Building a Better Block

Image: 'La tour Block Buddies' - http://www.flickr.com/photos/49462908@N00/141488559

As kids, how many of us spent an eternity building teetering towers with blocks? How many of us learned to combine letters to form sounds and words with these same blocks? Blocks are one of those universal 'toys' that provide a solid foundation for learning by allowing all children to manipulate and create.

And now, thanks to technology, a whole new generation of building blocks have emerged that will up the ante. In the following TED Talks video, David Merrill, an MIT grad student, demonstrates the capabilities of 'Siftables'. I wish I could have gotten my hands on some of these when I was a kid. Actually, I'd really love to get my hands on some of these as an adult, so that I could share them with my kids :-)

Check out Siftables, and imagine the possibilities...