Toys

For The Love of Unit Blocks

If you follow me over on Instagram, you know it’s not a secret that I prefer unit blocks over any other wood block on the market, but let’s talk about why.

What is a Unit Block?

If you’re not familiar with Unit Blocks, they are a standardized block often found in preschools and some kindergarten classrooms.  A unit is 1 3/8” (3.49cm) and all blocks are based on this measurement, thus giving you the perfect fit, no matter what you are building.  A traditional unit block is made with hard maple, is a natural wood color, and are 100% worth the investment because they will last for generations.

Everwood Friends is my favorite company for Unit Blocks. Not only are they made in the USA with high quality Maple, but the edge are carefully rounded for safety and they have a beautifully smooth finish. Plus you can buy them in sets, as individual blocks, with or without gems and graphics; oh and did I mention Castle Blocks? All these options allow you to build your own unique collection, based on your family’s needs, budget, and kid’s interests.

Grimm’s Blocks

Another popular block that you might be familiar with is Grimm’s.  Grimm’s blocks are built on a 4cm scale (approximately 0.5 cm bigger than a unit block) with limewood, which tends to be a lighter, but softer wood.  They’re also painted with non toxic, waterbased colored stains and have a rougher texture, which provides grip when building. So while they’re not a true unit block, they are a popular block for building.

A Grimm’s cube next to an Everwood Friends cube.

Which is Better?

I do love the color of Grimm’s, however I’m not a huge fan of their blocks. As you can see below, the type of wood that Grimm’s are made of tends to dent easily and because of this, I don’t believe they’ll hold up for the long haul, especially with 5 kids. The damage you see in the photo wasn’t made from rambunctious play, but from a build that came crashing down; and if you’ve ever played with blocks, you know that falling structures are a given. The other thing that I don’t love about Grimm’s is that unless you have multiple sets, the odds of you having a block to fill the space that you need or give you the right height in a more advanced build is rare, especially if you’re after color coordination. This isn’t a fault of the blocks per-say, but rather their 4cm scale.

Dents in the two different kinds of blocks.

On the other hand, our Everwood unit blocks have taken much more of a beating and the marks on them are minimal- as in I had to really look in order to find one with a dimple. (Can you spot it?) In fact, I know people who’s kids play with the same unit blocks that they played with as a kid. To me, that makes them worth the investment alone; to know that they’ll hold up to generations of play.

Getting Started with Unit Blocks

One question I get asked a lot when talking about unit blocks is where to start? With so many shapes, sets and options, it can sometimes feel overwhelming.

If you have older kids (4-5+ yrs), I recommend you start with the Everwood Core Set.  This set will give you a good mix of basic shapes for great builds, and will also help you determine what other shapes might be missing from your collection.  If you have younger kids, a great place to start is with the 42pc Unit Block Pyramid.  The pieces in this set are larger, which is easier for younger kids to balance and build with; and it also comes with a tray, for easy clean up. The Everwood trays will fit on a cubby or standard toy shelf. Also, if you’re going to be building on carpet or want to make multi-level structures, don’t forget your platforms.

Grimm’s Large Stepped Pyramid beside an Everwood 42 pc Unit Block Pyramid
The size difference between the two sets.
The difference in individual blocks between the two.

Benefits of Block Play

Some of the benefits of block play (taken from National Association for the Education of Young Children) include:

  • Problem Solving– I want to build X, how can I do that?
  • Imagination– can follow their own plans
  • Self-Expression– explore and express themselves
  • Mathematics– concepts such as length, measurement, comparison, number, estimation, symmetry, balance
  • Continuity and permanence– engages spatial sense and motor abilities
  • Creativity– can be moved freely and combined in numerous ways
  • Science– test hypothesis and build scientific reasoning
  • Self-Esteem– they have ideas and they can bring them to life
  • Social and Emotional growth– take turns, share, cooperation
  • Development in all areas– fine and gross motor skills

Storage

When it comes to Unit Block storage, I actually prefer a block shelf over trays, because blocks can be grouped by shape and are therefore easier to spot without having to dig or move things around. We also use baskets for smaller pieces that are the same shape, to make cleanup quick and keep the shelf looking neat. However, I know a lot of people who love the option of having a tray, because most stack for storage and it’s easier to tell when pieces are missing, plus they don’t take up as much space.

