# What are the BEST blocks for young toddlers?



## PortraitPixie (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm thinking ahead for Christmas.









So, what blocks are the most fun? Duplos? Megablockz? Something else? I know my little guy (16 months--18 months by Christmas) would have TONS of fun with some blocks. (They don't necessarily have to be square







) I just want your opinions--what do your little ones love?

Thanks!!

~Sar


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## timneh_mom (Jun 13, 2005)

I like peek a blocks, and so does DS who is 11 months.







They are really neat!


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## Junebug (Mar 31, 2005)

My DD got some beautiful Haba blocks for her birthday.
She got 2 sets... one is called Kathedral & the other's called Fantasy.
They're big, chunky wood & easy to handle. Check it out:

http://www.oompa.com/cgi-bin/item/HA2218

http://www.oompa.com/cgi-bin/item/HA2297


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## loomweaver (Aug 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Junebug*
My DD got some beautiful Haba blocks for her birthday.

http://www.oompa.com/cgi-bin/item/HA2297

Wow, I really like the Fantasy ones!!


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

Just a tip-- don't get too many that are painted glossy. They don't stack well. Kinda slip off each other. If they are painted they should still feel like natural wood to the touch.







The unpainted ones are far better for building.


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## Junebug (Mar 31, 2005)

Yeah, I agree, the painted ones don't stick like the natural blocks. Unfortunately, DD thinks the plain wood is delicious!








We've put them away for now.
The kathedral are the ones she ends up playing with most.


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## VeganSculptor (Apr 20, 2004)

I took my son to Toys R Us today because it was pouring outside. I saw some wonderful natural wood sound blocks by Imaginarium. They had different amounts of beads inside so that each block sounds different. They had clear plastic spaces in the middle so that you can see the colored beads inside. They were reasonably priced at $20.00 too for I think 15 blocks or so. I'll probably get them for my son for Christmas. I can't find them anywhere online, but if you have a Toys R Us check them out in the wood toy section.


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## PortraitPixie (Apr 21, 2005)

Awesome!!! Thanks for all of your responses. Off to check everything out...


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## Ellien C (Aug 19, 2004)

ones you make yourself from left-over scraps of wood. Or ones someone else makes for you from the same stuff. Then they aren't all the same size and you have to get creative in how to build, shape and stack them. You can't plan of finding the same size and shape for the other side of the wall.


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## lexbeach (Mar 6, 2002)

I got my boys a great set of maple blocks (the "kindergarten" ones) for their second birthday. They didn't really start building with them until they were 2.5 . Now we are building huge castles and marble runs and all sorts of fun things everyday (I love playing with blocks, too!). But, for a toddler as young as yours, you shouldn't expect more than him wanting to crash down whatever you make. Which is totally fine, and educational, etc., but I wouldn't get a very big set at his age.

If you're not opposed to plastic, duplos are pretty great for young toddlers. A different sort of block experience, but my boys used to love sitting and making looooong colums of duplos from about 15-22 months.

HTH!

Lex


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## mamatowill (Aug 23, 2004)

My son has the peekablocks but they have been outgrown (he is 18 months). He likes the Duplos but the ones that he is playing with most are the wooden ones. We have both the ones with the alphabet painted on and a great wooden set with 173 pieces. The wooden set has roman arches and grecian columns. DS loves to stack them all and he is starting to build with them too. We got the wooden set from Grand River Toys- it is a Canadian company.


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## FreeRangeMama (Nov 22, 2001)

We have a large selection of blocks (the wooden ones with letters and numbers, some small colorful imaginarium ones, home-made wooden ones, lego, megablocks, etc) and the ones that get used the absolute most by every child that comes over are the megablocks. We have playgroups every other week and the kids (age 15 months through to my 4.5 year old) all play with the megablocks. I would love to see them building with the all-natural mismatched wooden blocks, but they all love those darn colorful plastic ones. Even the 6 month old is now fascinated by them :LOL Different aged children seem to use them for different things, but they are beyond popular. That has been our experience anyway.


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

The giant cardboard blocks are fun for young toddlers (and older kids too) if you have a lot of room. They're lightweight, so they don't hurt if someone hits you on the head with one, but they're sturdy enough to stand on. We've had hours of fun building houses and noking them down.


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## mavery (Jun 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ellien C*
ones you make yourself from left-over scraps of wood. Or ones someone else makes for you from the same stuff.

My ds has a huge box of blocks that dh's dad made for dh when he was a toddler. They're relatively regular shaped, but grandpa also painted them different colours and designs. If you're feeling creative, this would be a great project. My son absolutely loves them (though he really doesn't understand that my dh used to be 2!)


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## k mama (Sep 18, 2005)

joyfulhands...my son is just a few weeks younger than your son and right now he really likes megablocks. He likes trying to stick them together and pulling them apart. Also, he likes pretty much anything that he can stack (not just blocks







).


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## ratlover (Mar 8, 2003)

If you want to splurge for Christmas, these are maple blocks made by an Amish-like group: http://www.communityplaythings.com/c...ocks/index.htm The grandparents bought the introductory set for dd last Christmas and they've been well-used so far. She was around 18 months when she got them and here she is at almost 2 playing with a house I built for her: http://www.janinegillot.com/24.6.jpg These will definitely be passed down, they're amazing.
Janine


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## CountryMom2e (Apr 1, 2005)

A friend gave us a bag of mega bloks (her son had three!), and Ethan adores them. I probably would have preferred Duplo but the mega bloks are very easy to put together and take apart. Plasticy, but great for colors, shapes and sorting. And very cheap.

I picked up a small set of colored wooden blocks at a consignment shop, and I'm going to get Ethan a larger set of architectural blocks for Christmas this year.


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## Vicitoria (Dec 17, 2004)

I paint alphabet blocks and they are really cool. my son has been playing with them for 6-9 months. They are just regular squares and perfect for little hands. I bought him peekablocks and the mega-block for Christmas last year (I really od'd on peekablocks!) That mega block was a great purchase! He still plays with it and as he becomes more aware of objects he develops a love for different blocks. He will carry the train block around with his train books and actual trains. I will get sick of the thing and put it out of the way and he will eventually find it again and enjoy it. He does dump out the regular alphabet blocks I made him daily, stacks them, knocks them down, puts them in a truck, drives them away.....

I picked up mega-blocks second hand - he could care less about them at this point, too complicated for a 15 month old, at least this 15 month old. DH and I enjoy them though!

I've always wanted to get him a set of the cardboard brick/blocks but they will have to wait because we are moving and will probably be in an apartment for a year.


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## LeftField (Aug 2, 2002)

We like Duplos. But another favorite was a set of natural wooden architectural blocks. I can't remember where we got it. It had some very large arches (easy to hold), some stairs, turrets, columns, etc. They were easy for him to hold, more interesting IMO than uniform cube blocks and pretty easy to stack. They also had growing potential. Even my dh likes making buildings out of them.


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