SUMMARY UPDATE : Alphabet Blocks!!

[papal]

SUMMARY (update):
Thanks everyone for your input. So, we have learnt that the following criteria go into the selection of alphabet blocks:
1. Wooden or not.
2. Engraved lettering or screenprinted.
3. Size.
4. Quality of wood.
5. Rounded corners.
6. Price.


To summarize, we have the following WOODEN alphabet blocks in contention:
1. Melissa and Doug. These are 1 3/4" square and can be found at Marshalls/Ross for as low as $7.49.
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/20487.jpg
These are probably the top pick in terms of a bargain.
2. Uncle Goose blocks:
http://www.unclegoose.com/images/W28.gif
"Our Alphabet Blocks are a generous 1 3/4" square, made from basswood, brightly colored with child-safe inks, and handcrafted with attention to detail. Our standard set includes 27 blocks providing 4 complete alphabets, 3 sets of numerals, and 27 different animal pictures. Also available with printed canvas bag, wooden crate, or sturdy wooden wagon."
This set of blocks is the overall winner... it is also the most expensive. But like with anything else, it probably has the best resale value too.

3. Pottery Barn blocks:
These are 2" wide and have got both positve and negative reviews... they are not 'traditional' blocks. Read further down in this thread to see what a user had to say.
http://a293.g.akamai.net/7/293/5910/0010/image2.styleinamerica.com/pkecimgs/images/products/200504/0012/img63m.jpg


4. Some called Tootsie Blocks which can be found on the Imaginarium website:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004YUSL.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

5. Carter's Alphabet blocks (Kid11)
http://www.kidsii.com/uploadedFiles/Products/154/50033%20blocks.jpg

6. Maxim Alphabet Blocks:
[img
src="http://store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-95557112773151_1831_126100080.jpg"]
These are ENGRAVED Aphabet blocks. In terms of traditional blocks, these probably come second after the M&D blocks.



--

Which ones do you have? Which ones do you lust after? Do they come in a box, with a fox or in a bag with a hag? Do they come with in a wagon with wheels, tell me, what is the big deal?!!

I want wooden alphabet blocks. Rounded corners. Nice lettering (large A, small A, apple, number..). Please just tell me which one!!! I can't take it anymore!!! There are just too many out there and I am just going mad trying to sort through it all! I know my daughter won't care which ones she got but her mama must get the PERFECT ones or she won't sleep well at night. I know you understand. Help me!!!!!


ETA: And also, please tell me that you have both Alphabet blocks AND wooden building blocks. I do need both right?

[LucyG]

We have these alphabet blocks from Melissa and Doug. I found them at Ross for $9.99.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/20487.jpg

I really love them! They have upper- and lower-case of each letter, plus four pictures on the other block sides. They are around 1.5" per side, and the corners seem rounded to me. I especially love the pictures. They are fun, colorful, and varied. DD is able to stack them into towers with no problem. She also loves to name the pictures on each one.

We also have some "traditional" looking ABC wooden blocks that my MIL got for DD. I actually have them in the closet for now, since we have the M&D ones out.

AND, we do have regular wooden unit blocks, also. I found a bag of 90 blocks at Tuesday Morning, with various shapes and colors (as well as natural wood). They are not standard unit block size, but work fine for any building DD has wanted to do so far. I am a block addict, and I admit it!


http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
22 months and counting!

[momtoemma]

We have wooden alphabet blocks by Uncle Goose Toys. They are very nice and remind me of the ones I had as a child. Ours came in a wooden crate to store them, but I think you can get the same blocks in a variety of formats (bag, box, crate, etc...)We've been very happy with them, but since I bought them, I've been eyeing the ones at Pottery Barn Kids. Love those too! I like that they are larger than most alphabet blocks. We also have wooden building blocks...just got them for christmas. They came from Barclay blocks (based on recs I read on this board), and we love them! They are very high quality, and I'm just waiting for the next special occasion so that I can add to our set. I definitely recommend them! In other words, yes! I think you need both types! Shop away!

