Toddler blocks are specifically designed for small hands and come in a variety of soft, easy-to-grip materials like foam or felt. As your child plays with them, they will develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), block play also helps children develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills, as well as foundational arithmetic skills. With so many different types of blocks available, it can be difficult to choose the best ones for your child. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best toddler blocks on the market to help you make an informed decision.
Our Top Picks
- Best Stacking Blocks: Hape E0413 Pyramid of Play
- Best Large Building Blocks: MEGA BLOKS 80-piece Building Blocks
- Best Starter Block Set: HABA Fun with Sounds Wooden Discovery Blocks
- Best Magnetic Blocks: Magformers Basic Set
- Best Cardboard Blocks: Melissa & Doug Jumbo Extra-Thick Cardboard Building Blocks
- Best Wooden Blocks: Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set
- Best Soft Building Blocks: Mini Tudou Baby Blocks Soft Building Blocks
- Best Foam Blocks: ECR4Kids SoftZone Patchwork Toddler Foam Block Playset
- Most Versatile Building Blocks: The Block Set by Lovevery
- Best STEM Blocks: dreambuilderToy 108 Piece Magnetic Tiles
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Toddler Blocks Picks
Hape E0413 Pyramid of Play – Best Stacking Blocks
- Great quality
- Storage for small pieces
- Well-made wooden blocks that stack inside themselves
- It’s not plastic and doesn’t flash or make noises
- Comes with wooden shapes that do not fit inside the blocks once they’re stacked inside each other when storing
Featuring five nesting blocks, each with five sides of letters, numbers, shapes, images, and colors, there’s no limit to the range of play and learning opportunities that this toy offers.
Not only is the design made from high-quality Baltic Birch wood, which is both sturdy and lightweight, but it’s also eco-friendly, coming from forests that are sustainably managed. As your child stacks the nested blocks and balances the different sizes, they’ll develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
MEGA BLOKS 80-piece Building Blocks – Best Large Building Blocks
- Comes with a storage bag
- They are big blocks
- They are easily stacked
- Good quality – it’s not painted, much like lego, and the entire plastic is that color
- It hurts when you step on them barefoot
Mega Bloks is a versatile toy that allows toddlers to construct anything they can imagine due to their size and modular design. The fact that these blocks can easily snap together and come apart is a huge plus. Little hands can take them apart and build something entirely new, which means you won’t have to constantly intervene and remove blockages.
These blocks are so durable that even the Incredible Hulk wouldn’t be able to break them apart. You can rest assured that your child will be able to play with them for hours on end without worrying about them breaking or becoming damaged.
HABA Fun with Sounds Wooden Discovery Blocks – Best Starter Block Set
- Noise markers are not very loud
- Easy for toddlers to hold
- Clearly high quality
- Cute blocks
- Smaller than expected
With each cube having a different sound, your little one will have a blast experimenting with the different noises and discovering new ways to make sounds.
This six-block starting set is the perfect way to introduce your toddler to the world of exploration blocks. The set includes push buttons, kaleidoscopes, jingle bells, and other surprises in the middle of each block to keep your child’s interest piqued. And with the smaller size of the blocks, your little builder can construct smaller structures without the fear of causing any harm if the blocks happen to fall.
Magformers Basic Set – Best Magnetic Blocks
- Encourages imaginative play
- Well constructed
- No quality issues
- Bright bold colors
- Some of the designs in the book can’t be made with the number of blocks supplied
This excellent magnet set for toddlers includes 18 squares and 12 triangles, allowing your child to build anything from homes and buildings to magical balls. They’ll love discovering how to construct by combining, rolling, and pulling up the pieces, and then exploring the endless possibilities of their creativity.
Each geometric shape contains magnets that never reject each other, so they’ll always make a satisfying clicking sound as they snap together. And when playtime is over, simply use the magnetic force to effortlessly stack and store the pieces until the next time your child is ready to create their next masterpiece.
Melissa & Doug Jumbo Extra-Thick Cardboard Building Blocks – Best Cardboard Blocks
- Easy to set up
- Three different sizes
- Three different colors
- Durable cardboard
- Too much pressure will crush the block
With three different brick sizes, 40 pieces in total, and a sturdy design made from premium extra-thick cardboard, your little ones will be able to construct whatever their imaginations can dream up. These blocks have a wipe-clean surface, making them easy to keep clean even after hours of building and play.
And don’t let the lightweight design fool you, the red blocks can hold up to 100 pounds! With their vibrant and vivid images, these blocks will inspire your child’s creativity and encourage imaginative play. And if they need a little help getting started, the included step-by-step instruction manual will guide them through the easy fold-together construction process.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set – Best Wooden Blocks
- Bright Colors
- Good Quality
- Varied Pieces
- Smooth shapes
- Small enough to where it’s a bit painful when you step on them
With 100 solid wood blocks painted in bright red, blue, yellow, and green, this set offers endless opportunities for creative play and learning. Kids of all ages will love exploring the different shapes, including rectangular prisms, cubes, cylinders, half circles, arches, rectangular planks, and triangles of varying widths.
As a parent, you can rest easy knowing that these blocks are made of sturdy, solid wood and have a safe and secure design. With their lightweight yet durable construction and smooth painted surface with rounded edges, they’re safe for young children to handle and won’t splinter during play.
This wooden construction block set is the perfect way to introduce toddlers to basic math concepts, foster their fine motor skills, and encourage patience and perseverance.
