Would you like to learn how to make your own DIY Grimm’s Blocks? The process couldn’t be easier, and they’re ready overnight (including drying time). If you have bowls, unfinished wood blocks, liquid watercolors, and a place to let your Grimm’s rainbow blocks dry, then you’re all set!
Family members gave the girls countless STEM and STEAM toys for the holidays, which included building blocks. We planned to make our own rainbow-colored wooden toy blocks anyway, so when the girls got their new gifts, it seemed like the perfect time to make DIY Grimm’s Blocks.
I get a little gaga when we combine art and science activities. Or when the girls get involved in creating toys they’ll play with later. These blocks were a joy to prepare and are a kid-friendly project to do as a family. The hands-on portion of dyeing the wood blocks only took about 30 minutes or so. And then we let them dry overnight before playing with them the next day.
When I searched for the best ways to make Grimm’s-style dyed wooden blocks, I stumbled upon an array of DIY Grimm’s rainbow blocks projects our family could do together, and we are IN LOVE. Like, in actual, real life, love, I tell you. The girls play with their DIY Grimm’s Blocks on the regular and pair them with other building blocks they already own. I can’t get over the colors and limitless possibilities for play!
These blocks fit perfectly with loose parts play and sensory play activities. So rather than just being another toy to stumble around, these blocks fit into activities you may already be doing!
And below are the instructions for how to make your own DIY Grimm’s Blocks!
DIY Grimm’s Blocks ingredients
The supplies needed for DIY Grimm’s Blocks is fairly straightforward. And while you are more than welcome to spend big bucks on supplies, I bought my liquid watercolors and unfinished wood blocks on Amazon. Nothing fancy, just whatever was in budget and currently available. You’ll need:
- Liquid watercolors
- Unfinished wood blocks
- Water
- Small/medium bowls or dishes
- Trays or pans lined with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or wax paper
How to make DIY Grimm’s Blocks
The hands-on portion of making your own DIY Grimm’s Blocks takes only about 30 minutes, give or take depending on how many wooden blocks you’re dyeing and how many little helpers you have. Drying times vary but can take up to 24 hours.
- Line up several dishes or bowls that have wide enough bases to hold individual wooden blocks. Fill each bowl with the desired watercolors (this may be anywhere from 10-20 drops or more of liquid watercolors).
- Place blocks, one at a time, in desired bowls and rotate the blocks to get an even coating.
- Line dyed blocks on sheets of parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil.
- There will be natural striations and color changes as the liquid watercolors pool at the bottom of each block. For a more uniform color, plan to repeat step 1 several more times, letting blocks dry in between each round. Rotate blocks regularly during the drying process to prevent color pooling and to evenly distribute the liquid watercolors.
NOTE: Since using this recipe, we found another way to create DIY Grimm’s Blocks, using our How to Dye Wood Blocks (in 4 simple steps!)! It’s another way to dye blocks if you don’t want to mess with bowls.
Best practices for dyeing these blocks
The process for how to make your own DIY Grimm’s Blocks isn’t difficult, however there are steps you can take to make it even easier and to have more creative options!
- For faster drying, put blocks outside away from direct sunlight, weather permitting.
- Add water to liquid watercolors for pastel blocks.
- Combine colors together in one dish for tertiary or bold colors, such as red/purple, blue/green, or yellow/green. The combinations are endless.
- To create gradients on each block, dip different sides of the same block into more than one color and let the colors blend together.
- Liquid watercolors can bleed when wet, so it’s best to store these blocks in a cool, dry place when not in use. Alternatively, you can purchase wood sealant to treat these blocks once you’re finished with the dyeing process.
More hands-on activities!
If you’re on a mission to discover more screen-free activities for kids, then read on! The links below will take you to more activities everyone can enjoy!
- Sensory Play Activities for Children – Loose Parts
- Rainbow Rice Recipe – How to Dye Rice for Sensory Play
- Rainbow Sensory Trays
We’re just over here playing with our DIY Grimm’s Blocks and building to our hearts’ content. When it’s too cold to play safely outside, then we stay in and play with our blocks. And when it warms up, we just take our blocks and continue the fun outside! I literally cannot even with these. These DIY Grimm’s Blocks are seriously one of my new favorite activities. THERE IS SO MUCH YOU CAN DO. Did you catch that? There’s lots you can do with this hands-on, kid-kid-friendly project. 🙂
Spiriteds, I hope you enjoy these blocks as much as we have. I’m glad you’re here. ❤️
DIY Grimm’s Blocks
One of our family’s favorite projects, DIY Grimm’s Blocks are as fun to make as they are to play with! Unfinished wood blocks, liquid watercolors, water, bowls, and lined trays or pans are all you’ll need to create your own cost-effective sensory activity!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 hours
- Total Time: 24 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Kids’ Activities
- Method: Air dry
Ingredients
- Liquid watercolors in several colors
- Unfinished wood blocks
- Water
- Small/medium bowls or dishes
- Trays or pans, lined with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or wax paper
Instructions
- Line several dishes or bowls that have wide enough bases to hold individual wooden blocks. Fill each bowl with the desired watercolors. This may be anywhere from 10-20 drops or more of liquid watercolors.
- Place blocks, one at a time, in desired bowls and rotate the blocks to get an even coating.
- Line dyed blocks on sheets of parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil.
- There will be natural striations and color changes as the liquid watercolors pool at the bottom of each block. For a more uniform color, plan to repeat Steps 1 and 2 several more times, letting the blocks dry in between each round. Rotate blocks regularly during the drying process to prevent the color pooling and to evenly distribute the liquid watercolors.
- Once the blocks have dried, usually about 24 hours after Step 1, play and enjoy!
Notes
- Liquid watercolors can bleed when wet or transfer onto hands and fingers during extended play. If desired, coat the finished wood blocks with sealant before using.
- We have since discovered another way to dye wooden blocks, which we implemented in our blog post How to Dye Wood Blocks (in 4 simple steps!). If you don’t want to mess with bowls, this method might work for you instead!
Leave a Reply