The Old Schoolhouse® Product & Curriculum Reviews
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Noah's Ark Block Set and Farm Block Set Review by Audrey Tolle
Maple Landmark(800) 421-4223
1297 Exchange Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
http://www.maplelandmark.com
When we buy toys for our children, we try to buy toys that are made so well that we don’t have to buy them again and again. Toys that are made safe, with quality materials, and ideally, made in our own country. When I received the Noah’s Ark Block Set and the Farm Block Set from Maple Landmark, I was immediately impressed with the quality of these blocks. The blocks are solid and the designs on them are finished with a non-toxic ink print and are darling images that engage children to play. After going to their website and researching more, I learned that these blocks are “crafted from locally sourced, sustainably harvested maple hardwood.” The blocks are 1” thick and are big enough to be handled by little ones without worry.
These blocks are designed for ages 1 and up. Although geared towards younger children, my 8 and 9-year-old get involved in the fun whenever the blocks come out. Because the blocks have graphics on one side of them, they encourage a more specific story line of play (i.e. Noah’s Ark or Farm) which does limit the creative free-style nature of play a little bit, but sometimes it is nice to have a goal and work within those limits. My kids have enjoyed building the barn and the ark scene over and over. Once the scene is built, the kids often incorporate other toys that they already own and bring them into the fun. We combined the two block sets to build the scene even further.
Overall, my children really enjoyed these block sets. They are in a bin in our living room and seem to come out often, especially when we have company. The price of these sets are $37.00 each for about 21 or 22 blocks (depending on the set.) This price seems fairly consistent with other toys that are made in the USA with sustainable materials. I have the utmost confidence that these block sets will last long enough to see my grandchildren. I definitely recommend them if you are looking to invest in toys that will make it for the long haul.
-Product review by Audrey Tolle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September, 2016
