When you pass out base ten blocks or linking cubes to Kindergartners for the very first time, what do you expect that they might do? Chances are, it is inevitable that they will immediately begin building towers, structures, and patterns without being prompted. In fact, it is a "common ground rule" that early childhood teachers must ALWAYS give their students ample time to explore, play, and build with manipulatives before attempting to use them as instructional tools.