Another very interesting set of toys you can make for the younger members of your family, is a set of building bricks and blocks. For this purpose, plane up several lengths of wood,½ inch by ¾ inch, and cut them off in lengths of 2 inches. Cut off any number you please, from 200 to 400. These are for whole bricks. Then cut off about 100 of 1 inch long. These arc for half bricks. Then you want some smooth pieces of the same thickness to form the foundation of your building; and to bridge over windows and doors, cut about 30 or 40 pieces, some 4 inches, others 6 inches and 8 inches respectively; some triangular pieces for the gable-ends of the house; and some long, lighter pieces, according to the length of the house to be built, for rafters. The roof can either be made with card cut out in the imitation of slates, or light pieces of wood, to the under upper edge of each a tiny block must be glued, so as to give it support on the rafters. The lower ridge must first be laid, then the second, and so on; the top ridge must be made of V-shaped pieces, the angle of which is to be placed uppermost. Doors and windows can be made, and fixed in small frames to be put in the proper places in the brickwork. The doors can be made in panels, or can be of a plain piece of wood on which the panels are merely lined out. The windows can be made of glass squares, over which cardboard sashes are pasted, or the frames can be made in wood, and the squares of glass inserted. All these points of detail can be carried out according to the taste and the time you have at your disposal.

From our own experience a set of building bricks has formed one of the most lasting and instructive toys in use.

Blocks may be cut to build arches, bridges, and ornamental buildings, to any design or size.

When completed, make a box that will just contain all the pieces belonging to one set.