Outdoor Building Blocks

Large outdoor blocks change what building asks of a child. They carry, drag, lift, and brace, which means the limits they’re testing are their own: How far can they reach? How much can they hold?

Our outdoor building blocks for kids are handcrafted in Australia, and most are designed in hardwood to survive being dragged, stacked, and dropped, and weighted so children can move them without an adult stepping in. They’re built to hold up through sun, rain, and days left outside between sessions, though, like all wooden products, they need proper care and covered storage when not in use.

Building Skills Through Outdoor Play

Judging the weight of outdoor building blocks is guesswork until it isn’t. Children misjudge what they can lift and where it will sit, then adjust and misjudge again with a smaller margin, and that repetition is learning in real time. 

Large blocks also make solo building difficult, which pushes children into negotiation. Something has to be agreed on before it can be built, and the heavy pieces need two sets of hands.

How to Choose the Right Outdoor Building Blocks for Your Space

1. Weight and age

Solid blocks are heavier. The physical resistance is the point for older children, but younger children usually need hollow blocks, light enough to move around independently. Note that hollow blocks are not designed to be water-resistant and need covered, dry storage when not in use.

1. Material

Most of our outdoor wooden blocks are handcrafted in Australia from natural hardwoods including Acacia, Birch, Pine, Vic Ash, and Tas Oak. Hardwoods are denser and more durable than softwoods, which matters when blocks are dragged across concrete, left in the sun between sessions, and expected to last years rather than seasons.

1. Storage

A set of large outdoor blocks also needs somewhere to live. A wooden outdoor block trolley makes the difference between blocks that come out daily and blocks that stay neatly stacked in a corner.

Browse our range of outdoor building blocks to outfit your early learning environment, or contact our team for assistance.