Building blocks are a classic toy that helps infants and toddlers develop essential skills. As a parent, you want blocks that are high-quality, durable, and safe for your child to handle and mouth. Soft blocks are ideal for little hands, while certain plastics and wood blocks allow creative open-ended play as your child grows. Discover the 10 best blocks for encouraging your baby’s sensory, motor, and cognitive growth.
Advantages of Blocks in Early Development
Blocks tick all the boxes when it comes to choosing the perfect infant and toddler toy. Here are some of the key benefits blocks provide:
- Promote sensory development: Texture and shape variation help babies learn through sight and touch.
- Develop gross motor skills: Reaching, grasping, stacking all help your child gain strength and coordination.
- Build hand-eye coordination: Learning how pieces fit together teaches spatial awareness.
- Encourage problem solving: Trying to balance or stack blocks boosts critical thinking.
- Sparks creativity: Open-ended play lets your toddler’s natural curiosity shine.
The best blocks combine all these advantages into one toy that will adapt to your child’s developing abilities.
1. Lakeshore Chunky Soft Blocks – Best All Around Soft Blocks
Price range: $$
These colorful soft blocks from educational toy maker Lakeshore Learning are ideal for little hands.
- Sets of 36 or 60 blocks in fun bright colors
- Variety of shapes like circles, squares, rectangles, arches
- Different patterns and designs on each block face
- Textured dot and stripe patterns
- Lightweight soft vinyl construction
- Wipe-clean blocks with non-toxic inks
- Perfect size for small hands to manipulate
- Range of colors to inspire stacking
- Encourages fine motor skills and imaginative play
- Chunky shape great for toddlers to grip and create simple structures
These affordable larger soft blocks are a toy your child can enjoy all through infancy and toddlerhood. Lakeshore makes the highest quality educational toys built to last through every exploratory bite and drop!
Average Rating: 5 stars (2,600+ reviews)
Best For: Babies 9+ months, all toddler ages
2. Sassy Developmental Blocks – Most Developmentally Appropriate
Price range: $
The Sassy Developmental Block set has innovatively-designed blocks tailored to what kids need at each age.
- 25 pieces including soft blocks, plastic shapes, and rattles
- Vibrant colors, pictures, patterns, and textures
- Four sets in one that grow with your child!
- Newborn set: black/white, high contrast images & patterns, rattles
- 3-4 months: coral/aqua colors, tethered blocks & curved grooves
- 6 months+: non-toxic plastic blocks with rounded corners
- 12 months+: shapes sorter cube and large stacking blocks
- BPA, lead and phthalate safe
- Supports sensory, gross motor, and cognitive development
- Travel-friendly storage bag
This 4-stage block set provides engaging, developmentally-appropriate play for ages 0+. Unique design grows with your child!
Rated: 4.8/5 stars on Amazon
Best For: Babies 0-2 years
3. Edushape Rainbow Soft Blocks – Best Infant Blocks
Price range: $$
These colorful soft vinyl blocks from Edushape stand out for safety, uniqueness, and lasting appeal.
- 100% non-toxic soft vinyl
- Unique design – rainbow arch pieces connect blocks
- Bright contrasting colors appeal to babies
- Varied shapes – squares, circles, arcs, rectangles
- Easy for little hands to grip and manipulate
- Great size for toddlers too – large 4” blocks
- Lightweight construction easy to carry
- Promotes imaginative play and motor skills
- Phthalates and BPA free, safe if chewed
- Matching travel bag keeps all 36 blocks tidy
- 4.7/5 star average rating
These soft connecting arch blocks engage babies with high-contrast rainbow colors. Their unique arch design also challenges growing toddlers to build creativity both vertically and horizontally – no ordinary blocks here!
Best For: Ages 3 months to toddler
4. Hape Wooden Baby Blocks – Best Wood Blocks
Price range: $$
These Hape wooden blocks receive top marks for quality, safety and eco-friendly design.
- 40 non-toxic finished beech wood blocks
- Variety of colors, shapes and stacking ability
- Smooth, no splinter edges safe even for gums
- Abstract embossed patterns on block faces
- Open-ended imaginative play material
- Promotes motor skills, problem solving & sensory development
- Rainbow colors and shapes classification inlays
- Oeko-Tex certified non-toxic dyes & UV varnish
- Blocks stored neatly in cotton storage bag
- Environmentally-responsible construction
- 4.9/5 Average Rating (500+ reviews)
Hape makes the highest quality eco-friendly toys, and these colorful smooth wooden blocks deliver lots of open-ended play for babies through preschoolers. The storage bag helps you keep all the blocks tidy between play sessions – a parent’s dream!
