Here are three well-designed toys:
- Castle Building Blocks (133 pieces), $139.00, Peter Dziulak at Mahar Drygoods. The most beautiful building block set I have ever seen.
- Melissa & Doug Cutting Food Set
, $19.95, Oliebollen.com. Great idea, although some kids will turn the little parts into projectiles (or eat them). Know your child.
- My USA Puzzle Map, $45.00, Spoon Sisters. I love soft puzzles (they also have one for the solar system, with Pluto *sniff*). I also like how Maine, Vermont, etc. are just one big orange blob; being from the South, that’s how I think of them too.
We have those wooden food pieces that you featured. They have them at Target, too, for about the same price. You’re right about some of them being too small. I had to remove the smaller pieces because they are definately choking hazards. The bigger pieces are fine, though, and my kiddos love playing with them.