Final answer:
Blocks are considered a total toy because they provide endless opportunities for creative play and learning. They contribute to the development of math skills in children by fostering hands-on exploration, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning. Playing with blocks helps children practice concepts like balance, symmetry, quantity, and number sense.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blocks are considered a total toy because they provide endless opportunities for creative play and learning. When children play with blocks, they engage in hands-on exploration, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning. They can stack blocks to build structures, sort blocks by size or color, and create patterns and shapes with them.
Playing with blocks also contributes to the development of math skills in children. For example, when children stack blocks, they are practicing concepts such as balance, symmetry, and stability. They are also developing their understanding of quantity and number sense as they count and compare the number of blocks.
Furthermore, when children play with blocks, they are engaging in open-ended play, which allows them to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. This fosters a growth mindset and helps children develop their problem-solving skills and mathematical thinking.