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How to Make Wooden Blocks

Wooden blocks are traditional toys in most children's play rooms. Blocks allow children to practice creativity in their play. According to Dr. Dimitri Christakis, in an interview with Paul Nyhan in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, simple toy blocks may increase children's intelligence. Dr. Christakis led a study at the Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute using language tests to determine how helpful blocks are. He says that they are one of the few toys that have been shown to help children learn. They are not hard to make, with the right tools and techniques.

Things You'll Need

Scrap wood pieces
Saw
Sandpaper
Natural finish
Non-toxic paint
Paint brushes

Instructions

- 1
  Use a saw to cut the wood scraps into a variety of shapes. Use a variety of sizes for squares and rectangles and give your triangles different angles as well. You can make trapezoids, stars, pentagons, circles and hearts. If you have children under the age of 3, avoid making pieces smaller than 3 inches which can pose a choking hazard. Avoid using smaller pieces of scrap wood as they are difficult to work with and can result in serious injury.
- 2
  Sand all of the corners and edges with sandpaper until they are rounded. Start with a heavy grit and work down to a finer grit until the corners and edges feel smooth to the touch. You do not want sharp corners that can scratch someone or brittle edges that might break off. This step takes a lot of time.
- 3
  Seal or paint the blocks. Use non-toxic natural finishes, such as beeswax or linseed oil, so if a child puts one in his mouth it does not cause a problem. If you decide to paint the blocks instead, try food coloring, water colors or another non-toxic paint.

Wooden Toys