We have featured piles of cool wooden alphabet blocks for kids over the years, from modern design blocks to steampunk science blocks, to Storyblox's "build-your-own" wooden blocks. And now there's a cool set of custom name blocks on the, er, block, that's perfect for a baby shower gift or child's birthday gift.
Australia's Tinyme, whose puzzles, labels, and fun printables have been CMP favorites for a while, has put their creative stamp on custom name blocks. In order to get these beauties into our hands (which they will), they've got a Kickstarter campaign in the works to raise production dollars. And if you support them now, there are some very tempting incentives in the form of discounts on a set of blocks, and bundled gift packages. (UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign is now over. Please visit Tinyme to purchase custom name blocks.)
Along with the gorgeous modern look, what I really love about Tinyme's Name Blocks is that they are part puzzle and part learning toy, designed to teach young kids about letter shapes, color matching, and how to spell their names. Plus, you get to pick from different fonts and color schemes to make your blocks even more personalized.
The puzzle itself sits in a wooden tray and spells out your child's name using between four and nine blocks. No worries if your child is a Sam or Ivy. . .you'll be able to choose a fun symbol as your fourth block. And, for kids with less-common names like my Dante, they'll be thrilled to finally see something with their name printed on it. But of course if you've got a Mary-Margaret in the family...well, you might need two sets.
I like that one side of the card is in color, the other in black-and-white, so toddlers can first match their blocks by color before they learn to match up the letters. Finally, when playtime is done, the blocks and base can be slid into a nice felt storage pouch. But I'd recommend keeping it out on a shelf: This is one nice-looking toy I'd wouldn't mind seeing around the house.
Support Tinyme's Kickstarter campaign for their new custom name blocks before time runs out next Wednesday, April 16. Getting your own set starts at $27 AUD, which is a nice discount. Please note that all dollars listed are in Australian currency but the exchange rate is pretty similar to the U.S. dollar. (UPDATE: The Kickstarter campaign is now over. Please visit Tinyme to purchase custom name blocks.)
