Do a Version, then an Analysis

Let preschool children create pictures with the blocks, and then make another version to be a "documentation". As soon as the child is old enough, it should draw or paint a version of what it built. Equally important, as the student collects pieces to put away, it is natural and inviting to count the blocks, and begin to consider them logically and mathematically.

April Showers, my piece below, could be tallied by different colors, and by different shapes of blocks, for a simple math activity.  Tallied amounts could also be added together to give the total number of blocks used.

Building on a grid, such as the gingham cloth I've used, helps with precision in building, and then in drawing a version. Don't insist that referring to the grid be part of the child's process of building. Let the student become interested in greater precision gradually and on their own. Truly, the blocks themselves direct the builder toward being more exact - you won't need to say much about this.

​To refer to the grid when drawing is a high-level skill - save it for (way) down the road. Some students (of all ages) can be very critical of their art: if necessary, be clear with the child that drawing isn't expected to be identical to the block construction. Different mediums produce different results.