Building toys make a great gift and are great for entertainment and learning!
When building with any kind of building toy, kids are exercising their fine motor skills, reasoning skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, independent play skills, imagination, and they are just plain old having fun.
Babies and toddlers can play with basic building sets in a variety of different ways, and these sets will grow with your child well beyond toddlerhood.
I’m focusing on older babies (6 months to 18 months) and toddlers (18 months to 3 years) in this post. Check out my top classic starter building toys for any age if you’re looking for more.
For Babies
Tinkerton ABC 123 Wood Blocks
Here’s a fresh take on the classic ABC Alphabet blocks by Tinkerton. The blocks are made of beech wood and use a water-based paint, so no need to worry about teething babies getting a mouthful of toxic paaint! Each block is sanded smooth and has rounded edges.
I would probably use these for monthly baby pictures to spell out the age. So CUTE!
B. Toys One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks
Our daughter has these brightly colored, textured, squeaky blocks. These were the first blocks she used to stack and even now we pull them out to do color sorting activities.
We used to really like arranging them ROYGBIV-wise and then singing rainbow songs together. Those simple days are long past and now, our daughter is into Baby Shark Dance.
But I digress.
These blocks are perfect for babies to chew on and slam repeatedly on the floor (why do they do that??!). Stack them up for your baby to knock down. You both will have a blast playing together.
There’s also an architectural version you can get HERE if you wanna get all fancy.
Mega Bloks Caterpillar Large Dump Truck
Side note: Did you know that the CAT on those big trucks is short for Caterpillar, Inc., the company that makes the trucks? I just learned that, just now when I searched for Mega Bloks dump truck.
And this dump truck is a good one. Mega Bloks are a terrific first interlocking block set and are large enough to be safely played with by one-year-olds.
The truck itself is large and sturdy and so exciting for little ones to dump out loads of blocks.
And if you need an extra load to dump, get your 80-piece set right here. There are plenty of styles to choose from including a pink set and a math set.
For Toddlers
Green Toys Build-a-Bouquet Floral Arrangement Playset
I can’t get over how cute this build-a-bouquet set is.
I see you wondering, “How is this a building set?” but indulge me for a moment, please!
You stack the stems and flowers to build your own personalized garden. If your kid is working on stacking, problem-solving, fine motor, hand-eye coordination, and using lots of imagination, then it belongs on a building toy list, alright?
I really want this for Elena because she is so into flowers right now and it is winter. No going outside to smell the roses. Maybe she’ll be satisfied with building some roses…
Picasso Tiles Magnet Building Set
Magnetic tiles have been around for a while now, but they are still some of the best building toys out there. There are a multiple brands to choose from, but my favorite are these Picasso Tiles.
So, we bought this Picasso Tiles magnet building set last year, and it totally lived up to the hype. And one year later, it still is one of the most used toys we have.
These Picasso Tiles are exactly the same as the more popular MagnaTiles but cost A LOT less!
They are clear, attractive flat tiles that can be combined in multiple ways to build 3-D structures like dollhouses, bridges, castles, or anything else you can think of!
And they are very sturdy. They’ve been played with on almost a daily basis for the last year and are still in great shape. (The “big bad wolf” has huffed and puffed and knocked down our Picasso Tile houses about 12,344,972 times. Approximately.)
This 100 piece set features 8 large squares, 46 little squares, 20 equilateral triangles, 14 isoceles triangles, and 12 right triangles. (Don’t be fooled by my smarts, I had to look those terms up!)
Make it easier for your tot to play with her new magnetic tiles by snagging one or two of these ShapeMags 12″x12″ stabilizer base plates.
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Block Set
While we’re on the topic of magnetic building blocks, you’ll want to give these magnetic wooden blocks a try.
This is a beautiful mash-up of classic wooden blocks and magnets and makes a lovely starter set for any child.
Toss these in a zip top bag and stash them in your purse for building play on the go!
Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set
Yes! Give me some Squigz! These guys are “fun little suckers” and it’s easy to see why! This is the ultimate suction cup builder (is there any other?)
Squigz connect to each other and have quite a bit of suction. They POP to come apart.
Play with your Squigz on walls, windows, in the bathtub, on your face, or on the floor. You’ll want to take these little guys everywhere!
SmartMax Start+
This is a magnetic marble and tube set that is STEAM-tastic! The Start series includes over-sized tubes and balls that are safe for younger children to handle.
The set is geared toward helping children learn about magnets. Different colored bars attract opposite colors and repel matching colors.
aGreatLife Wooden Balancing Cactus Toy
OK, so maybe it’s not a traditional building toy, but you do stack and balance things. Bright and fun colors make this an attractive and interesting toy. Additionally, this balancing cactus is a game. The goal is to attach the spikes to the cactus without it falling over.
This would be the perfect family night activity. There will be lots of giggles going around as you try to stack the cactus!
I hope this building toy gift guide was helpful as you build up your foundational toy collection. Make sure to pin it so you can refer to it later.
Also check out this classic building toys post for more toy gift ideas.
We hope you found this list valuable in your search for the best building toys. If you enjoyed, please share it on Pinterest!