16 Best Building Toys for Kids, According to Toy Experts

LEGO bricks are a tremendous developmental tool, whether kids are working on spatial recognition and order-following with the directions or going rogue and using their creativity to develop worlds all their own.

This classic 484-piece set is designed with 35 colors, plus windows, tires, wheel rims and more for unlimited imaginative play. And, of course, it's compatible with other LEGO sets.

As a parent, watching my kids improve their problem-solving skills while using LEGO bricks has been awe-inspiring. I've seen them develop social skills like resilience and perseverance when they can't quite figure something out right away. Once their designs are constructed, they engage in role playing using the scenes they've built.

I've found LEGO bricks are a great resource for developing fine motor skills, and a way to relax and calm down after a busy school day. And being a proud LEGO builder myself for as long as I can remember, I still find comfort and wonder in building alongside my kids. Ages 4+

Designed as a new-fangled approach to open-ended building, Clixo sets are comprised of uniquely shaped and flexible magnetic pieces that can be clicked together to form cool 3D creations. They are dishwasher-safe, lightweight and largely stackable, making them a very travel-friendly toy.

Kids can follow guides for creations or enjoy making up their own creatures, flexible wearables or whatever their imagination dreams up. Clixo, in this way, affords a child to experiment with much greater flexibility and freedom, both in material and ideation.

This particular set has 42 pieces with all the various colors and shapes the brand offers, including a spinner. Given the novel design, kids are encouraged to try new things, helping to foster creative thinking, spatial awareness and persistence. Ages: 4+

One of the original magnetic construction toy companies, Magna-Tiles are a staple of many playrooms and schools for good reason.

The premise is seemingly simple, various colors of translucent geometric shapes that magnetically connect. Children often begin building Magna-Tiles flat on a surface, and as their motor planning and cognitive skills progress, they start to build upward and outward to create more involved three-dimensional shapes.

Watching my own children's continued evolution interacting with Magna-Tiles over the years has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. We've gone from line-building and sorting to complex made-up play environments (and the occasional tall tower build, and crash model thrown in between for good measure) that help my kids develop frustration tolerance and critical thinking skills.

The brand provides helpful free resources to support development of various skills you may want to focus on (e.g. line tracing, sorting, numbers, etc.). This set is comprised of 100 of the classic pieces, though over the years the brand has added new systems that can be layered with the basic tiles, including roadways and character pieces.

While the Institute team has long loved Magna-Tiles, there are a host of Magna-Tiles alternatives we recommend you check out, too. Ages: 3+

This anniversary set brings back all the feels of the original, featuring 111 pieces of high-quality, realistic-looking wooden logs with a stained finish and indentations on the ends for connecting and building structures. Additional components are included to build a roof, roof facade, chimney, bonfire and more. The tin includes three building ideas (a tower, a small house or a large cabin), or kids can build whatever they dream up. Ages 3+

The Roylco lineup includes numerous building sets that help develop fine motor skills and STEM learning. This particular set includes 240 flexible plastic tubes and 182 pipe connectors that allow children to build up, down, sideways, diagonally and around corners. Children can follow the instructions in the user guide or build any awesome design they can think up. The set is useful for improving patience, balance and logical thinking, among a host of other developmental benefits. Ages: 4+

This set of 100 cubes are designed specifically for developing math skills, including one-to-one correspondence, counting to 100, skip counting, addition, subtraction and more. They can also be used for activities like color or shape identification, patterning and matching. Plus, on each cube there are geometric shape cut-outs to allow for more complex activities as kids age up. But that's not all you can do with MathLink Cubes — you can also use the cubes to build complex, open-ended structures without a math focus. Ages 5+

This early-learning set of 10 soft blocks features numbers, animals and shapes. Since they are bright and highly textured, they create an engaging tactile experience that is easily grippable by little hands. It comes in a reusable fabric bag that you can stash in your diaper bag or under-stroller carriage.

