Building on the Past: Block Safety and History

A gentleman wrote to us recently, fresh from his archaeological expedition into the depths of his attic. Amidst the dust bunnies and forgotten treasures, he found some old ABC blocks from the 1920s.

So, the man asked us if they were Uncle Goose Blocks. The answer, of course, was a hard no. We weren’t even around back then! Your Uncle Goose first started stacking up the fun in 1983.

But wait! We had worse news for our intrepid explorer!

When our attic spelunker asked if his ancient artifacts were safe for play, we had to deliver the hard truth: “Probably not!” Lead paint was the bee's knees back in the day, and safety standards were lax to the max.

The 1920s were the Wild West of toy making. A little lead added lasting color, but safety? Not so much!

At Uncle Goose, we take safety seriously. And we always have. All our colorful blocks are printed with safe-to-touch inks. If you treat the blocks with care, they’ll last generations!

Maybe in the year 2124, someone will be playing with a set of Uncle Goose blocks we made today. After all, we build our toys to last. Our blocks are heirloom toys and decor that get passed down from generation to generation.

Plus, Uncle Goose blocks are super easy to take care of! Follow these three easy rules for block longevity:

1. Keep the blocks away from babies under two
2. Keep the blocks dry
3. Keep the blocks away from dogs

Let’s address rule number one, shall we? You’ll note that our packaging says our blocks are for ages 2 and up. This sometimes makes people say, “Wait a minute! If Uncle Goose blocks are so safe, how come my baby can’t play with them?”

The answer is that babies under two are notorious for putting everything in their mouths. However — wooden blocks aren’t teething toys.

This leads us to rule number two: keep the blocks dry. Human drool can warp wood in no time flat. You don’t need even teeth to wreck a block: saliva will do the job every bit as well!

For the same reason, Uncle Goose blocks aren’t bath toys. Sure, they float. Of course! They’re wood! But blocks and bubble baths definitely don’t mix!

If you accidentally get your blocks wet, wipe them dry with a soft, clean cloth and hope for the best. Don’t put them in the oven or the dryer, either—that's a disaster! Let your blocks air dry.

And if water damage destroys a block or two — don’t despair. We have a replacement block program for just such an emergency. And since dogs are the number one culprit for destroying Uncle Goose blocks, we refer you to rule number 3.

Oh, wait. There’s another rule, too. Don’t throw your blocks out the car window, like one tot recently did. According to their mom, the little one wanted to see if one of their Planet blocks would go into orbit! (Spoiler alert: it did not.)

Uncle Goose blocks are for building bridges, not for teething troubles or rub-a-dub-dub time. So, let’s dial down the licking, chewing, and bathing to zero. And let’s crank up the creativity to eleven!

Happy building, growing, and learning!