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Extension office to hold block party workshops

The Purdue Extension Office of Huntington County will hold block party workshops for parents, preschool teachers and child care providers.

The training is designed to teach participants the benefits children receive while playing with blocks in a safe social atmosphere.

Block Party Workshops are scheduled for Jan. 16 and Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the second floor Courthouse Annex conference room.

The parties were designed by Wisconsin Extension and brought to Indiana by Purdue Extension for children 5 and under.

The goal of a Block Party field trip is to help young children learn through interactive play. Facilitators use building blocks to lay a foundation for early math, reading, science and motor skills while the kids have fun. The block parties not only serve as a means for educational development, but as a bonding tool. These field trips allow kids to interact positively with their parents, other adults and peers.

The January workshops offer an informational forum for parents, childcare providers and preschool teachers to learn how block play is effective in a child's social and educational development.

The meetings will feature research confirming that Block Parties are a useful tool in preparing children to enter school. In addition, child care providers who participate in the workshops will receive two credit hours for Paths to Quality.

Those who attend the workshop will be eligible to bring their students or children to a free Block Party.

To register, call the Purdue Extension Office at 358-4826 or e-mail Karen Hinshaw at kdhinsha@pur due.edu.