Our Everwood Friends Block Shelf

Building with Unit Blocks

I’ve touched on this a little bit, but the reason I, as an adult, love building with unit blocks is because of their precise measurements. There is literally always a block, a triangle, or an arch that fits; which allows my visions to come to life. It also makes building less frustrating, more visually appealing, and sturdier for play when the kids take over.

That’s not to say that Unit Blocks and blocks of other scales can’t work together.  I love the color that Grimm’s blocks add to block builds, but it does take some trial and error to get the sizing right and it can be a complicated process if you’re looking for a specific color.

Building with Unit Blocks can be a relaxing creative outlet for both kids and adults alike. There are endless amounts of combinations and creations that can be made, which is why I’d classify them as the ultimate open ended toy.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF BLOCK PLAY?

*Our Everwood Friends collection is made up of blocks that were both purchased and gifted in exchange for our honest opinion. The views and opinions you see on this blog are strictly my own and I would never endorse or promote something that wouldn’t fit with our lifestyle or that my family wouldn’t use in our everyday lives. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.*

November 19, 2021
Gift Guides

Stocking Stuffers

I admittedly go overboard on stockings, but they’re one of my favorite parts of Christmas. In our house, Santa brings stockings and all the other presents under the tree come from Dad & Mom or family & friends.

I also try to balance out the cost, by including things that I would normally be buying anyways, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap. Next, I throw in things that all the kids can use, such as arts & crafts or sensory activities; and finally I get them each a special thing or two that is just for them.

Here are some of the things that you’ll find in the kids’ stockings this year or things that we already own that would be great additions for your own kids.

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN // TWELVE // THIRTEEN

Growing up, new pajamas were always included in our stockings. It’s a fun tradition that I like to continue with the kids and this bamboo set from Kyte Baby is perfect. If you use this link, you can get $10 off when you spend $50+.

The mug and hot chocolate might leave you puzzled, but I did this one year for the big kids and they LOVED it. We made special hot cocoa, complete with marshmallows, in their new mugs. Put on our Christmas jammies and watched one final Christmas movie before the season was over. (If you haven’t yet seen it, check out Klaus). It’s pure Christmas magic! These mugs are also great because they’re stainless steel; so you don’t have to worry about the kids breaking a ceramic one, when you want to enjoy a “hot” beverage together.

Finally, like I mentioned before, puzzles, books, arts & crafts, and sensory items are always a hit; and who doesn’t love to get a new box of crayons or fresh play dough? If you want, used code: UNKNIT at wilddoughco.com for 10% off.

Happy Shopping!

November 12, 2020
Gift Guides

Christmas Gift Guide 2020

It’s officially the Holiday season, and many of us are looking for gift ideas to add to the kids’ Christmas Lists, either for ourselves or for family & friends. It can be challenging however to stick to a wooden and/or open-ended toy philosophy when all our kids see (and ask for) are the toys at Target or in the Amazon Christmas catalog.

The good news is that there are so many amazing smaller shops out there that we can support this holiday season; and I hope that by highlighting some of the toys that my kids are asking for or currently loving, it will give you ideas for your own children. So let’s check ’em out, shall we?

*Oh and don’t forget to scroll to the end for coupon codes to some of these shops!*

TODDLERS (1-3 yrs)

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN // TWELVE

KIDS (4-8 yrs)

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE // SIX // SEVEN // EIGHT // NINE // TEN // ELEVEN // TWELVE

So.many.good.options!

Remember, a lot of smaller shops need time to make/prep your gifts, so make sure to order earlier than you normally would. Think Nugget gift 2019- They were sold out by the time Black Friday rolled around and demand hasn’t let up since. Not to mention, shipping in 2020 is a bit of a dumpster fire and is only predicted to get worse leading up to Christmas.

*And don’t forget to come back next week, when I drop some awesome Stocking Stuffer Ideas!*

SHOPS TO SUPPORT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Connetix Tiles

Everwood Friends– Buy any 2 items and get 15% off

Father’s Factory– UNKNIT10 for 10% off

Maple + Lark– will reopen on Sunday (11/09)

Teri Co Canada– preorders for Christmas are open until Friday (11/6)

Tree Fort Toys

November 5, 2020
Playroom/ Toys

How to Transition to Open Ended Toys

Cube Shelf // Wall Shelves // Brackets

This is a question I’ve been getting asked a lot lately, so I finally sat down and thought about actionable steps that you can take with your family to make the transition; because sometimes “just do it” is super vague and overwhelming.

