ABC Building Blocks
Which One to Buy ?
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ABC building blocks are probably the most popular of all childhood toy blocks. Most of these blocks are made of wood (wooden alphabet blocks), but there are also
some which are made of other material.
With the plethora of ABC toy blocks available today, it could be difficult to determine which one is the best for your child. This article will
hopefully equip you with knowledge of different kinds of alphabet building blocks and the drawbacks of each type.
ABC Building Blocks Buying Guide
Before you
buy any ABC toy blocks, it's important to know different types of alphabet building blocks available today.
Basically, nowadays you can get either the ABC soft blocks, ABC wooden blocks, or ABC cardboard paper blocks. Before buying any, you should
also know that not all ABC toy blocks have alphabets, numbers, and pictures on them. Some only have the alphabets. So, if you want to use the ABC
building blocks to teach your children alphabets, numbers and names of things, then make sure to buy the ones with alphabets, numbers, and
pictures on the block's sides.
1. ABC Wooden Blocks
When people are searching for ABC building blocks, they usually want to buy the ABC wooden blocks.
There are some caveats before buying these wooden alphabet blocks.
First, ABC building blocks can be made of different kind of woods. Thus, there are some of these which are made of soft woods and can chip
easily when chewed. You may want avoid these kinds of wooden alphabet blocks if you still have young toddlers since they can be a choking hazard.
Second, the painting of cheaper ABC wooden blocks, albeit non-toxic, are sometimes inferior. Don't be surprised if the paint can come off when
chewed or licked by young children. Having said that, since they are non-toxic, they are safe enough for older toddlers or preschoolers who are no
longer in the habit of chewing toys.
Third, the workmanship of cheaper products may not be as good as the more expensive ones. Hence cheaper products may have sharp edges and
corners.
Fourth, be aware that wooden alphabet blocks have different sizes. Before shopping, look at the dimension of the products carefully. As far as
I know, most come in two sizes:
- Big blocks.
Big alphabet building blocks have the size of approximately 1.75 inches. The best wooden alphabet blocks of this type are Uncle Goose
blocks, made by Lindenwood. These ABC wooden blocks have classic embosse, consisting of alphabets, numbers and pictures, and are known for
durability and high quality of workmanship. The paint is non-toxic and won't come off when chewed. In addition, they don't chip easily. The
drawback of buying these blocks is they are more expensive.Expect to pay between $30-35 for a set of 28 blocks. Fortunately, these blocks are
currently on sale at 20%
OFF here.
, so that a set of either Lindenwood or Uncle Goose blocks can be bought for around $25-27.
For a cheaper alternative, have a look at big Schylling blocks. Bear in mind, though, that their ABC building blocks only have alphabets embossed on the sides,
so you won't find any pictures or numbers on the block. Secondly, although the paint is non-toxic, there has been reports that the painting can
come off if the blocks are chewed constantly. In addition, since these blocks are also made of soft woods, they can chip easily when bitten or
chewed. I would advise you on getting these blocks for preschoolers and up only. These ABC wooden blocks are currently on sale at $20 (30% OFF)
here
.
For this price you get a set of 48 blocks.
- Small blocks.
Small blocks have the size of 1-1.25 inches. A set of alphabet building blocks of this size, by either Schylling or Melissa and Doug costs
anywhere between $10-$11.
Here is the pro and cons of each:
- Small Schylling blocks (size: 1.25 inch). Schylling blocks are are made of soft woods and can chip off easily. In addition, the
non-toxic paint can come off when licked or chewed constantly. It is also important to note that these ABC wooden blocks only have alphabets
painted on the sides. One set of 48 Schylling blocks cost2 $10-11 and are available her
e.
- Melissa and Doug blocks (size: 1 inch). The biggest problem with Melissa and Doug blocks are the size (small) and the fact that the
blocks have sharp edges. These blocks, though, have numbers, alphabets, and pictures painted on the sides. One set of 50 Melissa and Doug block
set costs $10-11 and are available her
e.
.
2. ABC Soft Blocks.
ABC soft blocks are big and most suitable for babies. They usually only consist of A, B, and C blocks per set. I personally would not waste any
money buying these ABC soft blocks. If I really wanted to give my baby the building blocks, I would prefer to give him baby building blocks such
as IQ Baby Knock Knock blocks (currently at 30%
OFF here
) since a set of this contains more blocks than the typical ABC soft block set and it has different shapes of blocks. Each block also has
different things on it. Some have peek-a-boo flaps, while some have rattling sound, and so forth. So these blocks can be used in many open-ended
and discovery play and therefore, I think they hold more value than a set of ABC soft blocks.
3. Cardboard Paper ABC building blocks.
If you are looking for lightweight and attractive ABC building blocks, have a look at cardboard ABC building blocks by Mudpuppy. The blocks
have the size of 2 inches, are lightweight, and sturdy. Each block consists of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, symbols and
pictures. What is special about the Mudpuppy products are the good quality pictures which go with them. These blocks are definitely
colorful,imaginative, and appealing to children.
One set of 16 blocks retails for $24, but has been sold by several stores for $19.95. These alphabet building blocks are available her
e. 
ABC Toy Block Play Ideas.
So what can you do with these blocks aside from building and knocking activities ?
Here are some play ideas for you so that you can maximize the play value of ABC building blocks:
- Use wooden alphabet blocks and number blocks for introducing your kid to alphabets and numbers, respectively. Introduce only one or two
number at a time. You can do these following block plays for introducing alphabet or numbers:
- ask your child to choose between two numbers (ex. which one is number one, which one is number two. etc)
- ask her to give you a particular number (ex. give me a five, give me a two).
- hunting for numbers/alphabets around the house, where you will hide those wooden building blocks and ask your child to find a
particular number.
- put some wooden blocks into a box filled with small foam packing nuts. Then ask your toddler to find the number blocks or abc wooden
blocks in the box and tell the number/alphabet printed on it.
- Spelling activities (for older children).
- Teaching babies and toddlers the name of things pictured on the sides of the blocks.
- Fill and dump activities. Your child can fill her wagon with wooden toy blocks, move them somewhere, and dump the blocks.
- Bowling. Make a tower out of the child wooden blocks. Then roll a ball towards the tower until it hits the tower and knock it down.
- Pretend play activities, such as make a cake out of blocks.
So you see, there are many use of ABC toy blocks. They are indeed toys with good value.
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