Wyatt Wright wrote:

What kind of wood would be good for children's construction blocks -
Cubes, triangles, etc.

I was thinking ash or maple. I might make some by laminating two
woods with contrasing colors.

I think I'd go with closed-grain woods, so there's no place for food boogers
and bacteria to lodge. I haven't looked at ash in a long time, and I don't
recall how porous it is. Maple would be good for sure.

I will probably leave them unfinished, but is there an acceptable
finish for something that might end up in a toddler's mouth?

Shellac is food safe (they use it to varnish candy, pills, etc.) but if
you'll want to make very, very sure all the solvent has evaporated before
Jeffie chews on the blocks.

Some other good finishes are ketchup, chocolate sauce and strained
carrots.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/