PURGE

Trees // Way to Play // Window Blocks // Slats // Connetix Tiles // Mandalas // Rainbows // Flockmen

To start, you’re first going to need to assess the current toy situation. Go collect all the toys from around your house and put them in a common area.  Overwhelmed? Then your kids probably are too when they go to play. So from here, you’re going to sort them into 3 piles. 

  1. Toys that are either broken or that your kids have outgrown. Sell, give away or throw these out.
  2. Toys that you would never consider giving away, either because they hold sentimental value (eg. they were your toys as a kid) or because they are your kids’ absolute favorites.
  3. Everything else.

Now go through that third pile with a really critical eye. Are there unnecessary multiples? Have your kids not played with it in a really long time because their interests have changed? Do you think this toy will make the toy rotation cut after 4-6 weeks? If the answer is no, get rid of it now and start to simplify.

UTILIZE TOY ROTATIONS

Grimms // Clicques // Ostheimer // Ocamora // Grapat

Next, you’re going to implement toy rotations.  To do this, put everything in the two keep piles away (we use these bins for storage), except for approximate 4-15 toys, depending on the number of kids in your home. 3-4 toys per kid is a good place to start. This is going to give you a better idea of what toys are actually being played with and what toys are just taking up space and causing a mess.  Do this for 4-6 weeks, rotating toys every 1-2 weeks.  At the end of the 6 weeks, take all the toys that never made it out/were forgotten about/ or never got played with, and donate or sell them.  The exception here is the sentimental toys. If those never made it out or have been forgotten, decide if you’re okay with them being packed away until there is another kid or until you have grandkids one day; or if they would be better used by someone close to you who has kids.  Aren’t you feeling lighter and less overwhelmed already?

Grimms // Grapat // Unit Blocks

BUYING NEW TOYS

Now, which toys got a lot of play? Which toys were they begging you to take out? Which toys were never put away during those 6 weeks?  Those are the toys you need to look into finding open ended options for first.  If there are no alternatives (because it’s the beloved paw patrol collection for example) that’s okay.  Work to find toys that they can use in conjunction with those favorites, like a stacking rainbow, bridges, or blocks that they can use to build a lookout tower.

Unit Blocks
Grapat Mandalas

Repeat, repeat, repeat.  Slowly over time, you can add more toys to your collection, by looking for the favorites, finding open ended alternatives and then REPLACING.  This is key.  Don’t just add the new toys to the pile, actually get rid of the close ended or unused toys, while you’re thinking about it.  Sell those toys on Facebook Marketplace to pay for new ones.

Sometimes you’re going to get rid of or sell 3-5 toys and you’re only going to replace them with 1, that is okay. Your kids don’t require a ton of toys to have fun, that is one of the benefits of open-ended play.

Nugget // Large Basket // Faux Fiddle Leaf Tree // Market Baskets

Around here, I am always assessing what toys are being asked for and which ones are getting played with- even our open ended toys.  Sometimes a toy that was super popular and recommended by a ton of people in the wooden toy community just doesn’t jive with my kids.  That’s okay. Chances are it’s still in great condition and I can sell it at or close to what I paid for it (search for wooden toys b/s/t groups on facebook to get the most bang for your buck on resale).

Marble Tree // Alphabet // Numbers

COLLECTION COMPLETE

Here’s the kicker, once you feel like your kids have a great collection (minimal or not) STOP BUYING TOYS. Use birthdays, Christmas and special occasions to gift experiences, save up for a big ticket item, or take a family vacation. Don’t just buy “stuff” for the sake of buying stuff. That’s how playrooms fill up and become overwhelming to kids and parents alike.

Chairs // Little Steps // Little Climber

So what do you think? Was this helpful? What actionable step stood out the most to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

And as always, happy playing!

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April 22, 2020
Gift Guides

Easter Basket Ideas for Toddlers

More Easter Basket ideas coming to you, this time for Toddlers. This group might be one of my favorite to shop for, because they’re always so curious and everything is new to them. I also love the idea of using a Luggy in place of a basket, because it allows them to cart all their new stuff around.

Luggy // Play Dough // Swim Trunks // Shoes // Fawn // Stamps // Arch Blocks // Bowls // Crayons // Water Bottle // Waterbeads // Sensory Tools

March 31, 2020
Playroom

DIY Light Table

When we first got our IKEA Flisat table, I knew immediately that I wanted to find a way to add a light table option into the rotation.