[new_mommy25]

We have the same Melissa and Doug blocks. I got them on clearance for $7.49 at Ross. I try to go to Ross at least once a week. The deals that have are amazing!!! They have a bunch of M&D and Battat wooden puzzles right now and some wooden train sets on clearance. They also regularly have boxes of basic shape blocks and I've picked up a few sets in natural and colors.

I've been eyeing these blocks for awhile. http://www.barclaywoods.com/wooden_blocks_lg_fir.htm It's a huge invesetment so I'll probably wait until Noah is closer to 3 and can enjoy them more.

ETA: To answer your regular question, YES! You do need both kind of blocks. Stacking the alphabet blocks can get dull but you can build all sorts of things with the other style. i think *I* have more fun with the blocks than DS does! Ours look like these http://tinyurl.com/3mbcl http://tinyurl.com/6atxo But as I said ours are just a hodge podge of different brands I picked up from Ross. I think I'm going to pick up the 105 Imaginarium set I just linked you though since DS has a gift card for TRU.


Just found this on TRU! Looks really cool, I think I might buy it. Off to TRU this week! http://tinyurl.com/6jwue

[new_mommy25]

You must get a Tot Tower!! DS got one for his birthday and it is a HUGE favorite around here. Basically they are stacking blocks made of sturdy cardboard. Noah has the "things I know" set and plays with it all the time. They come in a few other styles as well.
http://tinyurl.com/3nnh3


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/20502.gif

[brittone2]

We picked up a set of alphabet blocks in small backpack at Ollie's (not sure if you have one of those, they are very hit or miss) for 3.99 marked down from 9.99 or something. They are very classic looking. I don't know off the top of my head if they have lower case letters on them, I don't believe they do, but they are fine for us.

I'd rather invest the big money into a nice unit block set. I'm thinking of going with the Barclay blocks.

I like that Tot Tower idea too. Montessori uses something called the Pink Tower that is basically the same idea.

[ethansmom]

We have the M&D, but I'm not thrilled with them. I ordered them sight unseen from amazon... They are nice, but are smaller than I remember blocks being.

I was just at Marshall's today and saw an awesome set from Syllinger (I totally spelled that wrong! It's a brand I recognized, though) They seemed to be the size I remembered, and looked nicer than the M&D. I think there were 48 and it was $9.99 for the set. I so wanted to pick them up, but DS has so many toys... Sigh, I guess I need to go read the thread on the wooden toy co-op...

[Tondi G]

Mason got some small little alphabet blocks as a gift so he has just used those.... but man does it hurt when you step on one of those little buggers! I've decided I want some new blocks for #2 and I think we are going to splurge and buy the ones from Pottery barn kids. They are MUCH bigger than the ones we have.. soft rounded corners and cute pics/letters!

http://ww2.potterybarnkids.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpak%7Ccplatoy%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fk%2Fshp ak%7Ccpla%7Cda%7Crshop%5Fk&pkey=cplatoy%7Cak&gids=p191

Oh and yeah we have both alphabet blocks as well as building blocks... gotta have both... DS loves them all!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01
and lil man #2 edd 5/5/05

[jpang]

Hi, Rashmi,

I loved your Dr. Seuss post, LOL.

I tried to find a link for the M&D wooden alphabet blocks we have, but I don't think they sell them anymore. This is the thread where I heard about them:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=18048&mesg_id=18048&listing_type=search

As you'll notice, I helped the OP find this set and then grew so enamored of them myself that I ordered them. She didn't, LOL. Yet one more purchase to chalk up to the BBB boards.

Good luck on your search and let us know what you choose!

And yes, you do need separate wooden building blocks.

[papal]

Thanks Angie! We got one at Marshalls for $9.99... it has the wild animals on it. Dh and I are having a lot of fun building towers and then dd run in and knock it down. :)

[papal]

Those PBK blocks are so cute.. and they are 2.25 inches width each.. those are the largest I have seen. Have you seen them IRL? Are the edges smooth and rounded?
I like the Uncle Goose ones too... I am not sure if the M&D ones are larger than 1".

