Build a Block Tower and Trace It

Wooden blocks or building blocks

Large paper (bigger than the structures your child will build)

Crayons or markers

Invite your child to build a tower or structure with blocks. Let them build whatever they want — tall towers, wide walls, bridges, or abstract shapes.

Once they are happy with the creation, hold a large piece of paper directly behind the structure, flat against the table or wall.

Help your child trace around the outline of the structure with a crayon or marker. Trace slowly and carefully around each block edge.

Carefully remove the blocks and look at the outline that remains on the paper.

Let your child color in and decorate the traced shape. They might add windows, doors, patterns, or just wild color.

Build a completely different structure and trace that one too. Now you have two architectural drawings to compare.

Talk about the shapes. "This one was so tall! This one was wider. Which one used more blocks?"

This activity bridges 3D construction and 2D representation — a cognitive leap that children develop throughout the preschool years.

Younger children will need you to hold the paper and do most of the tracing. Older children can trace more independently.

Use large, simple blocks rather than small interlocking bricks. Big flat surfaces trace more clearly.

Ask your child to describe their building before you trace it. "Tell me about what you built." This builds narrative and descriptive language.

Save the traced drawings and date them. Over time, the structures get more complex and the tracing gets more precise.