1. Introduction

During early childhood, children learn and discover from their everyday experiences. Whether at home with their family or at a learning center with their peers, children constantly expand their worldviews and develop new skills through various forms of play. In particular, free play time is essential for young children’s early year development. Prior study demonstrated that children obtain knowledge most effortlessly though play with various settings [1]. After being exposed to ample opportunities for exploration and playing in different areas, children can learn and grow in a fun and engaging way. Play is an integral aspect of appropriate childcare and take on a vital role in the promotion of cognitive, emotional, social, and physical behaviors in children [2]. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory argues that children learn through play; when children play, their cognitive and social skills are built upon each other [3].

Block play, as known as, construction play, is a common activity in early childhood classrooms [4]. Block play can help children express their ideas and encourage divergent thinking. Block play provides children with numerous opportunities for learning and skills development. Previous research has demonstrated that block play is an effective way for early children to acquire foundational cognitive knowledge in a variety of domains, including language, mathematics, and science [5]. Young children acquire a deeper understanding of the world through the hands-on exploration and development of fundamental skills afforded by playing with blocks.

When engaged in block play, children also learn essential skills such as sharing blocks or ideas with their peers, developing their mathematical abilities, and expressing their feelings in positive ways [6]. It is undeniable that the act of creating and designing structures using blocks holds the capacity to offer a setting for multifaceted learning scenarios. Additionally, block play can promote problem-solving skills in children as they use their minds and try different approaches to achieve their goals [7]. These skills are critical to building positive relationships with peers and developing empathy and social competence, also helping children to build essential real-life skills [8].

2. Block play

2.1. The Effects of Block Play on Social-emotional Development

Block play promotes socialization, verbal communication, and encourages collaborative play, providing children with a chance to share ideas with their peers and cooperate with another [9,10]. Sharing blocks or ideas with peers is an essential aspect of block play that fosters social and emotional development. Children learn to communicate and collaborate to achieve a common goal [4]. When children are building blocks, they must communicate their ideas and plans to their peers to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This effort for synchronicity also provides young children valuable chances to build and improve their mental images of objects and items [8]. In this case, in order to cooperate well, children develop the ability to express their thinking clearly, listen actively to others, and provide feedback in a constructive and respectful manner.

Taking turns is another crucial skill that children through block play. As children work together to build structures, they must learn to wait patiently for their turn to contribute and respect the contributions of their peers. They learn to appreciate the unique ideas and approaches that their peers bring to the building process and to incorporate them into their own ideas. It will help children to develop self-control and explore a sense of teamwork and collaboration which will serve them well throughout their lives. Furthermore, self-regulation skills improve through block play. By waiting patiently for their turn, children learn to control their impulses and delay gratification, which are essential skills for success in many areas of lie including school and work.

Block play offers children a rich environment for learning and developing important skills. By collaborating with peers, communicating effectively, taking turns, and working together to achieve a common goal, children develop the social and emotional competencies that are significant for successes in school and beyond.

2.2. The Effects of Block Play on Mathematic Skills

Moreover, block play is an effective approach with which children can develop their mathematical abilities as it provides them with hands-on and interactive experiences that enable them to explore and experiment with mathematical concepts in a fun and engaging manner. The engagement in block play has the potential to foster the development of logical thinking, problem-solved skills, and provide learning opportunities on mathematical skills, including but not limited to sorting, counting, classifying, and identifying shapes. The activity of block play serves to enhance early childhood development, and it provides fundamental experiences that can facilitate future learning in the domains of mathematics and literacy as well [11]. These early math skills form the foundation for more complex mathematical concepts that children will encounter later in their education.

Counting and measuring are essential math skills that children develop through block play. For example, children can count the number of blocks they have and compare quantities using comparative language such as “more” and “less,” as well as use blocks to measure distances or heights and compare the relative sizes of various objects by using “tall,” “short,” “big,” and “small” [9].

Sorting blocks helps develop children’s sorting skills by classifying blocks by various attributes, such as size, shape, and color. Sorting blocks helps children develop their categorization skills which are essential for understanding mathematical concepts such as patterns and sets, and also helps develop children’s visual discrimination skills.

In addition, block play promotes spatial awareness. Cohen and Janet showed that block play and Lego activities play an important role in children’s spatial skills [12]. Children learn spatial vocabulary such as “in front of,” “on top of,” and “underneath” through interactions with caregivers or parents during block play [9]. These words can help children better understand their environment. Spatial awareness enables children to locate objects and is useful not only for block play, but also for navigating their living environment. For example, at the end of independent play time, children are expected to sort and put blocks back in their place based on their shape and size. This activity not only promotes the development of children’s sorting, measuring, and categorizing skills, but also fosters the quality of responsibility.

Additionally, when kids participate in block play, the teacher played a crucial role in supporting and enhancing children’s learning by providing scaffolding strategies. The strategies implemented in this context aimed to enhance and broaden children’s language proficiency, while simultaneously fostering opportunities for socialization. This was achieved through facilitating effective communication between peers and modeling appropriate conversational techniques during one-on-one interactions [13], ultimately contributing to the young children’ s growth of oral skills. The teacher’s commitment to consistency in the block play area allow him/her to create a learning atmosphere with safety and support for the children. By capitalizing on their prior knowledge and experiences, the teacher is able to tailor his/her approach to meet each child’s unique needs, further promoting their individual growth and development.