[papal]

Oh! Those are cute!! I have not seen any M&D ones that are larger than 1".. hmm.. maybe the local TJMaxx will have them.. Marshalls didn't. :(
Thanks for the info!

[papal]

I was looking at the Uncle Goose ones too! They look really nice. And I am definitely getting the Barclay unit blocks when dd is a little older.
Thanks for the info.. this is so much fun! :)

[tarahsolazy]

http://www.kidsii.com/OurProducts/ProdDetails.asp?ProductID=154

I have these, which I got at Marshall's for I think 9.95 or so? They are biggish, definately pushing 2in in width, and have a very nice finish with smooth edges. DS is just starting to stack, he mostly likes knocking down stacks Mama and Daddy make.

[chlobo]

I have the pottery barn blocks. They are very smooth with rounded corners.

However, they are weird. Each block has 2 different letters on it and its totally random which ones. I don't really like the pictures either. I would prefer a more traditional block, such as the ones from Kids II. I really don't think the PB ones are worth the money. If I had to do over again, I wouldn't buy them.

[ett]

What a great thread reviewing the alphabet blocks. I still need to buy a set for DS and was all set on getting the Uncle Goose blocks but the M & D ones are also really nice and much cheaper. Now if only I can find the M & D ones at my local Marshalls/TJ Maxx. The style of the Uncle Goose and M & D ones are different though. Is that enough justification to buy both sets? :)

Okay Rashmi, now that we've reviewed alphabet blocks, what wooden toy are we going to review next? :)

[papal]

>Okay Rashmi, now that we've reviewed alphabet blocks, what wooden toy are we going to review next?
LOL. I was thinking more along the lines of an Uncle Goose Blocks co-op.. heehee... maybe I will ring them tmmrw and see if we can get a discount if we place a certain number of orders. :)

I was thinking of reviewing unit blocks next but I think everyone here likes the Barclay Blocks so I am not going to waste time researching it.

Next... let's see. We covered Alphabet Blocks, Unit Blocks... what else is a toy ESSENTIAL? I think a wooden push-toy. :)

[pritchettzoo]

I think Marshall's had the M&D ones the other night. If I get by there this weekend (we're supposed to have an ice storm tonight/tomorrow), do you want me to check and grab them for you if they're there?

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and One More (coming July '05)

[slknight]

I think I may be the only one who doesn't like the M&D blocks. We got them at Marshalls fairly cheaply, and I'm glad I didn't pay more. I don't like the pictures! I think some of them are really, really ugly. Maybe it's just me. Who knows, but I thought I should let you know.

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

Another fun thread. Here's a link to all the ABC blocks that Gummy Lump carries.
http://www.gummylump.com/front/f_category.php?id=20

We have these and the kids love them! They are the Uncle Goose ones.
http://www.gummylump.com/files/product/a_653.abc_blocks_crate.jpg
http://www.gummylump.com/front/f_product.php?id=653

We also have this Uncle Goose set to go with the ABC blocks
http://www.unclegoose.com/images/NR9Blocks.gif
http://www.unclegoose.com/BlocksMothergoose.html

ETA: thanks to this thread and looking at the Uncle Goose website, I found these German ABC blocks!! I'm so excited.
http://www.playchild.com/catalog/images/germansolosm.gif

[papal]

Thanks Anna but I think I will get the Uncle Goose ones.. or just skip them alltogether and get the unit blocks. After much deliberation, I don't think they are essential. She can learn her alphabets through books too..if she just wants to stack and knock things down then the unit blocks will work just as well. :)

[laretce6]

OMG, do you have a link for somewhere to buy the German blocks, or did you just find them on the Uncle Goose site? DD must have these. wunderschön!

ETA-nevermind, I see that there's a link on the site, for some reason I was thinking the Uncle Goose site had no buying options. So excited, I'm off to add these to DDs wishlist (but of course they're really for me).


