We recently had a big storm come through our area and it knocked a pretty good sized tree branch down from our walnut tree in the front yard. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to make nature blocks out of a branch that would otherwise be discarded!
This is such a simple project and Noah absolutely loves playing with these blocks! We have blocks of varying thicknesses and widths from using most of the branch.
It’s so much fun to watch Noah play with these. He has a great imagination and we make everything from train tracks to construction sites out of them! He loves to use his diggers and dump trucks to carry the “logs.” He also drives his trains over them. There are so many creative ways to use these!
Here’s how you can make a set of your own. First, find a branch (or even multiple branches from different types of trees would be great). Next, use a circular saw to cut different lengths. Lightly sand any rough edges. Then just spread out the blocks so that they have a chance to dry out. Final step: play! Really couldn’t be any easier!
A few of ours did crack as they dried, so it may have been better to let the branch dry for a few weeks before we cut it, but I was too impatient for that.
We’ve had tons of fun with these blocks and perhaps the best part is that they were FREE!