A house we rented for the summer stood at the brink of the woods. Each evening, deers came to our house. Kids built a deer’s head after a real one. It’s a pity we didn’t have enough waffle buidling blocks for the whole body.
I don’t remember for how long we had this Malysh building set. It’s an interesting one, it’s more like a Gakken than Plus Plus, but also it’s unique in its own ways. It’s hard to buy right now, which is a pity.
Gakken brand appeared in Tokyo back in 1946 when it became an important component of Japan’s post-war efforts to rebuild the nation. Back then, it became incredible important to properly raise a new generation that will be able to create a better future.
The founder and educator, Hideto Furuoka, created first Gakken waffle buidling blocks. He later told that his inspiration was traditional Japanese wooden houses. There he saw an idea of flat blocks people can took apart and rebuild again when they need to. So he decided to create a toy which repeats this principle. Children can connect waffle blocks, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.