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This is a counting-and-stacking toy, and the whole project is really about volume: five sizes of block, dozens of each, cut from the same handful of 2x2 boards. Sand the boards before you cut them into blocks, not after — it's dramatically faster to run a sander down one long board than to individually sand a hundred small cubes, and the edges come out more consistent too.
Because these are meant to go in a small child's hands and mouth, finish matters more than usual: use a food-safe oil or leave the wood raw and unfinished rather than reaching for a standard wood finish. The storage tray is sized after the fact, not before — stack the finished blocks, measure the actual outside footprint of the stack, and cut the tray 1/8" larger than that so the blocks drop in and out easily.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ft | 5 each |
| Plywood, 1/2"16" x 16" — the storage tray bottom. | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ftTray frame. | 1 each |
| Food-safe finishing oilOr leave the blocks raw and unfinished — this is a toy young kids will mouth. | 1 each |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks, size 1 (largest)Pine | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 7 3/4" |
| Blocks, size 2Pine | 12 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 6 1/2" |
| Blocks, size 3Pine | 20 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 5 1/4" |
| Blocks, size 4Pine | 28 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 3 3/4" |
| Blocks, size 5 (smallest)Pine | 36 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" |
| Tray bottomPlywoodCut 1/8" larger than the stacked blocks' actual outside dimensions — measure your own stack, don't trust a fixed number. | 1 | 1/2" × 16" × 16" |
Buy 6 boards at 8 ft.
5 boards
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Sand all five 2x2 boards well before cutting anything — it's far faster and more consistent to sand a full-length board than a hundred individual little cubes afterward. Then cut the blocks to the five sizes in the cut list. Setting up a stop block on your miter saw pays for itself many times over on a cut list this repetitive.
Stack all the blocks into the finished pyramid and measure the outside footprint of the stack — this is what actually determines your tray size, not a fixed number from a plan.
Cut the plywood tray bottom about 1/8" larger than the stack's measured outside dimensions, so the blocks drop in and lift out easily. Cut the 1x2 frame pieces to fit around it, mitering the corners, and attach.
Apply a food-safe finishing oil to every block and the tray, or leave the wood raw — either is appropriate for a toy a young child will handle and mouth.
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