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       Toy blocks (also building bricks, building blocks, or simply blocks) are wooden, plastic, or foam pieces of various shapes (square, cylinder, arch, triangle, etc.) and colors that are used as construction toys. Sometimes toy blocks depict letters of the alphabet like the standardized from our family collections shown above and below.

       In 1837 Friedrich Fröbel invented a preschool educational institution Kindergarten. For that, he designed ten of the 20 Froebel Gifts on building blocks principles.

• The Means And Ways of Occupation In The Kindergarten

       All woodwork must be sanded and thoroughly dried before any paint is applied. Care should be taken to see that all sharp surfaces and edges are smoothed to the touch so that a baby or small child does not get cut or poked with a splinter while playing with the blocks. You may wish to apply a primer first to your block surfaces prior to painting them depending upon the wear of their surface areas.

       After the priming coat of paint is dry, putty up all knot holes, dents and cracks, and other defects on the surface of your blocks.

Application of Paint.

       In applying the paint to the toy the first coat should be thinned. This will act as a kind of primer or undercoat for the succeeding coats of paint. Care should be taken that plenty of time is allowed between coats for the paint to dry completely. Three coats of paint will produce a good finish.
       I used a variety of enamel and acrylic paints that I already had purchased for previous craft projects. This is a great way to use up all kinds of paint that you may have tucked away in cupboards and drawers around the house. Try to use water based paints for easy, nontoxic application. I will, however, seal the painted surfaces by coating them with a wood varnish. This will help prevent chipping; wooden blocks take lots of tumbles while in use!

       Two or three coats of varnish will produce a very durable finish. The first coat of varnish ought not be quite as heavy as the succeeding coats. If the varnish is of extra heavy body it should be reduced slightly for the first coat. The best varnish reducer is thin varnish. The prepare this reducer, take one part varnish (the same varnish to be reduced), and two parts of turpentine. Shake these together well and let stand twenty-four hours before using. This will reduce the consistency of the varnish without tearing down the body as pure turpentine would. The first coat of varnish should be allowed to dry thoroughly before the second is applied.