Blocks for Kids

wrmnfzy · Post by **wrmnfzy** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:19 pm

Funny how similar the shapes from berry's and mine were, other than rectangles and triangles.

videobear · Post by **videobear** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:32 pm

wrmnfzy wrote:Funny how similar the shapes from berry's and mine were, other than rectangles and triangles.

If you were Samsung and he were Apple, the two of you could have a multi-billion $ fight about it!

videobear · Post by **videobear** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:40 pm

Spider, this site should give you some ideas....

http://www.barclaywoods.com/

wrmnfzy · Post by **wrmnfzy** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:19 pm

I wish I'd have seen that when I went to make mine.

kellyjons · Post by **kellyjons** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:02 am

I made a huge set of blocks from scrap two-by wood for Christmas last year. Be sure to hand sand all of the edges and corners to make them feel comfortable. I did not use a finish and feel that none is needed.

I would suggest that you base the block size on the 3/4" unit so that everything stacks and fits together well. In other words, all my blocks are either 3/4" or 1-1/2" thick, and are 1-1/2", 3", 6", and 12" long.

Classic columns are easy to turn on the Shopsmith. I made eight Doric style columns based on an image I found on the Internet. Those columns get a lot of use and are in high demand... Looks like I will need to make some more.

Nothing better on a dark winter afternoon than a fire in the woodstove, classical music on the stereo, and the kids and me on the floor playing with blocks!

forrestb · Post by **forrestb** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 6:45 pm

I had a bunch of 2x4 cutoffs in the bin. When my granddaughters (5 and 6) moved back to HB, I pulled them out and sanded well to prevent splinters. I just gave them the bare cutoffs - around 12. They ranged in length from 3 to 6 inches. In no time they had colored them with crayons, taped some together for airplanes and angels, and I can't recall other things.

The point is THEY used their imaginations to convert barewood to playthings they wanted.

Try it sometime and just stand back and be amazed.

Forrest

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Sep 30, 2012 7:00 pm

Maybe we are missing the boat here. Blocks mean something to us but they may not mean the same to the youngsters. Maybe our scraps should just be inspected and sanded to remove safety issues and given to the youngsters. Let them decide what is useable and what is not.

We just might get a big surprise.

Shopsmith Forums

Blocks for Kids

basic 2x4 cutoffs work