Fill and Empty with Blocks
Fill and empty a block bucket so your baby can experience full and empty, more and less, and changing quantities.
- 12 months
- Quick prep
- At home
- About 15 minutes
Developmental benefits
- Cognitive：Filling and emptying a bucket of blocks lets your baby explore how objects of different shapes travel through and occupy a container.
- Language：Hearing “empty,” “full,” “more,” and “less” as the contents visibly change helps your baby connect the words with each quantity.
Preparation
What You’ll Need
- 1
A block bin
- 2
blocks in several shapes
Step 1
Show the Block Bin
Sit facing your baby and gently pour out the blocks so they can see the bucket become empty. Show how one block fits through a matching opening, then invite your baby to put the remaining blocks into the bucket.
What to notice
- Turns a block in different directions while trying to fit it into the container
Emergent Mathematical Thinking - Aims for the opening and puts the blocks inside
Fine Motor
Tips
- Describe your baby’s action as it happens: “The round block went through the hole and into the bucket!”
- As each block goes in, describe the changing quantity: “Now there are three blocks in the bucket.”
- If your baby is not ready to put in a block, demonstrate once and shake the bucket to renew their interest: “I put one block in!”
Step 2
Add More Blocks
Invite your baby to keep matching shapes and adding blocks until all the visible blocks are inside. When they begin looking for more, ask whether they want to fill the bucket and continue the game.
What to notice
- Looks at you and makes a sound to signal that the blocks are gone Emergent Mathematical Thinking
- Hears your suggestion to fill the bucket and reaches for more blocks
Attending and Understanding
Tips
- Bring out a few blocks from beside you and say, “Oh, there are more blocks here!”
- If a block does not fit an opening, show one possible turn, then let your baby keep exploring.
Step 3
Empty and Full
When all the blocks are inside, say that the bucket is “full.” If your baby is interested, pour the blocks out together and watch the bucket become “empty,” then fill it again. Repeat while your baby remains engaged.
What to notice
- Copies your pronunciation and tries to make the sound for “empty”
Vocabulary - Watches the blocks fall as the container is emptied Emergent Mathematical Thinking
Tips
- If your baby tries to lift the bucket, help them compare how “heavy” it feels when full and how “light” it feels after the blocks are poured out.
- Recap the visible changes: “We put the blocks in. It was full. We poured them out. Now it’s empty.”
Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026