Melissa & Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks
by Melissa & Doug
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List Price: Our Price: $31.43 You Save: $38.56 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Melissa & Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks
Customer Review: Best blocks for the money. Period.
Summary: 5 Stars
There is one reviewer here who didn't like these blocks. (I'm guessing that reviewer has other, more expensive, unit blocks.) Please allow me to address the points raised by that reviewer.
"The Weight": Some children can lift 15 pounds (like my 3-year-old), and some can't. Know your child, and supervise the little ones when moving the full box of blocks. Common sense, really. Not a problem. Usually, my kids leave the box on the floor and just push it across the carpet.
We have had one box split near the bottom at one end. A little wood glue and an overnight clamping session, and it was good to go. The dovetail joints are plenty strong for the job, even if there might be weak points in the wood. For the first while, my kids' favorite piece was the box (it was a boat, a bed, a car, etc.), so I'm not surprised that it had a problem.
"The Smell": yes, these blocks to have a slight odor to them when the package is first opened. It's the finish they use, and it's not strong at all. I would guess it's some type of natural oil. (Tung, linseed, or something similar.) I'm highly sensitive to chemicals and other odors (headaches and allergic reactions), and this didn't bother me at all. It dissipated quickly, and is completely unnoticeable after a short while. I especially like the finish M&D use on these blocks because it's not readily apparent, and yet it has kept the wood smooth. Even blocks that sneaked (under their own power, I'm sure ;o) into the bathtub have dried very well. The grain of the wood raised slightly, but smoothed back down nicely with play, and never splintered at all. The feel of these blocks is great, too. Smooth and pleasant to touch, but with enough texture to make them easy to manipulate for small hands.
"Not True Standard Unit Blocks": Um, yes, they are. The larger triangles are the size of two of the smaller triangles, two of which equal half of the standard unit block (1-1/2" x 2" x 5"). The hypotenuse of the large triangle is also the same length as the standard unit block (5"). The large triangles use variations of the same "unit" all the other blocks do. Just because HABA or other companies don't have a block that size doesn't mean it can't be done. Each and every block in this set shares the same width, as well as one other dimension (whether that second dimension is exactly the same as the first, or is a multiple of it).
And those little quarter circles are some of my kids' favorites. They're also great for helping to teach fractions, as are the half circles. Put 'em on their rounded edges on top of a little block, and you've got a nifty sailboat, to boot. Or on top of a pillar, and you've got a minaret spire. They're great.
"Not hardwood": Rubberwood is a hardwood. Not all hardwoods are as heavy as cherry or oak. Can you imagine how heavy this box would be if the blocks were made from a heavier hardwood? Ay! No thanks. It's heavy enough as it is.
I love it that the Rubberwood is tough as well as light. Along with the very tight, straight grain and smooth feel, my kids have abused these blocks for nearly four years now, and they're still looking great. (We now own two sets.)
To sum up: We love love love these blocks. If you have more than one child (or one very imaginative and creative child), you would do well to purchase two sets. (And you're still paying less for two sets than you would be buying 60 unit blocks from other companies.)
Cheap? No way.
An excellent value? Definitely!
Customer Review: Classic and durable! A great value.
Summary: 5 Stars
We've had the Melissa & Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks for almost two years now, and they still look great. Most are still as shiny as the day we got them; a handful have (shallow) tooth-marks from being toted around by the dog; one of the triangle blocks finally chipped at one corner along the grain, but was not left with a sharp edge. For as much wear-and-tear as these blocks get, I'm impressed. My three-and-a-half-year-old routinely plays with them on hard floors (and of course, is apt to throw things sometimes, to see if the dog will bring them back).
The blocks are all cut to the standard measurements, and are cut straight & true. They stack well! My son has been known to make a tower as tall as he is. Yes, the blocks are heavy. Hardwood is heavy. Heavy = durable. (No lightweight pine toys have survived going into our dog's mouth without some serious teethmarks!) My son knows he needs to stand back when knocking towers over -- the first time he didn't was a great learning experience for him. If you're worried about toes, maybe the kids should be building with slippers or shoes on. (The rest of the world is not made of soft foam blocks!)
I do not recall there being any odor when I opened the package. I suspect they would have smelled like oiled wood (a smell I'm familiar with, as I work at a store that sells handcrafted wooden items).
