Why Have a Chalk Outline When You Can Have a Block Outline?
Last month, we asked readers to share photos, videos, or stories about how they play with Uncle Goose blocks. The first photo we received was one with 86 blocks from 8 different Uncle Goose block sets.
The blocks were arranged in an outline of a child's body, laying on a tile floor. This creative approach was the brainchild of a brilliant little girl named Amelia.
Her mother explained:
"My daughter asked us to outline her. She thought it would be so fun. She was giggling up a storm the whole time. It took us about 5 minutes to outline her. We had all the blocks mixed in a bin at that time so it was easy to grab and put around her. She had to sit up and then we lifted her up to not mess up the outline."
Amelia's mom then sent us another photo. The creative child took it upon herself to outline her baby doll.
"We stacked the CHIPS on the floor, and then took turns picking one off the stack, reading the animal name, and then making an educated guess about the group name. The person who guessed correctly won the CHIP. Eventually, we will both learn all the names and then it will become a memory game, or he will make up a new version. I am eager to play with them with our five-year-old science -minded grandson. He can't read yet, but he may be able to guess with the pictures, or have someone else read the names for him. The CHIPS will spark his curiosity to learn more about the animals and why their group name is what it is."
"I have low vision, so this is a great open-ended toy that adapts to many games. We can build towers, act out animal stories, group CHIPS by color, group animals by other characteristics, use them as labels in a display of animal figures, and whatever else the children can imagine. The bonus is that the CHIPS are made of wood and come from Michigan. I absolutely love wooden toys and I was born in Michigan and lived there for the first 30 years of my life. Made in Michigan!"
