While building this, er, temple thingy to use in our next commercial, I remembered how much I love building blocks. In the span of only a few minutes, I had to resist at least ten times the urge to dump out the bag and build a complete city.
When I look at, hold, and smell these blocks, the word definitive comes to mind. Do you remember the blocks of your childhood? Inferior were the foam and plastic blocks; unpleasant were the blocks whose cheap paint, soon chipping, was intended to distract from the fact that they were made of shoddy lightweight wood.
But these are the good blocks that you remember. They are large solid shapes that have just the right amount of heft in your hand, and just the right high-pitched “clunk” when you knock them together – the multiplied “clunks” that are so satisfying as you destroy your creation, and you know you will because demolition is such an integral part of the building block experience.
HABA Basic Building Blocks, Large Starter Set, 60 pieces. $100, Recommended for ages 1-8
HABA makes several block sets: large or small, many or few, color or natural wood. For storage, they come with a big canvas bag with a cute mischievous kid printed on the side. Even holding the bag makes me feel like a child, and I want to drag the thing all over the store!
Prices and availability may vary – call store for current info.
