Wooden Cube Storybook Puzzles

Parents and Grandparents are often looking for good, educational gifts. Wooden block storyblock puzzles are some of the best, and most popular, toys for toddlers, and per-schoolers. The cubes are just the right size for small hands, besides they like the colorful pieces.

Toddlers love to pick things up, to try to build things, and to play with colorful interesting toys. This Toddler wooden block puzzle has been a favorite for 4 of my Grandkids-2 of them as Toddlers, and 2 as young children. For over 12 years it has satisfied their need for independent play, and my desire for them to have fun while learning.

In this article you will find several ways that these puzzles help teach your child many different developmental skills and motor skills. You can even get ideas of what to do with the blocks when a child, or the dog, chews one of the pieces.

All Images Copyright: Kathy McGraw

Older Toddler's puzzles have more pieces and they are better at putting them together.

Many children have a lot of toys, some have just a few. But regardless of how many they have they can become bored. This Video gives a couple really good tips for preventing the toy from becoming boring. I know I have used these tips for all my children, and for the Wooden Puzzle it is always "new" because the children don't live with me, nor come over every week.

I love educational toys, and interactive ones. Several years ago I was looking for that "something special" toy for my 3 year old grandchild. You know, that something that would entertain them, be fun, yet wasn't the same toy that could be found on every shelf of every store. Something special that would last.

I saw these Wooden Block Storybook Puzzles, in a nice wooden box and loved the picture, so I bought it. It has 30 different blocks with a puzzle piece on each side. I loved the idea it was wooden so would last, and that it came in it's own wooden box with one of the puzzle pictures glued onto the front. It also looked like something I would enjoy helping my grand daughter master.

You know, we do buy what we like!

There are several different activities you can play with the wooden blocks from your puzzle as your child progresses in skills. Here are just a few.

1. Recall/Memory: Turn blocks over and tell child-Find me a Rabbit. Find me a Duck.

   Depending on the age of your toddler you can have as little as 3 cubes for the young 2's, up to using all of them for the older 3, 4 and 5 year olds.

2. Learning and Re-enforcing Colors: What color is the rabbit? What color is the Duck? Once your child has learned the basic colors you can have them "tell" you the colors, however when they are learning you can ask them, is the duck blue? What is blue...and show them. Is the duck yellow...yes the duck is yellow. Good for whatever age you start teaching colors...usually around 2 or 3.
3. Counting: How many blocks did you use to make that fox? Young 2 year old's grow so fast in their skills it's amazing. By the time they are 2 1/2 they should be able to do basic counting that is not memorizing (like the alphabet song...(they repeat it, but don't really know the alphabet).With repetition they learn very quickly and can tell you how many cubes they used to make the fox.
4. Fine Motor Skills/Sensory Processing: Let's trace the tree with our fingers. This activity is one you will do with them once they learn how to follow simple directions around 2.
5. Creativity and Gross Motor Skills Let's jump over the ball like the fox jumped over the tree. Let's hop like bunnies and go find something to eat. This one is fun as kids love to hop and jump and again it depends on your own toddler. You will know when it is appropriate for your child.
6. Speech and Language Skills: Make up a story together about the pictures of the puzzles: This one is usually for older 2's on up. You can make it as simple or complex as you would like. You can take a couple of the blocks, or a whole puzzle and tell a story about it. Or you can ask them fun questions, but make them open ended ones nothing where they say just yes or no!

Kids love Fairytales, and this wooden cube puzzle with 9 blocks lets them make different ones.

Melissa & Doug are known for their wooden toys for toddlers. These pattern blocks are no different. The 2 piece block puzzles that make sounds require batteries...3 AAA ones.

Supervision recommended for certain ages and development

Wooden toys have their own safety hazards. As with all toys, knowing your child's habits will determine the amount of supervision needed for fun and safe play.

While I was writing this, I had taken the pieces out of the box and forgot one on the floor. This is what is left of our great puzzle after my dog finished chewing it! The only good thing about this is it reminded me that these wooden blocks

ARE NOT SAFE for teething Toddlers without supervision!

Anyone have any good ideas, please add them here ( regular guestbook further down on page). What would you do with a puzzle that is missing one of the pieces? How would a Toddler still use Wooden Cube Puzzles that don't have all the blocks?