Connection & feelings

Build one tower together

Take turns adding large blocks to one shared tower and decide together what to do when it changes or falls.

10 minutes

What you'll need

Six to ten large lightweight stable blocks

Before you start

Child is comfortable sharing a short play routine with a familiar caregiver

Best fit: either · medium energy · medium caregiver effort · low mess

How to play

  1. Agree that you are making one tower together on the floor.
  2. Take turns choosing and placing one block.
  3. When it leans or falls, pause and decide together whether to rebuild or make something else.
Make it easier

Use four broad blocks and add them side by side before stacking.

Standard

Take turns adding large blocks to one shared tower and decide together what to do when it changes or falls.

Extend it

Give each builder a different job, such as choosing shape or checking stability, then swap.

What you might notice

Notice how the child waits, offers ideas, adapts or asks for help during shared construction.

Keep it safe

Supervise nearby and build on the floor with lightweight blocks. Keep the tower below the child's shoulder height, stop throwing or climbing, and pack blocks away afterward.

Why it may be useful

Following your child's lead and responding to their signals may support warm, reciprocal interaction.

strong

Supports responsive interaction as a broad mechanism, not a claim that a single activity changes development.

Jeong et al. (2021) — Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Pitchik et al. (2024) — A meta-analytic review of the implementation characteristics in parenting interventions to promote early child development

Leijten et al. (2021) — Teaching Parents to Be Responsive: A Network Meta-analysis

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