Review on Premium Melissa & Doug Solid Wood 🧱 Building Set - Unleash Creativity with Standard Building Blocks by Jonathan Self

Update. I just found out they are made from rubberwood. Rubber trees are treated with fungicides that are carcinogenic to all mammals. Should have known that with all their reviews and tests failing due to lead, barium and other toxins in their paint (for children's toys), the Melissa and Doug brand would unleash a bad product around every corner. Just stick to blocks from European companies like Grimm's, Glückskafer or US companies like Community Playthings. This is safe for our babies. A few years ago I traded plastic toys for wooden toys. I did a bit of research and came across brand names like Hape, Haba, Plan Toys, Grimm's, etc. My personal favorites were German made Haba toys like the hitch toys as well as Grimm's toys which are all made in Germany. But these toys are expensive. I was wondering why Melissa and Doug toys are so cheap compared to most other big name wooden toy companies. I found that most of Melissa and Doug's toys are primarily made in China. I'm not an advocate of child labor, so that was a no. I just can't bring myself to buy toys (of any kind) for my own children when they are made by children in China who can play just like me. Rather, these children are treated cruelly, like slaves who are forced to work in horrible conditions and make toys while receiving a penny, if any, in return. In addition, I found that this brand also failed the tests. Among other things, they found lead in the paint of children's toys. So I've stayed away from the Melissa and Doug brand ever since I found out how their company works. It's not just a mom and pop business, as the name innocently suggests. Last year I wanted some neutral color blocks. These blocks continued to appear as recommendations. After searching for a long time and not finding a good alternative, I bit the bullet and bought this set. Upon arrival I examined it carefully. I am very surprised at the quality I found. Came in a box marked Made in Thailand. The box may not be the most durable, but it serves its purpose. The blocks themselves are beautiful. Not hollow and cheap but good heavy quality wood. Smoothly ground, rounded edges. Exactly what I wanted for my 2 year old. I have a six month old boy who is now handling small toys. I look forward to him playing with them all year long. My 9 year old will love them and play with them but I will be giving him precision blocks later. The kind that you can stack really really high and make it easier for you to do it. As they have rounded edges I think they are perfect for younger children who will be making little creations. While they are currently hidden waiting to be opened for Christmas I have to say I was incredibly tempted to pull them out and just play with them with my kids. They really are a five star product. I can't find anything bad about them at all. If there is a problem I will definitely contact the company and update my review here. For a company that can produce a product of this quality and manufacture it in Thailand, it is obvious that they make most of their toys in China to a lower quality. Quality because money is more important than quality. Because of this I don't think I would personally buy anything else from this company other than their architectural blocks and depending on where they are made.