Thursday, December 19, 2013

Larsen Toy Labs: Sticks and Stones

To this day, I remember the centers from my Kindergarten class (hello, 80's). And of course everyone's favorite was always the building blocks. Actually, I remember a couple times that the entire class built a massive city with all of the blocks (along with a few chairs, books & whatever else we could find). By far, some of the fondest memories of my childhood. Especially since they just don't seem to make toys like they used to anymore. Or do they...

Larsen Toy Labs is the creation of Alex Larsen & his sister Courtney Larsen Keller, which was successfully funded on Kickstarter (a crowdfunding platform). Alex & Courtney have a simple mission, providing unforgettable toys that will last for generations.

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Sticks and Stones is downright magical! This 20 piece set comes with it's own tote bag & a book written by Alex Larsen himself (& illustrated by his mom, Dana Larsen).


The book takes you on the journey of a young Viking named Leif, who quickly goes from nothing to building an entire town. But what's great about this book, is that it shows you how to build what Leif is building. That really gives a whole new meaning to creative play!

Cherry blocks on top, maple blocks on the bottom.

And let's not forget the blocks. Each natural wood block has every edge individually beveled & then completely hand sanded. The maple blocks have no finish, but the cherry blocks do have a light beeswax coating on them, therefore making them stand out beautifully while building.

There's small lines & dots to use for easy measurements.

Another way Larsen Toy Labs goes the extra mile, is with free custom engraving. Every child can feel extra special by having something meant just for them. Of course this may present the issue of not wanting to share (like it did with my kids at first), but with such a wonderful product, getting more block sets is my simple solution. 

King Kong was looking for his Princess!

Aside from making blocks that have me playing with my kids like I'm their age, there are plenty of other reasons why I love Larsen Toy Labs.

•made in America
•100% satisfaction guarantee
•accepts Paypal & Amazon Payments
•responsibly harvested products
• helps develop reading, matching, memory & balance skills
•partners with Trees for the Future (a tree is planted for every set of blocks sold)

I have to say that I really am glad I discovered Larsen Toy Labs. I may even have to get my own set of engraved blocks! I'm kidding of course. Or am I...


Be sure you check out what else Larsen Toy Labs has to offer here. And don't forget to get the latest updates on Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo & Pinterest.

**Disclaimer: I received these products to try from Larsen Toy Labs & am simply sharing my personal opinion which may vary from yours. I was not compensated for this review.

9 comments:

  1. These are really cool! My children were just playing with Jenga blocks this morning, but I love these for them. Plus the book! How cute!

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  2. How fabulous!! I think my kids would love these! I am going to have to go take a look for myself! Nice to see something the kdis can get creative with!!

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  3. So cool! My daughter Nevaeh loves to build! So these blocks would be perfect for her! And I love how creative it is!

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  4. what a great learning toy, love how the book goes with the blocks they will enjoy for a long time.

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  5. Brilliant! Interactive toys are a must.

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  6. Wow what a great toy. Thanks for the review, I had never heard of this before, I will have to check these out for my kiddos.

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  7. How adorable - those are the old school lego's huh? We used to have so much fun building things with scraps from my Dad's carpentry studio - I love pieces of wood!

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  8. My boys love blocks. I love that the story inspires them to build. What a great idea!

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  9. What a great gift idea. I've never heard of them before but I'll have to check them out. My son and nephews love blocks!

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