We're always on the lookout for wonderful wooden, eco-friendly kids' toys as an alternative to the plastic stuff that seems to be eating up the toy store aisles more and more each year. Etsy is always a great place to turn, and this wonderful new shop is doing some nifty things that aren't your average wooden building toy.
Cubiciti makes some super funky modular block sets in both natural unpolished maple, and gorgeous painted wood--all non-toxic, water-based paints, of course. The blocks have pegs that fit into on a small plastic base, allowing your kids to configure the cars and trees and yet-to-be-defined buildings any way they want. It can look like a neighborhood you know, or something absolutely out of this world. And since you can twist the blocks in all four directions, there are a lot of possibilities.
Now one concern is that they're not made to fit other toys you might have, like LEGO sets or Matchbox cars. They're really their own dedicated sets (you can configure more than one together, though they're not super cheap) and only you know if your kid will get hours of play out of them. But knowing my daughter, she'd throw some of her random animals and dollhouse characters in there anyway and make up her own rules about the world she's created.
In fact, in classic Waldorf style, one block can be a pet store, a garage, a post office, or a school for princess ballerina monkeys. Sometimes all four on the same day. -Liz
Find the handmade wooden playset blocks online at Cubiciti at $39. They're recommended for kids 4+.
