Since there are so many types of blocks available I have narrowed this article down to the 10 Best Wooden Block sets for kids. Blocks are great toys for open ended learning. A child can play for hours with blocks and the outcome is never quite the same.
Wooden blocks in particular promote skills such as:
- Reasoning
- Invention and design
- Hand-eye coordination
- Spatial awareness
- Balance
- Problem solving
- Team work
- Creative thinking
- And of course language development (including but not limited to: vocabulary, prepositions, opposites, verbs, adjectives)
10 Best Wooden Block Sets for Kids
Log Blocks
These types of blocks will inspire all kinds of creativity, from tree houses to log cabins. Or fill the back of a truck with them and drive the logs around. If you are good with a saw and have some trees to spare you could make your own. But if not, take a look at the Junior Lumberjack Blocks from The Land Of Nod. This set contains 36 blocks featuring bark from reclaimed wood. All of the ends have been smoothed out to make building and stacking easier.
Rainbow Blocks
These are not just ordinary colored blocks. These blocks come in a variety of shapes and are translucent. I love that children can discover color mixing with these blocks. They can be played with on a windowsill to really make the colors pop! Or take them outside on a sunny day and explore the colorful shadows that they will cast. Don’t forget, you can also build with them and learn all about colors! I love the Guidecraft Junior Rainbow Block Set. It comes in a 20 or 40 piece set.
Interlocking Wooden Blocks
It is difficult to find wooden blocks with the ability to “lock” into one another. There are some that have small nubs on one end and holes on the other making them similar to LEGO, but these are quite tricky to find. However, Q Toys has a set called “Rainbow Interlocking Blocks” that is a mix of a true interlocking block and a traditional wooden block. These blocks can be stacked but the ends also fit into one another for more creative adventures!
Mirror Blocks
Children are naturally drawn to mirrors. They love seeing their reflection. As the child gets older, she can use these kinds of blocks to experiment with light reflection as well. And they can also be stacked and used in a similar way to regular blocks. Guidecraft has a wonderful mirror block set, however there are only 10 blocks in the set, so you might want more than one set. Alternatively, you can incorporate these with other wooden blocks you might have around the house.
Traditional Wooden Blocks
I remember having blocks just like these when I was a kid. You can build just about anything with these kinds of blocks. I am a fan of the Melissa and Doug 100 piece wood block set. You really can’t beat the price (about $15 US).
Standard Unit Blocks
These blocks are relatively large so they are great for building. You will often find these blocks in schools and daycare centers. They are similar to the traditional wooden blocks I mentioned above, just on a larger scale. Children can incorporate so many other toys into the play with these blocks.
Plank Sets
Plank blocks are like Jenga blocks. They are all identical. As a result your child can come up with some very complex and intricate structures and designs. You can also incorparate blocks from other sets. Or you could try building an domino run to knock down! A great plank set to get started with is the KEVA Structures 200. If you think your child might like building his own marble run, be sure to take a look at the KEVA Contraptions Plank Set
Hollow Blocks
Hollow blocks are exactly what they sound like. Blocks that are hollow. These blocks, much like the standard unit blocks, are often found in school/daycare settings. However, there is no reason why these cannot be found in your home. My son loves these blocks to make car ramps and tall buildings that his stuffies and other “guys” can jump off of. My children have also used them as furniture pieces for their dolls.
Asymmetrical Blocks
These blocks, like wooden interlocking blocks, are more difficult to find than most other wooden blocks. Asymmetrical blocks are unique in that each one is slightly different from the next. I found a great set at The Land Of Nod called “It Makes A Village”. This block set can also be used as a puzzle however, as you can see in the picture, trying to get all the blocks back together could be quite challenging. This could be a great family project. The “It Makes a Village” blocks have edges that grip to some extent making them easy to stack despite their unique shapes.
Wooden Balance Blocks
Balance blocks are a bit different from the more classic stacking blocks. While they can be stacked and played with in many ways, the ultimate goal is to try and balance the blocks. Totter, from Discovery Toys is great and will withstand hours of playtime. However, Amazon also has a decent selection of balance blocks that are made of wood. For more information on Totter, click the picture below. To see what Amazon has, please click here.
