Building and constructing: how the skill grows from 18 to 36 months
Building and constructing means building with blocks, boxes and cushions: towers, roads, enclosures, bridges and houses. Building combines planning, balance, spatial thinking and imagination, and often turns into pretend play.
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Building and constructing: the ladder, step by step
Pick the step that looks most like your child today. The next step and activities that practise it appear below.
No step picked yet. There is no wrong answer: pick the closest one.
Next step: Lines up. Lines blocks along the floor and calls it a train or a road.
Activities that fit this step
- Big Box Tower Topple · 12–18 months · 3–8 min
- Block Bed for Teddy · 19–28 months · 5–12 min
- Tall Tower, Short Tower · 22–32 months · 5–12 min
Next step: Encloses. Builds a rough fence around toy animals.
Activities that fit this step
- Big Box Tower Topple · 12–18 months · 3–8 min
- Block Bed for Teddy · 19–28 months · 5–12 min
- Tall Tower, Short Tower · 22–32 months · 5–12 min
Next step: Bridges. Lays one block across a gap between two others.
Activities that fit this step
- Block Bed for Teddy · 19–28 months · 5–12 min
- Tall Tower, Short Tower · 22–32 months · 5–12 min
- Copy-My-Bridge Block Build · 24–34 months · 5–12 min
Next step: Builds for a story. Builds a bed for teddy or a garage for a car, then plays in it.
Activities that fit this step
- Tall Tower, Short Tower · 22–32 months · 5–12 min
- Copy-My-Bridge Block Build · 24–34 months · 5–12 min
- Tube and Block City · 26–36 months · 10–20 min
Top of the ladder (builds for a story). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Tall Tower, Short Tower · 22–32 months · 5–12 min
- Copy-My-Bridge Block Build · 24–34 months · 5–12 min
- Tube and Block City · 26–36 months · 10–20 min
The building and constructing ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 18 to 36 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Stacks a few
Puts two or three blocks on top of each other.
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Lines up
Lines blocks along the floor and calls it a train or a road.
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Encloses
Builds a rough fence around toy animals.
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Bridges
Lays one block across a gap between two others.
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Builds for a story
Builds a bed for teddy or a garage for a car, then plays in it.
When building and constructing usually shows up
Building is not a separate CDC checklist item beyond stacking two small objects at 15 months. Lining blocks into a road, making a fence around animals or bridging a gap usually grows over the third year.
This page follows building and constructing from 18 to 36 months, a window that spans the 18-month, 24-month, 30-month and 36-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 5 activities practise building and constructing (3 as their main skill), for ages 12 to 36 months. Each needs a few minutes of setup. By age, they sit closest to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the 5-step ladder.
Activities that practise building and constructing
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 3 creativity & pretend, 1 early concepts and 1 fine motor. Quickest to start: Big Box Tower Topple (3–8 minutes).
Step 1: Stacks a few
Step 2: Lines up
Step 3: Encloses
Step 4: Bridges
Skills practised alongside
The activities for building and constructing most often also work on stacking blocks (3), size words (2), spatial words (2), cause and effect (1) and problem solving (1). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Build big with cushions and cardboard boxes as well as small with blocks.
- Sit beside your child and build your own structure, talking about what you are doing.
- Add toy cars, animals or a teddy so a building becomes a place to play.
What to avoid
- Building the impressive version for your child; a wobbly tower they built is worth more.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If your child does not stack, line up or build with anything at all by 2, mention it alongside any other concerns about hand use or play.
Worried about building and constructing between visits? Call the pediatrician; CDC's free resources also explain how to contact your local Early Intervention program directly. Milestones are for monitoring, not diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
When do toddlers start building and constructing?
Building is not a separate CDC checklist item beyond stacking two small objects at 15 months. Lining blocks into a road, making a fence around animals or bridging a gap usually grows over the third year. The first step to look for: puts two or three blocks on top of each other.
How can I help my toddler with building and constructing?
Build big with cushions and cardboard boxes as well as small with blocks. Sit beside your child and build your own structure, talking about what you are doing. A good first activity is Big Box Tower Topple (12–18 months).
What should I avoid when practising building and constructing?
Building the impressive version for your child; a wobbly tower they built is worth more.
When should I mention building and constructing to the pediatrician?
If your child does not stack, line up or build with anything at all by 2, mention it alongside any other concerns about hand use or play. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.