Best for: Ages 12 months to 4 years
| Building Blocks | Key Specs | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Chunky Blocks | 60 pieces, soft vinyl, bright colors/patterns | $$ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Sassy Developmental Blocks | 25 pieces, ages 0-2 years, stage-based | $ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Edushape Soft Blocks | 36 pieces, rainbow archway, soft vinyl | $$ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hape Wooden Blocks | 40 pieces, beech wood, storage bin | $$ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Table: Comparison of top-rated soft and wood building blocks
5. Parum Pum Pum Developmental Blocks – Most Interactive
Price: $$
These innovative blocks engage babies like no others with sounds, textures, and bright colors.
- Electronic blocks with three play modes
- Instruments, animal sounds and phrases mode
- Activation button teaches cause/effect
- Six textured and decorated block faces
- Easy to activate sound module
- Volume control and automatic shut-off
- BPA and lead free soft plastic
- Hands-on sensory play
- Develops motor skills and problem solving
- Travel-friendly storage bag
- 4.8/5 Average Rating
B. Parum Pum Pum blocks explore cause and effect, sound association and sensory play all in one toy. Tons of ways for repetition and discovery makes these blocks toddler heaven!
Best For: Ages 9 months and up
6. Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow Stacker – Best Blocks for Toddlers
Price range: $$
This quality wooden rainbow stacker set from Grimm’s challenges your toddler’s building skills.
- Materials: select wood with water-based colors
- 10 rainbow-colored pieces
- Unique design – angular on one side, curved on other
- Promotes focus, patience, and fine motor control
- Small cube to large arch sized blocks
- Non-toxic, BPA, phthalates & lead free
- Rainbow colors help color recognition
- Shapes and patterns improve spatial skills
- Storage bag keeps all block pieces tidy
- 4.8/5 Average Rating
Grimm’s Rainbow Stacker cleverly combines color and shape skills with problem solving. Fitting together the mixed sides takes concentration – an ideal challenge for 18+ month olds. When not in use, blocks store perfectly in accompanying fabric bag.
Best For: Ages 18 months to 4 years
7. CozyBomB Baby Blocks – Safest Infant Blocks
Price: $
When safety is key, these lightweight soft fabric blocks let babies explore without worries.
- Super soft small plush blocks perfect for babies
- Cute embargoed animal faces – lion, frog, panda etc
- Multiple fabrics create various textures
- Vivid colors and contrasting patterns
- Lightweight construction reduces injury risks
- Easily washed – convenient velcro closures
- Easy for crawling babies to carry
- Promotes imagination and dexterity
- 6 Pieces – ideal number for play and sorting
- Thirty day money back guarantee
- 4.7/5 Average Rating
You can finally relax while baby plays with blocks thanks to CozyBomB’s ultra-safe fabric animal block set. Let their early block play encourage sensory and motor development minus safety worries.
Best for: 3 months to 2 years
8. Playgro Color Blocks – Best Stacking Blocks
Price range: $
These chunky plastic blocks are built for even the smallest hands to grasp and stack confidently.
- 25 colored plastic large sized blocks
- Fun bright colors and shapes like arches
- Easy for toddlers to grasp and coordinate
- Lightweight but chunky enough for stability
- Numbered blocks 1 through 10 teach counting
- Promotes balance, problem solving and motor control
- Hollow construction allows little hands to grip
- Smoothly finished, non-toxic kid safe plastic
- Supports pretend play and understanding positional concepts like on/under
- 4.8/5 Average Rating
These brilliantly simple large stacking blocks help even 12+ month olds practice critical developmental skills like counting, sorting, stacking and problem solving with confidence.
Best For: 12 months to 5 years
9. TickiT Construction Soft Blocks – Most Unique Shapes
Price range: $$
Open your little one’s mind to spacial and architectural possibilities with TickiT’s funky smoothie-shaped blocks.
- Unique “smoothie” style block silhouette
- Windows, roofs and tunnel openings
- Novel shapes spark creativity and problem solving
- Bright colors like green, yellow and red
- Fun for combining with other block sets
- Soft foam easy for small hands to manipulate
- Lightweight construction reduces injury risk
- Improves imagination and construction skills
- Promotes eye-hand coordination and dexterity
- Provides hours of open-ended play
TickIt architectural blocks will transform how your toddler interacts with and builds classic block towers and structures. Foster early STEM and problem solving skills selecting various smoothie blocks to create buildings, subways or abstract sculptures.
