Wooden blocks are well-used and well-loved at my house. We use them to build towers, houses, words, villages, roads, skyscrapers, boats, dollhouses and animal villages. We use them to count, weigh, build, balance, measure, and spell. Wooden blocks are never outgrown and never go out of style. They allow adults and all ages of kids to create and play together. My children (now 10, 8, and 6) still play with ours blocks constantly. These are the sets I plan to save and pass down to the grandchildren.
Grimms Building Block Sets
My very favorite building blocks are made by Grimms. Grimms blocks
It took me a while to cough up the price of these blocks sets. But I wish I'd done it sooner. They have outlasted so many other less expensive, less versatile, less beautiful, less loved toys. We love our Color Charts Rally set
Grimms Stackers
Grimms rainbow stackers
I have owned several brands of alphabet blocks and these are, by far, my favorite. The others have all been given away. Uncle Goose alphabet blocks (which are made in the USA) can be purchased in various languages, including French
Tegu Blocks
I know lots of people who rave about their Magna-tiles, but we love our Tegu blocks
Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks
For a much less expensive option, consider Melissa & Doug unit blocks
Citiblocks
Another inexpensive option, Citiblocks
Other Gift Ideas for Kids
- Gifts that Encourage a Child's Sense of Wonder About Nature
- Games that Teach Kids about the Natural World
- 15 Favorite Children's Christmas Books
- Give Thanks! 10 Favorite Children's Books about Gratitude and Thanksgiving
- top 10 eco-books for kids
Gift Ideas for Adults
- Eco-novice's Top Picks for Reusable Lunch Gear (based on 3 years of rigorous testing)
- 10 Inexpensive Kitchen Gadgets to Give Your Favorite Cook
- Teflon-Free Cookware and Bakeware
- My Favorite Cookbooks
- Delectable Fair Trade Chocolate
- Vegan Whole Grain Waffle & Pancake Mix
- Use Eco-friendly and PVC-free Yoga Mats to Avoid Phthalates and Other Toxic Chemicals (I think a new yoga mat is going to be one of my gifts this Christmas!)
Would you like more ideas and tips about Going Green Gradually? Sign up for my free email subscription to get each of my posts delivered to your inbox (I usually post one or two times a week). You can also follow me on Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest, Twitter, or with your favorite RSS Reader. I hope to see you again soon!
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Thanks for these awesome ideas! I love classic blocks and can still remember the Christmas my parents gave us a set of blocks they had hand painted (probably not non-toxic but there was love in them!) I'm thinking this is what we will do this Christmas, Thanks so much for the inspiration as always!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marcie. I think homemade blocks sound wonderful.
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