Light tables are great for introducing a different sensory input to play, as kids are naturally draw to the glow of the lights. Suddenly, those window blocks and magnetic tiles take on a different form of play and you don’t have to depend on the weather outside. They are also great for art activities.

My only requirement for this IKEA hack, was that it had to be easy to remove and store, so that I could rotate it in and out.

If you already have a Flisat Table, this hack should take you about 10-15 minutes once the supplies are gathered.

SUPPLIES

DIRECTIONS

To start, drill a 5/8″ hole in one end of each Trofast bin, approximately 1” from the bottom. Clean the inside and the bin and wipe down with rubbing alcohol (soap and water will do if you don’t have rubbing alcohol) and let dry.

Now, take the LED strip and dry fit it (so don’t remove the backing) around the inside of the Trofast bin, starting at the hole you just drilled. Cut it on the marked line (which is every 3 lights, and indicated by the orange dots) that is closest to the hole on the other side, without overlapping the two pieces. Don’t worry if the ends don’t touch, as long as they’re within 2-3″ of each other, you should be fine.

From here, thread the end of the LED strip you just cut, through the hole going from the outside of the bin, in. Pull it all the way through until you get to the first light before the connection piece. Now carefully remove the backing of the LED strip, starting at the connection and moving towards the cut end. Remove 2-3″ of backing at a time, and gently stick the LED strip to the inside of the Trofast bin, about 1″ from the bottom. Try and keep it as straight as possible. Once the whole strip is stuck down, press it more firmly in place. Congratulations, your first bin is complete!

For the second bin, you are going to need to attach an LED connector strip to the end that you cut. Pick the one that is white on one end and black with the 4 prong connector on the other. Open up the two white tabs, line up the wires with the correct color on LED strip (Black, Green, Red, Blue), and remove a small section of the backing. You can pull the metal tabs up a little if you’re having trouble sliding the strip underneath them, just make sure to firmly press them back down when you’re finished. Once they’re in place, close the white tabs to complete the hook up.

Once again, dry fit the LED strip around the inside of the Trofast bin, and cut it as close to the opposite end as the strip will allow (remember you can ONLY cut the strip at the marked spots or it won’t work) without overlapping. Feed that end through your hole from the outside in and then gently attach the LED strip to the inside of the bin like you did with the first one. When you get to the end, press everything down firmly. Bin 2 is now complete!

Now to connect everything to the electrical outlet. First place the bins into the Flisat table with the connection hookups on the same side. Add one of the 4 pronged attachment pieces into the connector strip if there isn’t one. Next, take the two black ends and connect them into the white splitter making sure that the arrows on both the black piece and the white splitter are lined up together. Plug the 3rd end of the splitter into the white Control Center piece, adding a 4 prong attachment if necessary. Lastly, hook the Control Center into the Power adaptor and plug into the wall. Use the remote control to turn on the lights. Both bins should now be lit up. If they’re not, double check that you’ve attached all the connections in the right order (with the arrows lining up).

The very last thing you will need to do is make the frosted top that goes over the bins and turns it into a table. I used the clear acrylic from an Ikea Ribba 20″ x 28″ frame and just cut it down to size using a good pair of scissors. Be mindful of the fact that this acrylic isn’t the strongest, and is more likely to crack while cutting, or if your kid decides to get super rough while playing. Another (and probably better option) is to go to Lowes and buy a sheet of clear acrylic. While at the store, have them cut the piece to 27 7/16″ x 17 9/16″ (they should do this free of charge). If your sheet has a clear film on it without any markings. You’re done. Just take it home and pop it in the table. Otherwise, you can buy a can of frosted spray paint and spray both side of the acrylic sheet; letting the first side complete dry before flipping it over to do the second. This step helps protect the eyes of the person playing with the light table, so I personally wouldn’t recommend skipping it.

And there you have it, your very own light table. Remember, a light table works best in a dark room, away from windows and natural light. These particular LED lights also have a dimmer, which allows you to adjust the brightness (and color) of the lights depending on the brightness of your room.

When you are finished playing, remove the Acrylic sheet and then place the splitter, control center, and the power adaptor into one of the Trofast bins along with the remote control. Remove both bins from the Flisat table, stack them, and store everything until the next time you wish to use the table.

I’d love to see it how your table turns out; so don’t forget to tag me over on instagram.

Happy Playing friends!

February 4, 2020