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Whether you have an eager architect in your house or just need to keep little hands occupied, building toys are a perfect addition to any toy box. The beauty of our top-rated sets is that as your child's motor skills and imagination increase, so do the building possibilities. For a perfect holiday gift, check out these five superior sets for your budding builder. — Kate Bayless
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Magna-Tiles - $32-$120
Magna-Tiles won top honors from our kids and adult testers alike for their ability to encompass a wide age span and provide lots of building versatility. Internal magnets around the perimeter of each shape allow the pieces to connect together to form as many objects as you can imagine. The Standard and Clear Kits allow for constructing a variety of 2-D and 3-D shapes, while the Deluxe Kit adds some unique pieces like curves, doors and a wheeled base for even more possibilities. Their tagline — "where math, science and creativity meet" — proved true as we used Magna-Tiles to learn patterns, shape recognition, magnetic force, building and motor skills. The Magna-Tile website also includes lots of great age-appropriate activity ideas for kids ages 3 to 9 — though I can vouch that even my 2+ year old found endless hours of fun with them. Another benefit? The magnets make clean-up a breeze.
Get it from Magna-Tiles.com.
Get it from Amazon.
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ZOOB - $10-$45
An adaptable and open-ended toy, ZOOB is a 3-D construction set that consists of five connector shapes that allow for more than twenty different connection combinations. The unique ball-and-socket design allows kids to create moving limbs, swishing tails and turning cars, so that kids can play with their building creations, not just look at them. Available in sets of fifteen to 500 pieces, there is a ZOOB for every price range and skill level. For builders age 3-6 years, we highly recommend the ZOOB JR. which offers smaller sets and larger pieces (easier for little hands to snap together). More advanced builders can show their skills with ZOOBMobile sets, the remote control ZOOBMOVER or the crafty Creator's Kit. A bonus: the product doesn't have any of those tiny connector pieces that could prove a choking hazzard to younger siblings.
Get it from Infinitoy.
Get it from Amazon.
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Chicco Flip N Play Table - $40
For the baby builder in your house, check out the Chicco Flip N Play Table for teaching early building skills. This 2-in-1 table top with twenty accessory pieces has a construction side with oversized fit-together blocks and an activity side that includes a noise-making train, a shape sorter, a telephone and other buttons and knobs to keep little hands busy. The top flips over easily to switch activities and all the pieces are conveniently stored in the table's base. Standing thirteen inches off the ground, this table is the perfect height for new standers and offers lots of independent play activities for the one-year-old crowd.
Get it from Amazon.
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LEGO/Duplo – $9.99-$200
A building review would not be complete without the wide variety offered by Duplo and LEGO. For the younger set (2-5 years), Duplo bricks offer all kinds of construction possibilities. Check out their products page to see all available sets, from traditional bricks sets, Duplo Dino and Thomas to Bob the Builder, Princess Castle and more. Older builders will be drawn to themed LEGO sets, including Indiana Jones, Space, Batman, Star Wars, Bionicle, Vikings, Sports, Racing and too many more to list. The benefits of Duplo/LEGOs? They are nearly indestructible, easy to find in stores, available at a variety of price points and provide lots of versatility for builders young and old.
See all the varieties at the Lego and Duplo sites.
Get the Ultimate Lego Duplo Building Set from Amazon.
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Tinkertoys - $10-$32
It was a trip down memory lane for us when Tinkertoys arrived on our front step. This nostalgic building set for ages 3+ is just as we remembered, with primary colored rods, connectors and wheels, along with some new additions like flags, robots arms and a face plate. Rolling-wheel cars, space ships and robots are some of our favorite constructs. The pieces are fairly strong, though some of our young testers did manage to break pieces when rods turned into drum sticks on the dining room table. For slightly more durability, building set options and a higher price tag, check out the plastic BIG Builder Kit, Super Set or pink-themed Fairy Garden Set from Superstructs.
Get Tinkertoys from Hasbro.
Get Tinkertoys from Amazon.
Get Superstructs from Superstructs.com.
Get Superstructs from Amazon.
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