A construction set is a set of standardized pieces that allow for the construction of a variety of different models. Construction sets are generally marketed as toys. One very popular brand of construction set toys is Lego.
Construction toy play is beneficial for building social skills and building trust in others because it acts as a collaborative task where individuals have to cooperate to finish the task – building an object out of Lego, for example. The effect was found in high school students.[1]
For children specifically, children who complete models using toy building blocks have much better spatial ability than children who do not complete such models. Spatial ability also predicts completion of models.[2]
Construction toy play is also beneficial for autistic children when both individual and group play with building blocks is incorporated. Autistic children who played with building blocks were motivated to initiate social contact with children their age, able to maintain and endure contact with those children, and were also able to surpass the barriers of being withdrawn and highly structured.[3]
Construction sets can be categorized according to their connection method and geometry:
Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright credited his childhood building blocks designed by Friedrich Fröbel as a major influence, and his son John Lloyd Wright invented the widely-known Lincoln Logs building set.[5] In addition to teaching architectural concepts such as modularity and load-bearing construction,[6] many architects credit construction set play as influencing their later design.[7][5][8]