Building blocks and construction toys allow children to explore their creativity, develop STEM skills, and have fun. As a parent, you want to choose the best options to support your child’s growth and development. This beginner’s guide will walk you through the basics when it comes to selecting the right building blocks and construction toys for your preschooler or grade schooler.
An Introduction to Building Blocks and Construction Toys
Building blocks and construction toys cover a wide range of products that allow children to build, stack, assemble, and create structures and designs. Here are some of the most popular options:
- Wooden blocks – Simple wooden cubes, rectangles, arches, and other shapes that can be stacked and arranged in various patterns. These help develop fine motor skills.
- LEGO – Interlocking plastic bricks that can be connected to construct buildings, vehicles, and more. LEGO kits range from simple to advanced.
- Magnetic tiles – Colorful plastic tiles with magnets embedded that allow for open-ended building. Children can be endlessly creative.
- Lincoln Logs – Notch interlocking wooden logs to build cabins and structures. Teaches architecture and design.
- ** Bristle blocks** – Plastic blocks with bristles that connect to each other on all sides without needing to line up perfect edges. Easy for small hands to join.
- Gears and mechanics sets – These teach the fundamentals of engineering, physics, cause and effect.
Construction toys are wonderful for nurturing young minds. Let’s explore what makes them so beneficial.
The Benefits of Building Blocks and Construction Toys
Playing with building blocks and other construction toys imparts many developmental benefits on children of all ages. Here are some of the top perks:
- Creativity & imagination – With no specific direction and endless possibilities, building kits allow free play and made-up stories.
- Problem-solving skills – Children learn to visualize and construct to bring their ideas to life. Trial and error develops critical thinking.
- Fine motor skills – Precision with grasping and manipulating small pieces boosts hand-eye coordination.
- Spatial reasoning – Envisioning shapes, rotation, patterns, symmetry, balance and stability in 3D space grows this type of intelligence.
- Self-esteem – Successfully completing a structure gives a great sense of accomplishment and pride.
- Collaboration – Sharing ideas and cooperatively working together toward a common goal are social skills gained.
The open-ended play associated with the best building and construction toys has many developmental upsides beyond just being fun for kids!
Factors to Consider When Choosing Building Toys
With so many options on the market, choosing the right building toys for your child can feel overwhelming. Keep these key factors in mind while browsing top picks:
Age Appropriateness
Most toys have a manufacturer recommended age range, which is a helpful guideline. Here’s what preschoolers vs. grade schoolers are ready for:
- Ages 1-3 – Large chunky blocks, snap circuits, shape sorters
- Ages 3-5 – Interlocking blocks, motorized builders, themed LEGO sets
- Ages 5-8 – More complex LEGO sets, marble runs, STEM kits
- Ages 8+ – LEGO Technic, advanced engineering and robotics kits
Safety
For little ones especially, choose BPA-free blocks with rounded edges. Avoid small parts that could pose a choking hazard for ages 3 and under.
Types of Play
Building sets that align with your child’s interests will be most engaging. Observe what types of play they gravitate to – creative, structured, fantasy, mechanical, etc.
Developing Skills
Target specific developmental areas your kids could work on – fine motor dexterity, critical thinking, self-expression, focus, etc. Look for building toys that will challenge those abilities.
Education vs. Free Play
While structured STEM building sets are great for directed education, leave room for unbounded creativity too with simple blocks and other open-ended toys. Strike the right balance for a well-rounded experience.
