Italian Courtyard Wooden Blocks | 59 Pieces | SABO Concept

Elena and Dmitriy of SABO concept in Poltava, Ukraine make block sets from linden or birch with water-based paint — no plastic, nothing toxic — because they're designing for children and they take that seriously. This Italian courtyard set has 59 pieces: houses with windows, stairs, arches, columns, plates of different sizes, and a miniature replica of Antonio Canova's statue "Dancer." The set weighs 2 kg, measures 26 x 20 x 9 cm, and is built on their principle of balancing minimalism with sophisticated lines and colors — things you don't just look at, but feel. For kids 3 and up.

First assembly: your kid places one arch, then another arch, then announces they're building Italy. You don't correct them. By afternoon the courtyard has a second story that defies physics and a staircase that leads to the bookshelf. The Canova statue presides over a trial involving the stuffed giraffe. An hour later the arches are a spaceship launch pad and Italy has been relocated to the rug by the window. The columns stay exactly where they were because those are load-bearing and cannot be moved under any circumstances, a rule your kid made up and will enforce.

• 59 pieces: houses, windows, stairs, arches, columns, building plates
• Includes miniature figure of Canova's "Dancer" statue
• Made from linden or birch with non-toxic water-based paint
• Set dimensions: 26 x 20 x 9 cm (10.23 x 7.87 x 3.54 inches)
• Weight: 2 kg
• No plastic anywhere in the set
• Designed and made in Poltava, Ukraine by SABO concept
• Columns have been lobbied for Historic Landmark status by a coalition of three stuffed animals
• Recommended for ages 3+