Back to Blocks

What products are listed for this advertiser?

American Made Building Block Sets, and Made in the USA Wood Building Blocks.

Back To Blocks is a family owned and operated business located in Kaysville, Utah, U.S.A. We handcraft and sell wooden building blocks for children. Here's a little bit about who we are and what our business is all about.

BUILDING A BUSINESS ONE BLOCK AT A TIME

Owner of Back To Blocks Back To Blocks Owner





In 2010 we (Miriam and Craig Sheffield) made a set of wooden building blocks for our grandson. We had made wooden blocks for our own children when they were young and wanted to share this fun family toy with the next generation. That Christmas we also made a set for a neighbor who has 3 little boys. The day after Christmas, the neighbor commented that the only toy her kids wanted to play with on Christmas, was that set of wooden toy blocks. The Sheffield's son found his child loved the blocks too and he suggested that they look into making some of these sets to sell. Starting a business had never been in our plans, but with a little encouragement and a lot of research, the journey began to becomeBack To Blocks.

This was a family effort involving all five of their children. Each one helped with some aspect- marketing, engineering, logo design, planning and production. We even had a lively family discussion over possible business names.

It all started in a wood shop in the garage. We experimented with different species of wood, different shapes, sizes and styles of wooden blocks sets and by summer 2011 we were ready to launch a business. Soon the business moved to a shop and the blocks started to stack up.

As we started to develop our products there were 3 key items that were important to us. Our product had to be natural, it had to have make-sense packaging, and most of all it had to be affordable and contain enough blocks that kids love playing with them.

Our grandson who received the blocks was only 1year old at the time. So we knew that these would most likely end up in his mouth. So we knew our product had to be natural and safe. We didn't want to include any paints or dyes or coatings that could be potentially be toxic. We frequently have parents email us asking if our products contain any toxins. The answer to that question is no, never, nothing but plain, natural hardwoods are used in any of our products.

Another important consideration was to have a make -sense packaging. Many block sets are sold in a crate where they have to be put away in a certain order. Often it is mom who then has to put them away. This can discourage moms from wanting a great educational toy like blocks. So our storage container had to be mom and kid friendly. Blocks are a toy that you want to dump out and so clean up had to be easy. The buckets we use are bright colored, easy to open and kids can just throw the blocks in when they are done. Moms are always commenting how much they love the buckets.

The final consideration, and probably the most important, was to provide a lot of blocks for an affordable price. As we did research on block sets we found that many block sets contain few blocks or larger sets are so highly priced they are unaffordable for many families. Children will quickly become disinterested in a small block set that limits their creativity, or doesn't one have enough to share. We feel strongly that blocks are an essential educational toy and that every home should have a set of blocks. So we set out to make this possible for families on all budgets. Our business motto soon became We provide a lot of blocks, in a bucket, at an affordable price.

We feel as our world grows increasingly high-tech, many children are not developing their natural creativity. So many toys today are entertaining, with batteries, bells, and whistles, but are children able to creatively play with them? Even building sets like LEGOs usually come in a specific set with detailed instructions on how to build a certain item. Yes, kids love building them, but have we eliminated their ability to create, think, even learn how to problem solve? Wooden blocks are the perfect toy for building on children's natural creative abilities. Every family or classroom should own a set of BLOCKS!!!

We are committed to providing a safe, durable, natural, quality product. Our blocks are made from natural hardwood and have no paints, dyes or stains. We use poplar, a beautiful hardwood that comes naturally in a variety of color variations. It can range from white to greenish to purple. It is light, sturdy, and affordable.

Our blocks have been tested and meet all safety requirements for children's products, in accordance with ASTM 963-08, as required by the CPSIA. We guarantee our products and will replace any of our wooden building blocks that crack or split through normal use.

We want to provide these natural wooden blocks for you and your family or classroom. So turn off the TV and video games, dump out the bucket, and watch the creativity begin! Spend time creating with your child and remember what fun you had as a child with blocks just like these VINTAGE WOODEN BLOCKS!!!

It's been a fun and challenging adventure. Miriam says her favorite part of the business is hearing from customers who love to see their kids get away from technology and use their imaginations... Albert Einstein said Imagination Is Everything. We couldn't agree more! Playing with blocks is a great way to stimulate your child's natural imagination. So we hope everyone will get Back To Blocks!



The following is a reply from Back to Blocks to our question – "Are your products Made in America?"

How do you know the products you have listed are Made in the USA?
Before including products in our database we review the advertiser’s website and/or contact them to ascertain the origin of their products. Some advertisers sell both Made in USA products and foreign ones. Therefore we highly recommend you review FAQ 2.

We immediately investigate any complaints regarding deceptive Country of Origin claims. If we determine an advertiser's claim is not truthful we will immediately remove the product/s from our database and suspend our relationship with the Company making the claim.

To document your complaint, email us by using our Contact Us page. We can only respond to complaints that have been submitted in writing.

What does Made in USA mean?
There is no law requiring most products to be labeled Made In USA, or have any other disclosure about the amount of U.S. content. However, for job creation purposes (see our Big Secret tab), if you have a choice between an imported product and one with no country of origin on its label, choose the product without a country of origin over the imported one. This is true because the product without the country origin on its label has at least some American labor in its content and the imported one most likely does not.

Note: Imported products are required by law to country of origin on their label and products partially Made In USA do not. To answer this question completely reviewing our Labeling Tips 1, 2 & 3. These tips are accessible from scrolling to the bottom of our home page clicking Browse All Tips button.