Why Are They Wasting School Time Playing with Blocks?

I can't help but be in a great mood after these kids get started on their day. Really, there is nothing I would rather be doing than playing blocks today. We have sorted them by size and shape and color. We have experimented with how many blocks tall our towers can get and which shapes made the best towers. Discoveries dawning on them left and right and watching the light turn on in their little minds is awesome. Shape effects stability. Cubes stack higher than triangles or half circles. Triangles can be put together to make squares. Shape effects stability but color does not! Wow! Half circles can be put together into circles and two arches makes a square with a circle shaped hole and you can fill it with two half circles. The cylinders don't fit in the holes but the half circles do, but they do fit in your eyes sockets till mommy takes them and says "No running with blocks in your eyes". We built castles and highways and railway stations for the train set. We learned spatial relations, colors, sorting, cause and effect, the laws of gravity, shapes, numbers, and pre-literacy skills like copying patterns of shapes and colors from left to right. Children can teach us so much about the joy of learning, doing  things whole heartedly, and taking pleasure in your work. A quick glance into my dining room shows happy children playing. A longer investment of time reveals that they are conducting experiments, testing theories, working with the skills they have, carefully taking in new information and adjusting their techniques to be more effective. The human mind is amazing to watch at work. What a joy and priviledge I have to stay home and teach and play. They are wonderful and there is no where better on earth for me than being here right now.