Kids love to build towers and knock them down. There are so many different kinds of blocks that can be used for building (and demolishing!) great structures and you can choose a set based on what your child needs.
Building blocks are a good tool to teach children fine and gross motor skills, coordination, social and emotional development. Playing with blocks improves vocabulary, builds math skills, creativity and allows practice for problem solving which is a unique way to develop school skills while playing.
Knowing that playing with blocks can do so much to help your child’s development, all you have to do is choose a set that fits your child’s needs.
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Best Wooden Blocks: Melissa and Doug Wood Block Set
This style of building block is a classic. The pieces are simple geometric shapes that can be constructed in any way, and are painted in bright colors. If a more neutral look is your aesthetic, consider this set instead.
When purchasing wood toys it is important to choose a reputable seller to make sure the wood and sealant are good quality and nontoxic. Melissa and Doug make an excellent, durable and safe product you can always count on.
Best Soft Blocks: Soft and Safe Building Blocks
These soft blocks are some of the best out there for your young child who is just reaching the developmental milestone of grasping and stacking things. The blocks are large and easy to pick up, have soft edges, are squeezable but keep their shape and are covered in easy to clean vinyl.
They stand up to a lot of use in the library and are easy to wipe down with nontoxic sanitizers with no harm to the fabric or the colors. The only downside is you will need a bin or basket for storage.
Best Jumbo Blocks: Mega Bloks
Mega Blocks are the toddler answer to the “big kid” legos. The idea is similar, blocks that fit together, but with pieces large enough to not create a choking hazard. There are 80 pieces in this set and they come in a zip bag to help corral them together.
There are other brand name sets available, but we’ve always found these to work well and be less expensive than other brands. Plus they last forever.
Best Starter LEGO Set: LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box
Legos are the perennial classic but there are hundreds of kits out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one to start with. We like this kit the best because it offers a variety of colors and sizes as well as base plates, wheels, building toppers and some other unusual shapes that allow for greater creativity.
As an added bonus, you can store them in the brick box they come in. Because of the fine motor skills required and the potential for swallowing small pieces, they are only recommended for ages 4+ but will continue to be fun for years to come.
Best Blocks for Older Kids: KEVA Planks
Keva Planks are some of the most fun and challenging options in structure building for kids, and they are super durable and high quality and they will last for years. The planks are flat and smooth wood, with no extra frills. They require fine motor skills, creative and critical thinking and can be configured in an endless number of ways.
There is a smaller set, but this is the best one for building some truly interesting structures. The kit comes with an idea booklet with challenges and games to try and two light weight balls to try a Keva Plank run.
Because of the dexterity required to use them, they are recommended for ages 7+, and continue to be fun even for teens.
Best Blocks for STEM Learning: PicassoTile 100 Piece Set
There are a few brands out there that support STEM learning with magnetic tiles, but we really like Picasso since it offers the most bang for your buck.
The Picasso set offers 100 tiles for about the same price as the 32-piece set of the more well-known brands Magna Tiles and Magformers, and we think that’s pretty great. The tiles are brightly colored and magnetic on the edges, allowing them to be built into any structure.
Because of the magnetic edges, these can integrate into any existing kits you may have, or be added onto with future kits.