It was close enough to April 1st when I opened this box– so I figured maybe it was an April Fool’s Joke. Maybe it was for a movie promotion. But no, it really is a box (or really a canister) of rocks. The product name is Stonees from a company named Zabazoo. It comes with 50 Canadian rocks (smaller than a walnut in squarish and triangularish shapes) that have been painted. I’m all for open-ended play–but this really seems to push the envelope. Are they green because they’re rocks? Does the paint negate their greenishness? Pet Rocks revisited? Thoughts? Comments?
Stephanie Oppenheim on Toys
Thoughts on Toys from the Co-Founder of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
Hi Stephanie –
STONEES don’t have any paint on them…and they are indeed made from stone…NO plastics or trees!
They are shapes that mimic traditional building blocks with some cool contours to make them interesting to play with, and they are a great toy for open-ended building!
I stand corrected– the stones are not painted, they are, according to the company “re-bonded crushed rock” with natural pigments and then sealed with a water-based sealer. Thanks for the additional info.
My kids love them. We got them at Landbridge Toys.
http://www.landbridgetoys.com
My kids love stonees. I got them at mastermind. I like them because they are non toxic and just like legos can be used for many things. I actually bought two tubes of them so that the kids have a lot to play with. If my kids like them, I buy them. It doesn’t hurt too that they are friendly to the environment as well.
Ps. I like your site.
Is there some reason why you wouldn’t just give them some nice stones to play with? They would also be eco-friendly…I had an Aunt who painted rocks to look like animals…so maybe it’s me.
Well, one rocks can be sharp and some fall apart and are dirty and may have who knows what else in them and the paint on your Aunt’s rocks I am sure was not non-toxic when chipped and eaten (this will happen). I am sure the animals designs were cool, but I dont need to worry about anything when my kids play with stonees and because the color is part of the way I think they make it, they wont chip away. Just my thoughts.
Hi Stephanie –
This is an interesting conversation Id like to contribute to. As manufacturer of this product I should point out firstly that Stonees come in columns, triangles, crescents, cubes, rectangles as well as more creative and abstract shapes, in addition to their vivid colors of yellows and pinks and blues which mother nature also does not provide (although she may start if we keep consuming plastic at the current rate).
So, respectfully, I ask why not give your kids some pieces of scrap lumber to play with instead of wooden building blocks?
I stand behind this product not only because of the crazy love affair that 3 and ups seem to unanimously develop with it, but also because the need for alternative materials is an ever increasing necessity given social and economic trends.
Great post. I’ve been looking for this exact information for a while now. Bookmarked!