From Fat Brain Toys, far and away one of the best sellers of fun, safe, educational toys, comes the Creative Toy Awards Toy Toy of 2007, Dado Cubes!
We received a set for this review, and when I pulled them out of the box and set them in the middle of the coffee table, it was a race between my 2 year old and my husband to see who could start playing with them first. Chris studied architecture in High School, and he builds furniture, so he was immediately drawn to the unique ways the cubes can be used to construct different shapes. Kaitlyn was more interested in unstacking them and then stacking them back together.
Each set has ten cubes, the smallest is one inch and the largest is five inches, and when stacked together, they make sculptures over 32 inches high. The very best thing about Dado Cubes, besides the multiple awards and the educational fun? They were developed in the U.S., the pieces are manufactured in the U.S., and the packages are assembled right here in the U.S.! There are very, VERY few toys that can make that claim these days. Hooray for Made In The USA!!!!!
As children play with Dado Cubes, they are developing their Visual Spatial Learning, which is explained this way on the site- “Visual Spatial Play refers to the ability to mentally picture things and is characterized by the ability to appreciate patterns & form in very large or small areas of space.” In other words, as your child plays with them, they see how patterns are formed and what space they can occupy.
The cubes come either in a multi-colored set, which are called the Original, or in shades of blue, we received the multi-colored. The price for either is $24.95, and if you order tomorrow, the 17th, they will most likely arrive by Christmas even if you choose regular Ground Delivery. I used the site’s shipping calculator, and if I order today, I’ll have the cubes by the 19th, for a cost of $5.64, just to give you an idea.
If you are looking for a last-minute gift idea, these Dado Cubes would be a great gift for really anyone of any age. And Fat Brain Toys has a lot of other classic toys like Erector Sets, Lincoln Logs, blocks, wood cars, and so much more. It’s one-stop Christmas shopping! I know that I’m keeping the site bookmarked for future purchases. Remember, that’s Dado Cubes from Fat Brain Toys, made in the USA!
{ 4 comments }
I think it’s great that they’re something a child and parent can enjoy together.
How would I find people or companies that have products they want reviewed? Any pointers would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Great review and awesome picture. How did you get such a great shot? Oh! It must be that NEW camera!!!
These look like lots of fun. I was just reading an article this morning – from this weekend’s USA Weekend. They were discussing how much time today’s kids spend in front of a TV or computer and the effects on the kids and their brain development. They mentioned the ‘theory of loose parts’ which means that children need to manipulate things in a 3-dimensional environment to grow their brains. Simply manipulating things on a computer screen doesn’t accomplish the same thing. So kids need toys like this.
One more thing: Make a note how Kaitlyn can stack and nest these properly. Small ones go inside large ones. This is a fleeting skill. As kids get older and really need this skill, they forget it. I notice this every time my kids put dishes away.
Pretty cool – and I’m trying to buy more things made in the USA as well. Not just for safety reasons, but for our economy.
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