Natural Building Blocks
The Wood
Maple, cherry and ash are chosen because they are hard woods and thus do not split nor splinter as could soft and resinous woods.
The Finish
Each piece is sanded, oiled with a natural and non-toxic oil, the protected by pure beeswax which the artisan heats up, applies and polishes – this makes all the difference to the sensitive touch of the young child.
To Wonder at Proportion
The various thicknesses of the pieces are in proportions of one, two, three or four unites each. Thus, the child can build up columns and all the while be taking in the laws of equivalences.
Exercising the Sense of Balance
The fact that each piece is of a unique form calls forth the sense of balance to be able to build up a column; if the column holds, it corresponds to the law of equilibrium, a revelation of truth to be told through the most traditional to the most extravagant designs.
Discovery of the Diversity of Forms
For the very young (4-5 months old), handling these blocks, one by one at first, is an experience of the diverse qualities of form. A thin and tall piece or a thin and short piece; a thick and medium size piece or a thick and short piece… all of this is of great interest for those who are just beginning their entrance into the world of form.
The Sound of Wood
When the child hits two blocks of wood together, he or she penetrates into the essence of the material. Each human has his or her own voice, and each material has its own sound. In addition, the child also experiences the coherence between the senses of sight and hearing. From birth onwards, the child aspires to experience this coherence, and in doing so, his or her sense of reality is nourished. With recorded sounds, we may hear what seems to be the violin… but where is the violin? This sort of incoherence between the audible and the visible has been identified as a cause of our modern day attention deficit disorder.
An Image of Growth Forces
The concentric circles of growth speak a non-verbal language to the child, who is him or her self in the midst of abundant growth forces.
A Prelude to Architecture
If the child puts together two forms, the experience is very different depending if the smallest is on top or underneath. Children are very sensitive to these relations between the forms, which in itself is a non-verbal language, namely, that of architecture.
A Toy that Last
The Natural Building Blocks will be used a thousand different ways over the years. The biggest ring will be one day a plate and the other day a steering wheel. The longest cylinder can be used as a phone. A ring on a short cylinder will become a gnome’s table and a ring on a long cylinder a tree. Thrust your child for finding unexpected ways of using those blocs!
Idea: we suggest that you get a little basket to put the blocks in at the end of the day. That is a reassuring gesture for the young child.
You can also complete the kit over time by purchasing our single blocks: rondelles, lunes et cylindres.
The Artisan
Michel Couture cuts the woods which he selects from the forests of the region of Victoriaville, Quebec. The tree must already have been dead since some time, not too long, not too short. Then the drying process takes place in two different locations, controlling the rhythm of drying so as to prevent the possible cracking of the wood over the long term it is made to serve.
RECOMMENDED AGE: 4 months and older
SIZE: Smallest cylinder: 3 cm diameter, 6 cm height; longest cylinder: 4 cm diameter, 8 cm height; biggest ring: 10 cm diameter, 2 cm thick (the height doesn’t change, but the diameter can differ from piece to piece). An addition of a small board: 30cm lenght, 3cm width and 2cm height. It is approx. 856 g for the kit.
MATERIAL: wood (ash tree, maple et yellow birch), non-toxic natural oil and pure beeswax, without solvent.
CARE: You can wash the blocks if needed with a wet cloth and soap. If needed protect the wood with olive oil or natural wood wax.
ORIGINE: Québec (Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur-de-Wolfestown)