differences in men and women’s brains are very small, if any), much more importantly, we know that nurture CAN impact children’s development of skills.
Parents can influence children’s spatial skills
Let’s talk about what else we know. We know that adults encourage and select toys for children based upon their sex. I’ve shared this BBC video before, but it’s worth sharing again.
Even the first participant, who considers herself open-minded, realized she probably gave soft toys to the child in a dress because she thought the child was a girl, not actually a boy.
We also know that parents use more “spatial talk” with their boys than girls – words that describe objects, such as tall, round, curvy, sharp. And more spatial talk predicts their spatial abilities.
Finally, we know that it’s impossible to improve your spatial skills by playing games like Tetris. Uh, no wonder I could navigate through Europe – my Tetris skills in the early ’90s were sick!
But before you run out to search eBay for an old Gameboy, there are many more basic activities that will build children’s spatial intelligence. Plus, I’ve got Tetris lovers covered below.
8 toys and activities to improve children’s spatial skills
I’m a big believer that we don’t need to “teach” our babies and young children activities like rolling, crawling, and walking. Unless they have some type of disability or developmental issue, they will likely just DO these things on their own. Similarly, we don’t have to “teach” children how to put a puzzle together; we can simply put one in front of them to explore. They might choose to stack the puzzle pieces, rather than interlock them. That’s cool, because play isn’t about “doing it right” – it’s about learning.
Here are a few of our favorite activities and toys to build children’s spatial skills. They range in price, but a couple you can just pull out from the cabinet!
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1. Shape sorter and shape cubes
Even though she couldn’t quite match the shape to the corresponding hole just yet, it helped her to recognize many different shapes.
It works at so many different stages of childhood – she now carries it around like a briefcase during imaginary play.
2. Stacking cups or baking bowls
Stacking cups are one of those baby staples that can continue well into toddlerhood.
Even though they might seem “babyish,” put them away for a few months and when you resurface the toy, your toddler will flip them over, balance figurines on top, or use them to play the drums. Endless fun.
We just made our second DIY sensory bin, which has been a huge hit, and I dusted these babies off from the basement and threw them in. What better way to pour dry rice around?
Or maybe you’re trying to cook in the kitchen, and your dear child doesn’t want to leave your side (ahem). Grab your baking bowls and put them on the floor. This set has kept my daughter entertained for many, many hours of her life.
3. Brick Blocks:
These are durable and hearty blocks. They’ve lasted more than 12 years in our family, even with the occasional kid standing on them!
You can see some wear and tear on the corners of our elderly batch.
But kids love these to build all kinds of forts and bridges. And best of all, to smile with glee when they knock it down.
4. An old box
If you’re an Amazon Prime frequent flyer like me, you save up those old boxes, just in case you or a friend moves and needs tons.
Just try leaving an empty box out and see what your child does with it. It can be a hideaway, a table, a boat, or almost anything. Open play jackpot! Even better if you have a few old shoe boxes they can use to stack, too. Different size boxes will help children be even more creative.
5. Tool Bench
It doesn’t need to be fancy, and if you’re handy you might even build your own. But I love this version because it has so many types of different tools: screwdrivers, hammers, levels, wrenches, a C clamp, and many more.
My kiddo will cross play with these, and use a screwdriver to be a doctor and “fix Daddy’s heart.” Let’s hope she’s got some anesthesia, too.
6. Magnetic Tiles
They’re an investment, but well worth it. Now that she’s turning three, she seemed ready for a starter set, and welcomed these with delight.
Magna-Tiles keep her occupied for quite an impressive time, given the short attention span of a toddler.
Kids can create so many different structures with these. Not only do they help with construction, symmetry, problem-solving, and coordination, I’ve read that they can help children struggling with sensory issues, fine motor skills, and tactile needs.
7. Tangrams
I love colorful wooden pieces, appropriate for all ages, with no limits on ways to interlock and interchange them!
There are also more traditional tangrams from Melissa and Doug that my teenage niece and nephew passed down to us. These are wonderful for matching shapes and colors.
But for children who prefer very open-ended play, you don’t even have to use the suggested designs – just make up your own!
8. Fold laundry or put sheets on bed together.
Not only is this solution low-cost, but it will help you with housework. Can I get an amen? My child loves to wrap her ice pack up in a dishtowel in many different formations. Not only does this distract from the boo-boo at hand, but she gains spatial skills each time she tries a new wrap.
Or ask them to help you put the sheets on the bed. Remember to describe what’s happening to build more of those spatial words into their vocabulary. Which way does it fit? Is that side longer or shorter?
Which of these toys is on your wish list? What others would you recommend? Share with us below!
*This piece largely focuses on men and women, and boys and girls, because the majority of studies have focused on the sexes. We are committed to gender inclusivity, and this is not intended to be exclusive of a range of genders.
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