When I was a child I had a friend with custom lego-like blocks, maybe 4"x6"x12"in or so. They were pretty cool, but never enough to really satisfy me. Seeing some legos on TV, I remembered those blocks, and a do-it-yourself idea occurred to me.

You can get different kind of large building blocks. ImagiBricks (also here) are the classic cardboard building blocks you'll find in finer daycare establishments; Little Tyke building blocks are nice and rounded, and look sturdy; Chicco Maxi Modo blocks look like giant Legos, as do EduShape Edu Blocks (but fancier), and the Children's Factory Soft Blocks look like fun pillows; Waffle Blocks seem like easy ways to build larger structures, the EduBlock seems particularly sturdy, and the Dusyma blocks look pretty neat too.

But I enjoy making things, so what if you just buy a bunch of cardboard boxes and make it yourself? And to make them a little more fun, add some velcro so they stick together? So here's the supplies I might imagine getting (all in inches):

• 25 (1 bundle) of 6x6x6 boxes (heavy duty): $8.00
• 75 (3 bundles) of 12x6x6 boxes (heavy duty): $32.25
• 25 (1 bundle) of 24x6x6 boxes: $10.75
• box shipping: $23
• 1 roll of 1/2inch velcro dots (1440 dots; you need about 1100): $67.00 ($59+$8s/h)

Total: $141.00

Well, it's not that cheap; about $1 a block, with shipping, which is only slightly cheaper than ImagiBricks (though the boxes are larger and include velcro). And you have to assemble them and add dots. You can draw on them, but they are brown; white boxes aren't available in the full variety of sizes. And they aren't water resistent like the ImagiBrics (which have a glossy surface), and I think Imagiblocks may have an internal structure making them stronger. And it takes 34 cubic feet to store the boxes, about a 4x4x2 foot area. You could enclose a 4x4x4 foot house-like structure with them. And of course you could leave some unassembled as replacements.

So, I'm not sure if it's the best do-it-yourself idea. But I'm sure the kids would have fun.