UCB Parents Recommendations: Where to Buy Cardboard Bricks
Advice and recommendations from the UCB Parents mailing list.
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We got ours about 8 years ago from the Lillian Vernon catalog (although
there were a total of 24 bricks in 3 different colors: red, blue, and
green). They've held up well.
Wendy (6/99)
Mr. Mopps in Berkeley. -- Bob (6/99)
www.backtobasicstoys.com
-- Alexis (6/99)
We got them from Lily's Kids catalog. My son got them when he was 1.5
or 2 yrs and still plays with them constantly at 4.
They are the only thing I would buy from Lily's, however. Anything
else we have bought has been trash, broken within hours of receipt or
just shoddily made.
Linda (6/99)
Lilly's Kids catalog carries a 9x4x2 brick at 24 for $9.98 or 48 for $16.98.
To get a catalog call 1-800-545-5426. They also list a website address of
www.lillianvernon.com
Kathy (6/99)
I bought some for our kids through Lily's Kids an offshoot of Lillian
Vernon's mail order catalog business. They are very sturdy, now in four
colors!, and a big hit.
Good Luck,
Carlene (6/99)
Another alternative to buying the cardboard bricks is to make your own. I
have made at least a hundred by buying all of our milk in cardboard half
gallon cartons. Once you have finished the milk, you need to rinse them out
so there is no milk left. I generally rinsed them with vinegar after the
water rinse just to be sure I got all the milk out (if you don't get them
clean they will eventually smell). Then open the entire top spout and cut
along the line so you have removed the top spout portion, and have a box with
one opening. Air dry completely and once you have two empty clean and dry
boxes you can slide one into the other. Slide them together by putting the
openings together and push one box into the other, so they are reinforced
with a bottom of the milk container on top and bottom of your block. I have
known other people to do this and cover all the blocks with contact paper for
a more uniformed look but that is a lot of extra work and my kids liked the
block just fine as is. There are just about the same size and weight as the
"brick" blocks you can buy, and you can keep adding to your collection. Mine
have lasted years.
(June 1999)
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