I did find that once my son reached age 2 1/2, he became a little bored with the plain square and triangle blocks. We added the Melissa & Doug Architectural Unit Block Set and a few basic wooden trains with tracks, and these blocks took on a whole new life. He now uses the squares and triangles to make "houses" for his train towns. His hotwheels cars jump from wooden "ramps." His LEGO-figurines climb to the top of fancy wooden "castles." The same blocks he was perfectly happy to stack, toss and gnaw on at the age of 18 months are still in use today.
This set came with plenty of blocks for my small son, but if he needed to share with a friend we could have used a few more. Two sets would be great to have if more than one child is playing.
We long ago abandoned the idea of fitting the blocks back into their carrying box, by the way. It was much easier to just toss them into a plastic toy box of their own, especially as the collection of wood toys grew. But the carrying case lives on! My son still uses it to haul toys around, and also as a small step-stool. It sure is sturdy.
I highly recommend this set of blocks as a simple toy for the youngest kids. It is one that will certainly grow with them and spark their imaginations as they grow.
Customer Review: It's preschool geometry (and a little algebra too)!
Summary: 5 Stars
My 3.5 year old son loves these blocks! He has spent as much as an hour constructing and then deconstructing complex raceways, runways, towers, houses, and stuff only he can identify. The standard unit (smaller blocks are proportional to larger ones; two little rectangles are equal to one larger one) blocks make more visually appealing and symmetrical structures and unbeknownst to him he's learning about congruence, triangulation, and fractions (two wedges = one rectangle). Well he's just having fun building things that he can knock over, but subconsciously he's experiencing math.
My 11 month old daughter loves them too, they are chunky enough for her little hands and smooth enough not to splinter her lips when she samples them and there's no dye to leach into her skin.
The blocks are large and made of dense, smooth hardwood. The sturdy wooden box makes clean up and storage easy and fun. Don't settle for lesser/smaller/cheaper blocks. Don't be swayed by fancy colors or a set with more pieces (they're probably tiny pieces anyway). 60 blocks is more than enough for two kids' building projects and the natural wood color leaves space for their natural imaginations. Do get standard unit blocks to help develop early math skills. Do trust these blocks are what your pre-schooler needs and will love playing with for years to come. (These are identical to the blocks my son uses at his Montessori preschool.) Do wear a helmet when your kids are tossing them around. Do believe me when I tell you, Melissa and Doug rock!
Customer Review: A good set of wood blocks
Summary: 5 Stars
The Melissa and Doug 60 piece standard unit block set appears to me to be a good set of blocks and the price is much better then for sets from other companies.
The sizes of the blocks are based on the "unit block standard" that was established about 100 years ago. In this standard a unit block is defined as 5 1/2 inches long, 2 3/4 inches wide, and 1 3/8 inches thick. Other sized blocks are based off these dimensions. I have carefully measured the blocks in this set and they are made to these dimensions.
An earlier review dated around October 2, 2007 seemed to indicate that the blocks were of standard sizes of 1 1/2 inch x 2 inch x 5 inch. Not so, these blocks conform to the "unit block "standard of 1 3/8" , 2 3/4" etc.
The surfaces of the blocks are smooth and there are no sharp 90 deg edges. All the edges and corners have been beveled. I ran my fingers over the blocks and could not detect any splinters or anything that looked like it was going to splinter.
The storage boxes are nice also. They have ½ inch thick sides and use box(finger) joints to join the sides. There are large adult sized slots in the ends to hook your fingers into to lift the set.
The M & D architectural set also conforms to the unit block standard and looks to be of the same quality as this set. Yes, I bought both, for my grandson, not me.
Customer Review: Good toy for the price
Summary: 3 Stars
After considering two different brands of high-quality and fairly expensive standard unit blocks made in the USA, I read the reviews of this set on Amazon and decided to give it a try instead.
First of all, toys like these can't be beat, especially for boys. After years of buying electronic toys, my husband and I noticed that after the "new" wore off, those toys just became clutter. Tinkertoys, Legos, and good old sticks, rubberbands, and toilet paper rolls were really what kept our boys involved in hours of imaginative play. So far, these wood blocks have been used to make castles and forts, things most boys love to build. I think they'll be used for years to come.
As for quality--you get what you pay for. While the case says "precisely measured and cut", I found more than a few pieces to be slightly irregular in shape and size. Either they weren't cut precisely, or they were over-sanded in spots. Also, a few have "dings" already, and when brand-new a few were chipped and splintered.
The weight is good, though, allowing for very tall and fairly stable structures. So, while these aren't top-quality, they are still good blocks for the money. Better to have a set like these than to not have a set at all.
By the way, we did as recommended by other reviewers and bought two sets. I'd recommend the same to others.