Best For: Ages 12 months to 5 years
10. PLAYMOBIL Baby Building Blocks – Best Realistic Blocks
Price range: $$
PLAYMOBIL brings their 4.5 star craftsmanship to these unique infant-friendly building blocks.
- Realistically modeled 3D animal blocks
- Friendly designs like ladybug, turtle and lion cub
- Vivid colors and fun textures like spots
- Varied shapes improve spatial skills
- Rounded corners and BPA/phthalates free
- Solid plastic easy for small hands to grip
- Two smooth action activity balls
- Improves fine motor skills and problem solving
- Open-ended play encourages imagination
- Carry case helps keep blocks tidy
- 4.8/5 Average Rating
Let your baby start block play in realistic style with PLAYMOBIL’s incredibly charming animal cube set! Details like friendly faces, textures and colors capture attention while improving fine motor abilities and sensory development.
Best For: Ages 6 months and up
What To Look For When Buying Blocks
With so many great options, deciding the ideal blocks for your baby or toddler depends on what skills you want to focus on. Here are key purchasing considerations when it comes to finding the right blocks for encouraging healthy development:
- Durability: Soft blocks for babies vs sturdy wood or plastic blocks for older toddlers
- Safety: Smooth finished, non-toxic materials that are BPA and phthalate-free
- Flexibility in play: Open-ended or imagination-based is best
- Skills targeted: Motor skills? Problem solving? Creativity? Buy blocks tailored to your child’s needs.
- Age range: Consider developmental stage when selecting appropriate blocks
- Budget: How much are you looking to spend? ($ to $$$)
- Extra features: Do you want blocks that make noise, have different textures or add storage bags?
By keeping these aspects in mind, you’ll discover blocks that tick all boxes! Most parents find purchasing a range of soft, plastic and wooden blocks creates an engaging assortment appropriate for progressively developing skills.
Help Baby Develop Through Block Play
A time-tested educational toy, blocks naturally inspire infants and toddlers to learn essential cognitive, motor and social skills. With so many safe, creative sets to choose from, blocks make the perfect addition to baby’s toy box while providing hours of developmental learning disguised as play! We recommend purchasing a variety from soft blocks for early mouthing and grasping progressing to wood or plastic construction blocks as spatial understanding and motor skills improve.
“The block corner was the most important part of the classroom. In playing with blocks, children learned concepts b, problem solving and critical thinking that form the foundation for later academic success.” (Early Childhood Education Journal)
Encourage little engineers, architects and imaginations waiting to be unlocked with the perfect set of blocks!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best first blocks for babies?
The best first blocks for babies are soft blocks made of fabric or non-toxic vinyl materials. Soft blocks from Lakeshore, Edushape, and CozyBomB have different colors, patterns, and textures to stimulate sensory development. These lightweight blocks are easy for babies to grip and pick up to practice their hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
When can babies start playing with blocks?
Babies can start playing with blocks for grasping and mouthing around 3 months old. Soft blocks with varied shapes, sizes, and textures help infants explore spatial concepts. Around 6 to 9 months when babies become more mobile, they enjoy reaching and picking up chunky blocks to carry or bang together while teething.
What skills do blocks help toddlers develop?
Blocks help toddlers build gross and fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving abilities. Stacking and balancing different colored blocks develops spatial understanding, concentration, planning, and patience. Open-ended block play encourages imagination, creativity, and early math concepts like counting, sorting shapes and patterns.
Should I get wooden or plastic blocks?
Both wooden and plastic blocks have benefits. Wooden blocks like Hape’s 40-piece set have smooth edges but develop fine motor skills picking up smaller pieces. Plastic blocks from Playgro are extremely durable for biting and throwing, with molded chunks easy for toddlers to grasp. Mixing materials creates varying sensory experiences.
What are the most versatile blocks for all ages?
Some of the most versatile blocks keeping infants and toddlers engaged as their abilities grow are Lakeshore’s Chunky Soft Blocks. These durable vinyl blocks have engaging colors/patterns appropriate for babies but larger sized pieces continue improving motor skills and spatial understanding for pre-schoolers up to age 5. Their wipeable vinyl construction means you can use these blocks as developmental teethers and beyond.