Your Parenting Info

The fascination of building often starts at an early age as toys are often piled on top of each other and then destroyed in the next minute. The beauty of wooden building blocks is that they last quite a long time and can withstand the destructive power unleashed upon them, although the furniture itself might not survive the onslaught.

The wooden blocks are cut into rectangular, square, triangles, and arched designs. The shape and number of the blocks is dependent on the set of blocks that is purchased. The blocks are heavy duty and can stand up to any type of destruction a child can unleash upon them. This includes such things as coloring with markers, being thrown, knocked down, banged together, and surface liquid spills. It is not advisable that they be immersed in water, but this disaster can be adverted if the blocks are sealed beforehand.

Unlike the blocks that are snapped together, wooden blocks present a unique challenge that is always present in architecture. The child faces the challenge of building stable structures. This is a problem solving skill that will come handy later in life. The child is required  to think, experiment, analyze, and explore a stable foundation prior to building a tower. The falling blocks symbolize the need for the child to adjust their strategy on building. Often, the child will begin building the structure again with minimal input.

Wooden building blocks also tap into a child’s imagination. Wooden block structures combined with other toys give children the freedom to create their own stories and own inventions. The blocks can be anything from castles to prisons.

The blocks are also a medium in which children and adults can conduct basic communication. By helping the child build or just creating a building of your own, the mutual play provides a comfort level that might not be present otherwise. It also lets you play with your child in those little moments that never last very long.

Wooden blocks do have a few things to watch out for. You don’t want kids throwing them at things or each other. They are heavy and will hurt other children. They can damage glass furniture or windows. You don’t want to immerse them in water due to the potential for warping. Allow toddlers to only play with the larger block pieces. Do not let them play with the blocks unattended due to the potential for injury.

Wooden building blocks have been around for quite some time. In this age of electronics, it is one toy that is easily overlooked. But it is the one toy that offers more than beeping lights and annoying sounds. It employs the child’s imagination, problem solving skills, and a way to allow parents to communicate with children.