The Best Building Block and Construction Toys by Age
Ready to start shopping? Here are 12 top-rated building toys and kits for every age range:
For Ages 1-3 Years
- Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag – 80 chunky plastic blocks in storage bag
- Melissa & Doug K’s Kids – Wooden stacking and sorting set
- LEGO Duplo First Play Basic Bricks – Fun animals and building pieces
- PicassoTiles Magnetic Kids – 100 colorful magnetic tiles and storage box
For Ages 3-5 Years
- LEGO Classic Bricks and Animals Set – Great starter LEGO kit
- Melissa & Doug Build a Cake Toy – Velcro wooden cake toy for imaginative play
- Magna-Tiles Transparent – 32 transparent magnetic building tiles
- Birdcage Building Blocks – Interlocking wood blocks in a cute decorative bin
- PLAYMOBIL Ambulance Set with Lights & Sounds
For Ages 5-6 Years
- LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets – Vehicles, buildings or animals to construct
- K’Nex Imagination Building Set – Rods & connectors for motorized models
- Play22 Magnetic Building Tiles – Colorful magnetic tiles with storage bag
- Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! – Interlocking movement set
- National Geographic Earth Science Kit – STEM learning about crystals, minerals
For Ages 6-8 Years
- LEGO City Space Mars Research Shuttle Set – 267Pieces
- Experiment With Color Light Projector Kit by SmartLab Toys
- KiwiCo Origami Creatures – Modeling clay and paper folding activity
- Thames & Kosmos Physics Workshop by – Quality STEM engineering projects
- Roominate 3D Building System – Create wired light up dollhouse rooms
For Ages 8+ Years
- LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Scavenger Hunt
- LEGO Technic App Controlled Catamaran
- LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor 5-in-1 Creative Robot Set
- ROBOTIME 3D Dinosaur Skeleton Puzzle
- Make Your Own Remote Control Machines Kit by Thames & Kosmos
Where to Buy Building Toys
Now that you have some top building block recommendations, here is an overview of the best retailers that offer a great selection along with perks like free shipping:
- Amazon – Wide array of toy brands and kits eligible for fast shipping if you join Prime. Easy price comparisons.
- Walmart – Everyday low prices both online and in stores with buy online, pick up in store option.
- Target – Great selection of leading toy brands available for same day pick up or shipping.
- Melissa & Doug – Top maker of wooden toys offers free ground shipping on US orders over $50.
- Fat Brain Toys – Specialty toy company providing free shipping in US on orders over $39.95.
- Lakeshore Learning – PreK and early childhood products with shipping over $65 in US or over $100 in Canada
I recommend browsing the clearance and open box/damaged packaging listings on retailer sites as well. This can save you up to 50% or more on high quality, nearly new condition toys and building sets!
You may also have luck at consignment sales, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or secondhand stores finding gently used building kits and blocks at huge discounts. Be sure to thoroughly clean and sanitize anything pre-owned though.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, building toys deliver enormous developmental benefits alongside open-ended, imaginative play. Take stock of your child’s age, interests and abilities to dial in the perfect building blocks or construction toys to gift them.
Focus on acquiring a few high quality, versatile sets that will grow along with your child over time. Simple options for younger kids make way for more complex building as they age. No matter what options you end up choosing, the hours of enjoyment and learning gained make building toys well worth the investment into your child’s growth!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the safest building blocks and construction toys for toddlers?
For little ones, choose large pieces without small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Avoid toys with toxic materials and edges that could be sharp. Excellent toddler options are chunky, BPA-free blocks, soft bristle blocks, and interlocking wood toys from reputable brands.
What skills do construction toys teach?
Building kits teach critical developmental skills like creativity, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, motor skills, and cooperation. Structured STEM toys specifically build skills in engineering, physics, cause and effect relationships, and early programming.
How do I choose age appropriate building blocks?
Most toys list the manufacturer recommended age range which provides helpful guidance matched with developmental stage. However, you know your kids best. Opt for toys just beyond their current skill level to gently challenge their progression.
Which building blocks brand is the best?
For early builders, Melissa & Doug, Lauri Toys, and Play22 make wonderful wood and magnetic tile sets. For structured building, LEGO, Playmobil, and PLAYMOBIL are high quality and durability. Open-ended toys like Magna-Tiles, Construx, ZOOB also rate very well.
Where can I buy discounted building kits and blocks?
Check retailer clearance sections, Facebook Marketplace, consignment sales, thrift stores, and eBay for open box items or gently used condition at steep discounts. Warehouse clubs like Costco often carry building kits for less too.
What is the best way to organize tons of Lego pieces or building blocks?
Use containers and storage bins with divided compartments labeled to neatly sort by color, theme, or brick/piece type. Old takeout containers, tackle boxes, bead organizers all work great. Displaying creations on shelves is key too.
How do I clean used building toys from consignment or thrift shops?
Inspect carefully for missing pieces first. Then soak in hot water with dish soap and vinegar to sanitize. Use an old toothbrush to scrub. Disinfect with diluted hydrogen peroxide. Allow to fully dry before use. Wipe down boxes with disinfecting wipes.