Looking for an open-ended building set that is green and fun to play with on the coffee table? Check out the new sets of Citi Blocs. Read our review.
Pick of the Day: Citi Blocs
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Pick of the Day: CitiBlocs Hot and Cool Colors
Citibloc Hot Colors
Last year CitiBlocs rolled out with basic sets of naturally colored wooden slate pieces– no Star Wars themes here or intricate step-by-step instructions– just wonderfully open-ended building supplies to create whatever is on your child’s mind on any particular day. Citiblocs got a lot of credit in our book for delivering a quality product at a much lower price than their more pricey competitors and they were rewarded by shelf space in major stores and a boat load of awards (including ours).
New for this year, they have brought out new colored sets–Cool Colors (blues and greens) and Hot Colors (pinks and yellows).
CitiBlocs Cool Colors
Each color has two sizes. They have the same open-ended concept but with an infusion of color. Many of the wood toys we’ve reviewed this year have been poorly executed–chipped paint or rough edges have been more the norm—so we were especially happy to find that these new Citibloc sets have a high quality level. The colors are saturated into the wood– rather than painted on- so there isn’t the same chipped-paint issue here.
This type of open set is really best suited for older 4s and up. It takes more fine motor skills and dexterity than regular wooden unit blocks. I love the idea of putting these in a basket in the family room and letting everyone dabble while they’re talking, watching tv and hanging out together. Citiblocs is a great parent/child project–and you’ll find yourself taking a turn even after the kids go to sleep.
For hardcore LEGO builders, the open-endedness of these sets may be frustrating and overwhelming at first. There are suggested builds that come with the sets (but not step-by-step instructions)–that may make them settle in and feel more comfortable.
Best Green Toy of the Week: Citiblocs (Addictive on the coffee table)
Sometimes we get toys that are marketed to kids and yet we find that almost every grown-up that comes near them just starts playing with them. Since playing is good at any age, I feel it’s very important to write about these types of products. You may remember that the magnetic building sets that burst onto the market several years ago had that appeal – making them a great choice to just have on the coffee table for some open-ended play time for anyone so inclined. Research also indicates that type of activity for adults is great for keeping those brain neurons firing.
This year’s winner in this category is Citiblocs by Citiblocs. At first you might think a box of equally- sized precision cut wooden pieces wouldn’t be that enthralling – at any age…but once you get building, it’s just fun to see how many different variations you can make. The pieces are very smooth and are made of Radiata Pine from certified renewable forests in New Zealand – making them not only fun, but onto our Green Toy list as well.
Each set comes with ideas for building…they are marked 3 & up, we’d say more like 5 & up and & up and & up!
One of our tester moms (an architect) — LOVED this product. Somehow we knew she would.