Why wooden blocks are still the best first toy
No batteries, no screen, and a surprising amount of maths. What open-ended toys do for toddlers.
Ask any early-years teacher which toy they would keep if they could keep only one, and the answer is usually a set of plain wooden blocks.
Open-ended play
A block can be a car, a phone, a wall or a cake. Toys that do one thing get abandoned; toys that can be anything get used for years.
Maths without worksheets
Stacking, sorting by size, balancing and counting are all maths. Children pick them up through play long before they meet numbers on paper.
Safety
Look for smooth edges, water-based finishes and pieces too large to swallow. Our own-label set is finished with a non-toxic coating and suitable from 18 months.
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