http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014 ... s-teachers

I'd be looking more evidence for all that, personally.

I'm sure it's true of some but I'd be interested to see actual numbers. My kids can swipe screens and also happen to love playing Lego.

Both my kids are able to both use an ipad etc & are more than happy playing with Lego, train sets etc

Sounds more like teachers blaming technology for their inability to do their job

I give it 3 years before somebody asks you to prescribe medicine for that.

Building blocks has been a traditional way of play but also a method of determining a child's developmental progression. If there's poor motor coordination, it can hint at an underlying problem. But as I said, it's a traditional form of play and as things move on, it may well be replaced by something else. However, it does beg two questions:

1. Does the lack of being able to use building blocks hint at a potential issue of developmental delay for the future eg by age three, kids should be able to stack a tower of three blocks. In the future, they may not be able to achieve this until age four. Will this have a knock on effect in school, games, later life etc?

2. If you gave the same building blocks to kids of a similar age from a different background where the concept of blocks was alien to them, would the kids be able to play with the blocks in the expected way? We know that some play is taught, but others are imagined. This question is partly related to the above question: if kids from, say, Aborigine tribes, can play with building blocks having never seen them before, it's much more of a concern if British kids of the same age can't. Otherwise IMO no issue at all.