As a mother of twin baby boys, I am always looking to invest in toys that can be thoughtfully enjoyed and easily shared by my little ones. I also want my occasional purchases to contribute to something lasting, both in our home and in the world beyond. I was thrilled when a friend and her husband gave us Uncle Goose blocks as a gift for our twins. These gorgeously crafted, old-fashioned A-B-C letter blocks are a perfect example of classic, heirloom toy design paired with modern materials and sustainability. U.S. made and voted one of the “best 100 toys”, parents can be totally reassured that the basics for your green nursery or playroom are taken care of with ‘Uncle Goose’.
Uncle Goose blocks are handcrafted in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Lindenwood, Inc. – a company that has continued the quality toy manufacturing process first started by William Bultman in 1983. Crafted out of local basswood sustainably grown around the Great Lakes, Uncle Goose blocks are not only a great educational toy but they are a delight to handle. Basswood is ideal for making blocks because of its light-weight, light-colored and odor-free properties. Non-toxic inks are used on the letter embossing, beveled edges, and classic styling of each block.
Lindenwood toys are tested regularly and always surpass national and international standards on ink safety. There is actually very little ink on each block, so parents can rest assured that a child will not be exposed to harmful substances even if they should consume an entire set of blocks – Wow, that’s good to know with teething babies in the house! (The same is true for your household pets who might chew on the blocks – the company provides a Replacements page for what to do if that happens).
Uncle Goose blocks have been honored with Parent Choice Awards, Dr. Toy’s “100 Best Toys” award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards. We also love that these alphabet blocks come in many languages, including Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish, as well as Braille and Sign-Language.
I love your blog, and these blocks!
Abigail: thanks for the interesting post. My wife and I saw these at an “educational” toy store in Princeton two weeks back, and we thought they were GREAT, until we saw the price tag. My recollection is $89.95, but I am not 100% certain.
Of course, there can easily be an argument, that a parent should buy smaller amounts of high quality – safe – eco-friendly toys that have been proven to last for years of enjoyment.
But I found that most toys like this one in the educational toy store were very expensive – and likely beyond the reach of many parents who are financially juggling 2 jobs and raising a child, along with other life expenses such as car payments, mortgage, etc.
And that’s a bummer. I think it’s a worthy challenge to not only help parents raise a family in a way that is sensitive to the environment – but in a way that is affordable as well.
Have a great day.
-Dan
Thanks for writing, Dan.
I completely understand your concern about the costs of ‘high quality’, educational toys. We actually received these Uncle Goose alphabet blocks as a gift for our twins. I apologize for not including the price in my write-up, but when I looked it up online, I discovered the price range to generally be no more than $35 US dollars.
For example: http://sbkidsco.com/UNCLE-GOOSE-Classic-Alphabet-Blocks/M/B000BW51UQ.htm
I, for one, am all about not breaking the bank when it comes to toys and nursery/playroom items. If I do make more expensive purchases, it tends to be an item that I really want to last and be around for the next generation. I could see my babies passing these blocks onto their babies – which I think is a really great thing! How often does that happen?
Anyhow, I think that parents deserve to have more good choices like this one, and otherwise the best way to find good value, is to create activities in nature – a hike in the woods, a trip to the park, an outing as a family. The best things in life are indeed free!
Thanks for reading Inhabitots and taking the time to comment so thoughtfully.
We truly appreciate your input and concern.
Best wishes,
Abigail
These blocks are adorable and I love their vintage appeal.
My 3 year old loves the color and the word PINK!
I must have those father goose ABC BLOCKS FOR MY 1 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER FOR CHRISTMAS ! WE ARE A GREEN FAMILY AND VERY CAREFUL WHAT WE BUY OUR NORAH !
THANK-YOU !
Sonja L. Batgras