Most people are familiar with LEGOs - those little bricks that can be used to build houses, vehicles, the Millennium Falcon, Hogwarts, or a variety of other original sculptures. We've known for ages that LEGOs are cool, and LEGO clubs have been hot programs at libraries for a couple of years now.
But Keva Planks are not nearly as well known. Actually, I'd never heard of them before starting this new job. But they're super cool! These simple wooden planks look a lot like the blocks used to play the game Jenga, but they are actually kind of ingenious in their construction. They're engineered to all be the exact same size and weight, which means that they will stack and balance perfectly. There's no need to sort a million tiny pieces because all of the planks are the same. And you can build anything!
Here are a couple of pictures of projects that I completed during our open play program. One of them was copied from the idea sheet that comes in the box, and he other was more or less my own design:
I have to say, building with the Keva Planks was incredibly relaxing. I found myself building repetitive geometric patterns and it proved soothing, much like a zen garden. It's so simple that anyone can do it no matter what their age or how shaky their hands are. And the planks have that great wood-smell too.
I'm a great advocate of just having fun with blocks like Keva Planks and LEGOs, but of course there are those who need to see that an activity like this is worth something "more." Fortunately, playing with blocks really is good for you! It's a great way for kids to learn skills in art, architecture, engineering, mathematics, and team building. Kids will literally build all of these skills without even trying as they construct new towers and sculptures with simple toy blocks.
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