Building Your Toddler’s Teamwork Skills

Take Social Skills to the Next Level

The way your toddler likes to play is about to change. So far, they've been happy playing on their own. But, as they grow, they'll want a playmate. That's where you come in. When they're around 18–24 months, your little one might be ready to start parallel play (separate but next to a playmate) and enjoy playing together as a team.

Usually, this starts with them watching older kids and wanting to join in. To help your toddler build important skills like teamwork, you might want to explore toys for social development that you can play with together.

Here are a couple of things you can do to help lay the foundations before heading off on your first playdate.

Why is playing together important?

Social skills begin to develop in the early years, so think outside the blocks. Try building, hiding and stacking blocks. This will improve flexible thinking, problem solving, kindness and empathy.

Playing together unlocks new challenges and experiences that will help your child cope with emotions and build their confidence.

Four hands are better than two, so start building that dinocopterhouseboatplane… or just a regular tower.

Practice makes perfect. Playing together helps them adjust to social situations in preschool and beyond.

Social skills begin to develop in the early years, so think outside the blocks. Try building, hiding and stacking blocks. This will improve flexible thinking, problem solving, kindness and empathy.

Playing together unlocks new challenges and experiences that will help your child cope with emotions and build their confidence.

Four hands are better than two, so start building that dinocopterhouseboatplane… or just a regular tower.

Practice makes perfect. Playing together helps them adjust to social situations in preschool and beyond.

How you can help your little one's social development

Playing with others is an important part of a child's development. Blocks are great toys for social development – especially at this age. From building towers together and sharing pieces to making shapes and marvellous creations, all these little actions add up to big social skill-building opportunities. So, get building and, rather than DIY, enjoy DIT – doing it together.

How can MEGA BLOKS® toys help?

Taking Turns

Turn-taking toys are a great starting point for social and emotional development. Lay out the blocks from our Big Building Bag on a building table or on the floor. Then, take it in turns to stack the blocks. Add one block at a time, encouraging your little one to build higher and higher. Remember, what goes up must come down. Watch as they topple the tower over. (Now it's your turn to tidy up.)

Squad Goals

A problem shared is a problem halved. Blocks are a great example of toys that siblings can play with together. So grab our MEGA BLOKS® and get building! They can work together to create something of their choosing. Watch them enjoy the feeling of accomplishment (with a little help from you, a brother, sister or friend) when the creation is complete.

Taking Turns

Squad Goals

Kindness is cool

Animal figures are great social skills toys and a way to introduce empathy and kindness. Build a farm and talk about how to care for the animals, great and small.

Pull and push together

Teamwork can make the playtime dream work. Grab a vehicle to move blocks from one end of the room to the other or use teamwork to put all the bricks away.

Kindness is cool

Animal figures are great social skills toys and a way to introduce empathy and kindness. Build a farm and talk about how to care for the animals, great and small.

Pull and push together

Teamwork can make the playtime dream work. Grab a vehicle to move blocks from one end of the room to the other or use teamwork to put all the bricks away.

It's true what they say: it's the taking part that counts. The more you play together, the more they'll learn.

Don't forget, you're not just stacking blocks – you're building memories.

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Building Your Toddler’s Teamwork Skills