2.3. Effects of Block Play on Problem-solving Skills

When children participate in block play, they often encounter situations where they must negotiate and collaborate to achieve their building goals [6]. For example, one child may want to build a tall tower, while another may want to create a wide bridge. In such cases, children must learn to work together to find a solution that meets both of their needs. This requires them to develop problem-solving skills, for example identifying the issues, brainstorming possible solutions, evaluation of each solution, and choosing the optimal one.

As children negotiate and collaborate during block play, they develop important social and emotional skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. These competencies range from communication with efficiency, listening with active attitude and capability towards problem-solving. Moreover, by working together to achieve a common goal, children develop a sense of teamwork and a positive attitude towards cooperation that will help them succeed in school, work, and life.

Furthermore, block play provides children with a platform to express their feelings and emotions in positive ways. Children can use blocks to create stories, scenarios, and representations of their experiences and emotions, permitting them to discover and manipulate their feelings in a safe and creative way.

3. Pretend Play

3.1. Influences of Pretend Play on Early Childhood Development

Pretend play refers to a kind of play where children create imaginary scenarios and play roles or situations. It is an essential component of early childhood development, and Bergen indicates that pretend play has a significant influence on children’s development [14].

A major benefit of pretend play is that it promotes a child’s cognitive development. According to Lillard et al., pretend play allows children to engage in complex problem-solving tasks, which in turn enhances their cognitive flexibility [11]. This flexibility enables children to adapt to new and challenging situations and proves vital to success in both future academic and personal life. Furthermore, pretend play was revealed to increase young children’s creativity and imagination, which are major features of a child’s cognitive development. Park maintained that “pretend play leads to real life learning” [15]. The capacity to use imagination is a cognitive ability that individuals rely on throughout their lives. Consequently, it is imperative to develop this skill in young children from an early age. Encouraging and fostering imaginative play during early childhood is crucial in developing and training cognitive ability, enabling children to explore their creativity and developing crucial problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Pretend play also takes on a crucial role in young children’s social-emotion development. Jaggy et al., [16] indicated that actively encouraging and promoting the quality of children’s social pretend play is positively related to their social behavior and peer relations. By participating in pretend play, children engage in interactive conversations and friendly negotiation which assist to develop children’s communication and social skills.

3.2. Correlation Between Block Play and Pretend Play

Block play and pretend play are both playing essential roles in early childhood cognitive and social development, and these two types of play are often intertwined. As discussed earlier, during block play, children are presented with opportunities to explore spatial relationships, experiment with balance and symmetry, and develop their problem-solving skills.

Pretend play, on the other hand, involves the transformation of objects and actions symbolically, and encourages children to engage in imaginative play scenarios. Pretend play offers children the opportunity to develop their communication and social skills through interactive dialogue and negotiation, role-taking, script knowledge, and improvisation [14].

The connection between block play and pretend play is that they both involve the use of creative imagination and problem-solving skills. For instance, during pretend play, children may build a fictitious structure with blocks, while during block play, children may utilize their imagination to create a structure that reflects a story or scenario they have formulated mentally. Both block play and pretend play are effective methods for children to develop their imagination. Through these activities, children not only enhance their problem-solving abilities, but also their social interaction skills, fostering their overall cognitive, emotional, and social development.

4. Suggestion

In terms of future discussion, it is essential to continue researching the long-term effects of pretend play and block play on a child’s development. This paper has the potential to help parents, educators, and policy makers understand the important role that play-based learning plays in the context of early childhood education. The insights gained from this paper can help practitioners (educators) and parents make choices that are beneficial to children’s development when implementing play.

Additionally, future research should be investigated on how technology can be used to enhance pretend play and block play in early-year education. While technology-based toys and tools have their advantages, it is necessary to investigate their effects on young children’s cognitive, social, and physical development. And the present study regard it equally important to compare the effectiveness of technology-based play interventions with traditional play-based programs. Moreover, researching the impact of modern technology on early childhood education is crucial due to its increasing prevalence in daily lives. It is essential to explore how technology can enhance children’s learning and development, especially in traditional forms of play like block play and pretend play. Incorporating augmented or virtual reality into block play could provide a more immersive and interactive experience, while digital tools like storytelling apps and animation software could boost children’s creativity and imagination.

However, the potential risks and disadvantages of technology usage in early childhood education should also be considered. Screen time can negatively impact the physical, social, and cognitive development of children. Therefore, research should concentrate on strategies for achieving a balance between the use of technology and other forms of play and learning.

In conclusion, investigating the impact of modern technology on early childhood education, including block play and pretend play, is crucial. Understanding both the benefits and drawbacks of using technology in this context will ensure its rational and sustainable usage, supporting children’s learning and development.

5. Conclusion

Overall, the effects of pretend play and block play are significant and far-reaching in early childhood development. As discussed in the earlier chapters, both forms of play can enhance children’s cognitive and social- emotional development. Pretend play provides kids with opportunities to develop their creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills, while block play helps them develop their spatial awareness and mathematical concepts. Furthermore, pretend play and block play have been shown to promote social skills such as cooperation, communication, and negotiation. These skills, in general, are crucial for success in school, relationships and life for young children. Therefore, it is important for parents, educators, and caregivers to encourage and facilitate both forms of play in early year childhood.