Looking for Vintage Wooden Blocks

Zoe

This may be controversial but have you thought about removing some of the shelves to make them taller? You could remove every other shelf and then put a cross bar to make book display space for kids’ books. Similar to the shelves you see on the top here: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/pkimgs/rk/images/p2/products/200845/0011/img2m.jpg.

Erin

There are all sorts of really adorable new blocks out there, so that isn’t a bad option. But if you have your heart set on older blocks you could run at-home lead tests (http://www.leadinspector.com/) on them.
I have also heard that if you paint over the blocks with clear polyurethane that will do the trick, though I haven’t done any serious researching to verify.
Plus, while the baby is immobile it won’t matter, and as he/she gets older you could move the blocks higher and start putting other toys there instead. I actually have old blocks spelling my sons name that I’ve placed on top of an armoire where he can’t get them.
(An aside: Another cool idea would be a train or cars on those shelves.)

Zoe

That’s so funny! I’m still not sure I love the blocks idea, or at least ALL blocks. I think maybe a few blocks here and there and then I like the idea about trains or cars, and other vintage-type toys mixed in.

Benita

Y0u could get a perspex sheet to put infront of the whole unit. That would prevent possible toxic sucking, dusting and taking the blocks down. Or would that be cruel? :)

Kate

Where is that tray table from? I love it!

Fernanda

I’m probably minority here as well, but my kids have lots of my old toys and others found in garage sales. I believe we, humans, are much ‘tougher’ than we think. Kids have been playing with all kinds of toys for ages.
And I love both ideas, blocks-only & cars/trains/blocks.

erin

i actually just picked up a couple pkgs of wooden blocks from targets dollar section a couple days ago to decorate some shelves in my sons room…

there were also some cute wooden toys (cars, planes, animals) in the dollar section… our target just finished re-doing the dollar section for christmas and stocking stuffers.

wendy

There are many amazing blocks out there – but I LOVE (and so do my two little ones) the DADO cubes. My blocks have been shunned and building has taken off!

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/fat_brain_toy_co/dado_cubes.cfm

btw – I also deeply love that red lamp in your nursery. The form, the color – amazing. Where did you find such a wonder?

Erin

I’m also with those who believe in toughness. I grew up in the 70s with lead paint and asbestos and whatever all else and I turned out fine (twitch, twitch). What about putting in some baskets for storage, if it’s not too inconvenient a spot? You could use them to store extra little diapers or wipes or socks while he/she is teeny, and when the baby gets a little bigger they could be for toy storage and organization.

Jules

I have the Uncle Goose blocks. Nico is stacking them right now as we speak. :) If you want them to look vintage and aren’t comfortable using ones that may have lead paint, you can also tea stain them and scuzz them up on your own with a little sandpaper.

Emily

I say GO WITH THE VINTAGE ONES! BUT go to Home Depot or similar and get a lead paint test kit. They are cheap. I have an 18 month old so I keep a bunch in the drawer after all the lead paint scares, I just test anything that comes through the house that is wooden. Good luck!

Lisa

My sister knit blocks for her daughter. Very cute, baby loves them, can be washed, AND are quiet when thrown on wooden floors. It’s a win-win in my book.

Amy

All blocks would be super cute – but maybe not just alphabet blocks? They are sweet – but are not as interesting when you really start building (until they can make words, then things start going again). They aren’t as much fun to build castles and whatnot without long ones to build things Stonehenge-style, and triangles to make roofs on houses, etc. Mixing a few vintage style building blocks in with alphabet blocks would keep the building exciting and less repetitious. My son was crazy about blocks, and we got him all kinds and just mixed them all up – he would play for hours. And clean up isn’t that bad – you do just stuff them randomly back on shelves till next time.

Pamela

Like others, I have let my 5 and 2 year-old play with old blocks from my childhood along with Thomas the Train engines and nothing bad has happened (yet).

We did buy the Mother Goose blocks you picture here and they are fantastic — the boys LOVE them.

Monica A

I think as parents, we need to be informed off all the issues that might affect our kids, but I also think that there is some kind of too much stuff out there -maybe for manufacturers to avoid legals problems- that it is easy to become obsess with safety issues. I would say a good mix of vintage and new is good, if you’re concern, let the vintage ones high in the shelf and the new ones for playing, or get the lead paint test kit. I think common sense is the best tool to have with kids.

nikki perez

i would knock out every other shelf and make some storage for children’s book. I have a 2 yr old and you would not believe the amount of kiddie books we’ve collected in 2 years. blocks are cute but in such a small space I would use the shelves for something more functional than vintage blocks….but that’s me.

Lou

Hmmms, maybe you should get them tested or get wooden cubes and stencil them on yourself? However here in the chain stores you can buy those really cute building blocks in red, green, yellow and blue — the wooden kind. An old style wooden train set and carriages would also be cute. You could store its train track too if you wanted to.

jja

Abiout cubes – just take care they are made from eco colour and ahve a certain safety certificate, we in europe have TüV or something similar, cubes and the room are very nice :-)

leslie

I’ve been reading a book, “Healthy Child, Healthy World,” and it’s really opened my eyes about being more aware of the pollutants we’re bringing into our homes (via toys, furniture, food, bath and body products, candles etc). I wish this book were around when I was pregnant with my first child (8 years ago). I’m going to make some immediate changes (one of the first being removing items with lead) in my home. I *highly* recommend reading it! It’s surprising to learn how lead can creep into our bodies. . .so many different ways, not just via lead based paint.

And unrelated to the book, we’re also looking into detoxing via chelation to remove heavy metals (including lead) from my son’s body. . . he’s on the Autism Spectrum. And some studies have shown there’s a link between lead and autism.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Terri

Hi – I usually lurk (love your design ideas!), but this post on lead brings me out of hiding. If you must have vintage blocks, please do as Emily suggested and get them tested for lead.

I was one of those moms who thought the lead/plastic worries were all hype….but my son tested on the high end of normal for lead at his 1 year baby visit.

We used an at-home lead test kit and found that there was some lead paint residue on the exterior of our vintage building’s shutters/windows. Lead dust from exterior sources can get on your interior window sills and blinds….and little hands and mouths love those window sills! We are on pins and needles until we have him re-tested at 18 months and just hope the levels have gone down instead of up. You can get the kits at online and at most hardware stores.

On a lighter note, here are some vintage-like blocks made in the US for those bilingual babes out there!

http://www.ilcoccodimamma.com/shop/toys.html

Congrats on your pregnancy…kiddos are so much fun!

Lynne

I totally don’t have the know-how, but I think it would be great if they could be made into the base of a lamp! I think they would look great in a kid’s room.