Mini Tudou Baby Blocks Soft Building Blocks – Best Soft Building Blocks
- Just the right “squeezability” for a teething baby
- Stack easily, easy to knock down
- There are various images to look at
- Durable
- Water can get in the blocks when they are washed
These soft, flexible baby blocks are perfect for little ones just starting to explore the world of toys. Made from food-grade silicone rubber, they are safe for babies to use as teethers, and their gentle colors and easy-to-grasp design make them perfect for tiny hands.
Each block in this 12-piece set is covered in a variety of textures and shapes to encourage sensory exploration and even features numbers that can help little ones begin to learn basic math concepts. As they grow and develop, children can use the blocks to practice addition and subtraction skills, making this a toy that can grow with your child.
ECR4Kids SoftZone Patchwork Toddler Foam Block Playset – Best Foam Blocks
- Very easy to clean
- Soft blocks for safety
- Great fun to play
- Great quality
- Expensive
Unlike other block sets, these foam blocks are less challenging to use as they come in one uniform size and shape. This makes playtime more accessible for infants and young toddlers. Additionally, the bright colors can be used to teach children colors and matching, adding an educational aspect to their playtime. For safety, these foam blocks are covered in reinforced leather, making them a safe option for babies to play with and avoiding choking hazards.
The Block Set by Lovevery – Most Versatile Building Blocks
- The blocks are very smooth
- Has so much potential of building into many things
- They are colored wonderfully
- Hold up to child wear and tear
- There is no square-shaped hole in the box, but the set comes with a lot of square blocks
With over 70 high-quality pieces, including blocks of different sizes, colors, and shapes, your toddler can complete more than 20 stage-based activities. This incredible set is designed to encourage pretend play, develop motor skills, and foster spatial awareness, and cognitive and problem-solving abilities in children as young as 18 months. With modular features, your little one can even explore early physics experiments by playing around with ideas like force, gravity, and cause and effect.
dreambuilderToy 108 Piece Magnetic Tiles – Best STEM Blocks
- Great product to build stamina
- Affordable
- Fun to use
- Great durability
- This set is cheaper made and you can hear the magnets moving if you shake the tiles
Toddlers are like sponges, eagerly absorbing all the information and stimuli around them. Educational toys can help in this process, offering little ones opportunities to learn about diverse subjects such as math, science, technology, and engineering. Plus, playing with STEM toys can be super fun and exciting for toddlers!
Your little one will be captivated by the vibrant colors and unusual designs of these blocks. As they piece them together, your child will learn how to take charge and make decisions since there are endless ways to assemble them. This makes it an excellent toy for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
How To Choose Toddler Blocks?
- Material: Some blocks are made from soft materials like foam, which are safer for toddlers to play with. Others are made from hard materials like wood or plastic, which can be more durable but also more dangerous if your toddler accidentally knocks them over on themselves.
- Wooden: Eco-friendly wooden blocks are available. You don’t have to be concerned about exposing your child to toxins because they are made of natural materials, especially if your toddler is still prone to putting items in his or her mouth.
- Plastic: The cost of plastic blocks is often lower than that of other types. They are colorful and soft to the touch, which might be quite enticing to your child’s senses.
- Magnetic: Magnets are a subset of plastic or foam blocks that frequently support STEM education. These are adored by babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older children. Remember that children should always be under adult supervision, regardless of the suggested or intended age range for using magnets.
- Foam: For younger toddlers, foam blocks are fantastic. Because they are soft, there is less chance of injury. These can occasionally have a fabric or vinyl covering. These blocks may be quite safe and toxic-free for young children who still put objects in their mouths while playing, depending on the type of foam used.
- Cardboard: Because they are lightweight and can be used to construct massive, lifelike constructions like forts for a reasonable price, cardboard blocks are fantastic. Even older children may make their own blocks out of recycled cardboard.
Are Blocks Good For Toddlers?
Blocks are often thought to be beneficial for toddlers since they can help with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and creativity. Plus, they encourage a lot of open-ended play (1). If your toddler seems interested in playing with blocks, it might be worth giving them a try!
How Do Building Blocks Help My Toddler’s Development?
Building blocks help toddlers develop a number of skills, including motor skills, problem-solving skills, and social skills (2). Motor skills are developed as toddlers learn to stack blocks and manipulate them in other ways. Problem-solving skills are developed as toddlers figure out how to fit blocks together to create structures. Social skills are developed as toddlers interact with other children while playing with blocks.
What Age Should You Start Using Blocks?
Around the age of 15 months, toddlers usually begin playing with blocks. This is the age at which they learn to stack and construct. By 18 months, they will be able to stack three-block towers all by themselves. By the time they turn two, your child will be capable of building six or seven blocks on their own.
Why Do Toddlers Knock Down Blocks?
There are a few possible reasons why toddlers might enjoy knocking down blocks. For one, it may be a way for them to experiment with cause and effect – knocking down a block causes it to fall to the ground. Additionally, it could be a way for toddlers to release energy or relieve frustration. Or, it could simply be that toddlers find the act of knocking down blocks to be fun and satisfying.
How Many Blocks Can An 18-Month-Old Stack?
Your child may be able to stack three blocks on top of each other by the time they are 18 months old. This requires coordination and balance, as they will need to line up the blocks and release them at the right moment in order to prevent the tower from falling over.
How Many Blocks Can A 3-Year-Old Stack?
Your child’s ability to use both hands to construct stacks of blocks indicates that their hand-eye coordination and dexterity are improving. Around three years old, children can begin stacking nine or ten blocks. This shows that they are gaining more control over their movements and are able to place the blocks more precisely.
