Basic Kit B Beech

Be sure to click on "List of Pieces" on the previous page to ascertain the contents of this kit.

The Base B Kit has a full range of pieces, including the 22 inch rectangles.  It is "chunkier" than the Base Kit A and has more big pieces and fewer small ones.   It has enough pieces to build a substantial building and includes some road planks.  At about 4-1/2 children are starting to be able to translate a picture of something into a block replica (though they are imaginative enough to create their own structures), as soon as they master the idea of a box on top of another box by planking over the first box with roof planks.  They may also start out by laying out flat constructions such as airplanes with wings or stick figures before starting to build vertically.  As time proceeds, children will now begin to integrate more fanciful stories and will employ dolls and toy soldiers.  Blocks this size also work well with small cars, and parents may wish to buy road intersections and additional road planks from open stock.  At younger ages, children will use more of the rectangles than anything else, but parents should resist the temptation to avoid the small and the more intricate pieces.  The basic rectangles are necessary and always in short supply, but these alone will not suffice.  A lot of roof planks and road planks are also important.  The small pieces are extremely useful for decoration and for adding visual interest to simple buildings.  

The hand in the picture is a prop, adult, life size and is included to provide a sense of scale (doesn't come in the kit.   We invited PurrBagg the Cat to sit there, but it was a no-go.  The kit comes with a CD-ROM containing pictures of famous buildings and a mesh produce bag for storing the blocks. By clicking "List of Pieces" (previous page) you can see a list of the contents.  If there are particular shapes that you would like to add, you can find these on the "Open Stock" page.

 Our blocks are completely unfinished.  They are too large to pose a choking hazard and satisfy the CPSC rules for children under the age of three.  The blocks are sanded Hard Maple, and children can gum them without fear of chemical finishes or oils.  Germs are another matter.  Parents will be wise to keep them away from dogs as they enjoy chewing them.  They may be cleaned with a damp sponge or sanded with a fine sandpaper, but they shouldn't be allowed to soak as they will absorb water.