In my hands-on experience with these blocks, I've found them to be readily stackable, squeezable and even chewable (they meet industry BPA and phthalate regulations). The set can be combined with the brand's Elemenosqueeze, a 26-piece architectural building block set, for more play opportunities. Ages 6 months+

There's a reason these blocks have over 67,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and are beloved preschool toy — they're the perfect size for little hands looking to start their building explorations. This particular set includes 80 large, durable blocks and an easily totable storage bag. The brand makes a host of compatible sets, including ones with letters, as well as tables designed for building on. Children as young as 1 year old can experiment with them, but thanks to the variety of shapes and colors, kids will enjoy playing with them even as they grow older. Ages 1+

Great for toddlers, this 60-piece set features classic smooth-sanded wooden pieces in various architectural shapes. The designs allow for imaginative play, but they also can act as an introduction to early math concepts like sorting, parts-to-whole, shapes and more. When done, kids can help organize the blocks back on the wooden tray and put on a shelf, making them visually appealing and accessible for the next round of play. Through in-Lab and consumer testing, I can affirm the solid construction and craftsmanship of the pieces. Ages 3+

Squigz rubber pieces are designed to suction onto various surfaces (and each other), including windows, car or airplane windows or the sides of the bathtub. This set includes 24 pieces with eight different shapes and colors. To use, simply apply pressure by pressing two Squigz together or against a solid, non-porous surface. They are flexible and stick well, though easily removed with a solid pull. As a parent who has tried this on just about every surface imaginable, I can attest it does not leave marks once removed! Ages 3+

Unlike other building sets that require particular placement of the blocks in order to connect, these soft, rubbery blocks have a porcupine-like texture that allows them to be easily attached at a variety of angles. This ability helps with frustration-tolerance, notably for younger builders. This basic building set includes 112 pieces in varied colors and shapes, including eight functional wheels for added motion. Battat makes other bristle block sets these are compatible with, including Spinaroos and Stackadoos. Ages 2+

Plus-Plus is comprised of a single shape — two plus signs, hence the name — that is able to connect in every direction. Similar to Magna-tiles, children often first experiment with Plus-Plus by building colorful, flat designs, and eventually blossom into more complex 3D structures. This Basic Mix includes 240 pieces packaged in a convenient gifting tube, and includes an idea guide if you're just getting started. And similar to Lego, there are larger counterparts for younger kids (Plus-Plus Big) to start experimenting with at a younger age. My family finds these great for travel or when we're out and about, since you can put them in a zippered pouch and toss it into any bag without taking up much room. Ages 5+

Fort building is pretty much a rite of passage for a child. And with the 69 balls and 44 sticks included in this kit, kids can construct all sorts of fun and unique play spaces from a castle to an igloo. When they're finished connecting the balls and sticks into their desired fort, they can cover the structure with sheets for a more enclosed experience, or simply enjoy the construction on its own. Given the large size of the set, it's a great toy for learning about collaborating with a friend or sibling. Ages 5+

K'Nex is a rod-and-connector building system that enables kids to create large-scale designs and bring movement to them by adding wheels, rotors, wings and tracks. The brand carries various lines catering to different ages, stages and interests, with beginner sets starting at age 3. The set we are highlighting comes with 863 pieces that kids can readily snap securely together (and also readily disassemble and re-assemble). The name comes from the fact that the included booklet features 100 unique models to replicate, but kids can, of course, construct whatever their hearts desire. Ages 7+

A fantastic set for open-ended and unstructured play, the 24-piece set from Tegu is made up of high-quality, pastel-colored magnetic wooden blocks. Kids learn the basics of magnetism as they experiment to understand which side of the block will repel and which will connect. Given the size, they make great travel companions. In the Tegu ecosystem, there are a variety of different pieces, including columns, cubes, planks, angles, wheels and propellers. Each is built around a core cubic model where the magnets are contained. Ages 2+

Kids will be delighted to construct life-size towers and houses with these 40 sturdy cardboard blocks. Assembly, once learned, is simple using the three different sized blocks. The blocks are lightweight, making them easy for youngsters to carry and stack. While some will love to pile them up and marvel, others will definitely enjoy learning the physics of knocking them down (as witnessed in the photo of my own child!). They are also easy to wipe down if something spills on them or messy hands leave smears. Ages 2+