Caroline
Mama to Eleanor Katherine 8.2.04

[lukkykatt]

We have M&D blocks, but they are NUMBER blocks. I got them for DS when he was one, but the suprise was that my older son (then 3) loved them and played with them all the time doing simple math things with them. They have a number on one side, the number spelled out in letters on another side and then pictures of things in an amount that corresponds to the number. I got them at Marshall's - I'll keep my eye out for blocks there for you if you end up wanting M&D.

We also have plain wooden building blocks in different shapes and sizes. We got them at Zainy Brainy and I don't remember who made them. But yes, Leela should have both kinds!

We also have the train with the blocks that stack on it, and that has been very popular.

[zen_bliss]

i love the uncle goose blocks. alas, budget. adore the old fashioned filigree around the letters.

it was essential to me that blocks be engraved and not screen printed. we got lucky with these for $9.99 at ross last year, and i still see them every once in awhile. they are 1 3/4" blocks, by maxim if you want to take a look online.
[img src="http://store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-95557112773151_1831_126100080.jpg"]

[papal]

Thanks Zen!
Could you elaborate the reason for liking engraved vs screen-printed blocks?
Also, are the M&D and PBK blocks screen printed in that case? From the picture, there does not seem to be depth to them.

[ainwonderland]

Holy Smokes! I think I'm a wooden block virgin or something :-)

We have the Carters/KidsII blocks that we *really* enjoy. My 2.5 yo and I look at the letters and pictures and then build towers for my almost 9month old to knock down. I don't know the size of the blocks but they are easy for him to pick up with one hand (which I'm guessing the larger ones might prohibit that?) and then he likes to bang them together. They do come in a wooden box with two cut outs for "handles" on the side and a wooden filler piece that is the equivalent of 3 blocks so that they fill the box flush. My DH (and me too) think this is a little weird why they didn't just include 3 more blocks.

I ordered them from Babycenter a long time ago (on sale and 15%) because they had such good reviews. I never even realized there were so many other options! Oh these boards are ever so educating.....

[Joshuasmommy]

We have the Carters blocks, got them as a babyshower gift so I never really put much thought into blocks. We like them just fine. I personally don't have a preference as to engraved or screen printed. I like box the Carters ones come in and the filler piece is nice as ds can get it out and then get blocks out without dumping it over. It is also nice for builing a tunnel or bridge.

[ainwonderland]

Oh, so there is some use to that piece! Glad somebody is thinking "outside the box"!

Thanks for the idea on tunnels and bridges -- unfortunately we are a "dumping" house regardless of the helpful piece :-)

[aim]

We have the carter and the maxim blocks - DS likes the carter's ones much better - we play with them several times each day - the other more traditional maxim blocks just sit in their little wagon (which I thought he would love) but i think that he likes the colors and the pictures on the carter's blocks better - he just twists them around to look at each picture. and we play all sorts of word games with the blocks - i really like them

Amy
DS Bennett 1-14-04

[LoveMyBabyBeans]

http://www.babyscholars.com/smalblhoclwo.html

[Saartje]

A coop sure sounds like a good idea to me. ;)

Thanks so much for summarizing all this in your first post, Rashmi -- it made the review so easy to read. (I hadn't looked at this thread since you first posted it, until now.)

[darby24]

Coming in late. Has anyone mentioned Land of Nod blocks?

http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/1101411_Large.jpg

Description from their site:
"It’s tough to find alphabet blocks made the good old-fashioned way like this anymore. Each wooden block is hand-painted and embossed by a small company in Michigan. Features letters, numbers, words and illustrations. Educational and fun. A Michael Mabry design. Child-safe, non-toxic. 1.75" cubes. Ages 1 and up. #1101411 $39" http://tinyurl.com/4po8o

[papal]

Thanks Erin.. i had not seen those before.. they look really beautiful and modern with an old-fashioned twist. Very cute!

[holliam]

I'm fairly certain those are ones from Uncle Goose also. They look so similar and Uncle Goose is based in MI.

http://www.unclegoose.com/

Holl