Unexpected benefits

Last year, we took charge of the Steiner toddler group bulding blocks over the summer holidays. They were kept with our toys and were played with all the time to make bales of hay, sheds, churches and all other important items. Differently to most sets of building blocks, the toddler group ones are made out of oiled hard-wood and are random shapes. They are harder to use if you want to build a standard tower, but great if in fact you are trying to build a realistic gothic cathedral (which we often are!).

I had a good look around the internet before Nathaniel's birthday for some similar blocks, but unsurprisingly, they were few and far between and rather expensive.

So when the builders left us a great pile of off-cuts from the roof (intended for someone's wood burner), we were rather pleased. It may be soft wood, but there are some pretty brilliant shapes, and let's face it, I was never going to get around to identifying, buying, cutting and sanding wood.

Over the weekend, I got together with the sander (if I was a true Steiner parent, Nathaniel and I would have done this together, by hand, over many winter afternoons - but neither of us have that patience at the minute!), and finished off a pile of "windmill pieces" (so that's what we are going to be using them for!).


I am inordinately pleased!