If you’re looking for a toy that will actually be of benefit to your little one, then you may wish to consider investing in educational blocks for toddlers. These brightly colored blocks are designed with toddlers in mind and can be used in a wide variety of ways, both indoors and out. They can be used for coloring, counting, and creating shapes or characters. If your toddler is struggling with learning their ABCs or numbers, we suggest investing in some educational blocks that can help them develop a sense of self-confidence and confidence within themselves as they learn new skills.
Colored Blocks
Gigi Bloks are a family of colorful wooden blocks, designed by London-based architect, Simon Watkin and his wife, Charlotte. The best thing about them is that they’re safe for babies to build with; the best thing about them is that they’re great for building with!
Simon Watkin has been a regular contributor to MacRumors over the years. He was an early Apple developer, co-founder of Scratch, and now works as a digital media specialist at London-based charity, Big Ideas (and one of my favorite Mac developers). He’s currently working on building his own startup in support of Big Ideas. He’s also the author of two books: The Complete Guide to Scratch and Playbooks for Digital Media (both published by O’Reilly).
LINK
Anyway, he’s had enough pictures on his blog lately so we decided to make a post just showing some photos of some children playing with Gigi Bloks. Here are some simple instructions:
The block should be unfolded into a rectangle.
You can use your fingers or hands (the latter not recommended) to press different parts of the block together into different shapes. The block should only ever be closed one way when closed (that is, you can’t open it up and press it again!). The close-up photo shows an example of this – the shape is formed by pressing two parts together in a particular order.
In terms of printing on the woodblock – here are some pages I cut from an A4 newspaper in black ink: eBay ▲ ▲ TIP: Avoid using colored ink if you can – it’s going to make your printer work harder and produce more waste than normal. Print white lines instead! A bit like this: ▲ ▲ TIP: Avoid using colored ink if you can – it’s going to make your printer work harder and produce more waste than normal. Print white lines instead! With the block lying face down on a surface such as a table or a floor – you can put small balls or pebbles into the base (which will help keep them stable) or you can use something similar to this as a base too: ▲ ▲ TIP: Don’t put anything metal on top of Gigi Bloks – there are lots of tiny parts which could get damaged in this way! A bit like this: ▲ ▲ TIP: Don’t put anything metal on top of Gigi Bloks – there
Numbers and Letters
We have a very limited number of educational blocks that are suitable for toddlers. They are color-coded to help your child learn the numbers from 1 to 10, and the names of the letters from A to Z.
The blocks all come in colorful packaging with a small instruction booklet on how to assemble them (and the actual picture on the box is wheelchair accessible). The products range in price from $9.99 for a 4-pack of colorful blocks, or $24.99 for a 6-pack of colorful blocks and an instruction booklet, which makes them ideal if you want to pack a lot into your preschooler’s room but don’t want them to get too expensive.
Best Building Sets for Kids
If you’re looking for the best building sets for kids, it’s probably because you want your child to learn sooner. And if you’re thinking of giving them a new addition to their collection, you may well need to buy some extra time. For instance, a toy that is readily available in all major stores will cost around $13. But it may cost more than that if the retailer has decided not to stock it, or they have set a minimum order of ten units (which can range from $25 to $100). In any case, this is more than just an accessory – this is a terrific building aid for children and adults alike.
This particular set will be going on our established list of the best toys for toddlers and young kids later this year. And it comes with its own unique features:
1) It comprises nine different blocks (eight varying colors and one brown) which are pre-assembled in their boxes and ready for play.
2) It comes with an instruction booklet that gives details on how to use the blocks in various ways so that your child can develop their motor skills at an early age.
3) The blocks are suitable for ages 1 – 8 but are meant to be used by children from ages 2 – 6 due to potential health risks associated with small pieces of plastic being ingested by younger children.
4) There are several other accessories included with the set including a board game (for when they get bored with having just blocks), some logic puzzles, and also some stickers which babies love so much that they’ll likely keep them forever. Check out all the great reviews of this fantastic product at Amazon below:
Conclusion
Education is a tough business. It’s hard to make a nice, flexible product that can adapt to different learning styles and needs. It’s also hard to get parents to take the kind of interest in their children’s education that they should.
Learning blocks are a great way to get kids moving forward with a generation-defining technology, making it possible for every child to learn at their own pace. They are easy for parents and teachers to use and fun for kids, too – so you can come home from work and know that you’ve done well for your child.
What sets them apart from other educational toys is the ability for kids to learn through play, rather than just sitting down with a book or tablet. They’re designed so the materials are sturdy enough for play but light enough for little hands. And because they look cute, there’s no reason your child can’t get into them!
There are two main types of blocks:
• Wooden Blocks: These have numbers printed on them like letters or numbers on counters or dollar bills. They have holes in the bottom so they can sit flat on the floor (you can put them on stands if you prefer). You’ll find wooden blocks in most toy shops as well as online at Amazon or Walmart (they’re also available free of charge with some LEGO kits ).
• Plastic Blocks: These have smooth surfaces like plastic counters or tiles – they have holes lined up along one edge like bricks – then there are lines of colored plastic pieces which can be slid together when they’re full of shapes like bricks or tiles (you can fit more shapes onto an empty space than into a hole). You’ll find these blocks in most toy shops as well as online at Amazon and Walmart.
If your child is still too young for wooden blocks, there are other options available:
• Electronic Blocks: These offer interactive features including sounds and lights; these aren’t particularly fun, but maybe easier for younger kids who prefer action over aesthetics; these usually start out at around $10 each. • Lego Learning Blocks: Lego sets come packaged with plastic blocks that turn into more complicated shapes when assembled; these require adult supervision (which may not be ideal), but we found that our four-year-old daughter had no problem assembling them herself.