Fantasia Building Blocks Castle

Details

Fun soaring heights or scapes, this new set of uniquely shaped blocks is already a best seller and award winner. The patterns are great fun and fantastical. 26 pieces in this kit mean plenty of interesting building choices for young architects, practicing engineering skills. 

An excellent Early STEM toy, the unusual shapes encourage children to experiment and interact with balance and force as they learn which shapes might balance on others. The innovative colors and designs are sure to make this a favorite blocks set.

Solidly constructed of wood from sustainably managed forests, the Fantasia Blocks Castle is the proud winner of the 2010 Parent's Magazine Top Toy of the Year Award.

ECO-FRIENDLY TOY
SIZE:16.5" x 3.5" x 7"
AGE RANGE: 2 - 5 years
AWARD: 2010 Parents' Magazine Top Toy of the Year Award

Developmental Value

Why do so many classrooms have a large set of blocks? Because blocks are one of the most flexible toys that provide learning for underlying fundamental brain power. Many consider them to be the first actual set for STEM learning.

When considering a build of any sort, children initiate planning and problem-solving skills. Problem-solving activity develops cross-brain thinking skills. Effective problem solving requires a mixture of both logic (left-brain activity) and creative (right-brain activity) thinking. Good problem solvers switch from one set of skills to the other. This is not always easy but becomes easier with problem-solving practice.

• Logic (analytic) thinking develops through ordering the pieces, comparing them, contrasting them, evaluating them and selecting the correct piece. The child must select the best alternative from the options available by narrowing down the range of possibilities.

• Creative thinking is developed when a piece doesn't fit because the child must consider a broader set of solving options such as manipulating the piece, flipping the piece, considering the alphabet order, or solving surrounding pieces.

When considering a building challenge, children draw on imagination or mental image forming in mind. Working with friends, a child may build something another child imagines, helping build something he never considered.

There are strong mathematical fundamentals at play such as length, measurement, comparison, number, estimation, symmetry, and balance.

There are strong science and engineering fundamentals at play when children test hypotheses and build scientific reasoning in construction.

Social skills are bolstered as children learn to share materials, develop new friendships, take turns, stay focused, cooperate with others, all leading to the development of self-esteem.

Manufacturer

Hape toys, headquartered in Switzerland, are designed first and foremost for children. Each product is developed to enhance a child’s developmental skills. Hape believes that the future begins and belongs to our children. It is our duty to leave today's children with infinite possibilities, not unsolvable problems.

Hape's toys are created to inspire play, learning, and exploration of the world in which we live. Through responsible business practices, Hape aspires to leave the world in a better condition than it is now. All Hape products sold in North America meet or exceed all applicable safety standards. Hape's toys stimulate children through every stage of development and help nurture and develop their natural abilities.