Our 5 Favorite Block Sets
A set of blocks is a classic gift for little ones, but the fun shouldn’t stop when preschool ends. Block building can provide endless hours of open ended play for children - young and old.
Are blocks good for more then just stacking up and knocking down? YES! (Although there’s plenty of work being done there, too!)
Playing with blocks supports children in a number of ways:
Develop their vocabularies
Improves math skills and supports the development of spatial reasoning.
Teaches them about gravity, balance, and geometry
Depending on the block set, they learn how to describe colors, shapes, sizes and positions as they build various structures.
Blocks offer opportunities for young dual language learners to explore, express themselves, and demonstrate what they are learning across languages.
Blocks are interactive - children learn how to execute an idea from vision to finished product while learning how to work together with peers along the way.
Below we’ve included our FIVE FAVORITE sets of blocks. We know once you find a set you love, you will find so many more benefits and uses then those mentioned above.
TIMBER BLOCKS, 100 piece set. $28.95
We love this set for its affordable price tag and colorful solid wood blocks in a wide vaHriety of shapes. The website lists the most common age for this product as being ~1 years old, but we think this product is better suited for those 2 - 2.5+ years old.
PATTERN BLOCKS, $21.99
Maybe not your typical block set, but we love this set by Melissa and Doug for so many reasons. The various shapes introduce early 2D geometric shapes, and the accompanying pattern boards support the development of spatial reasoning, patterning, and imaginative play. Ideal for 3 to 6 year olds.
UNIT BLOCKS, $299
Without a doubt, these are an investment. This hardwood set can withstand years of use in your home (or classroom, in our case) and still look beautiful. In fact, they’re so confident in these blocks they carry a 50 year warranty. We love larger “unit blocks” for large scale building and creating with multiple children. These block are also wonderful for introducing alongside other materials or provocations - animals, trees, roads, etc. Suited for 3 years old and up.
NESTING and STACKING BLOCKS, $21.99
While we typically lean towards blocks that offer several years of longevity, we like this set inspired by Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar for our littlest friends (6 months +). These colorful blocks are perfect for developing hand eye coordination and early stacking. The imagery also supports early letter and number recognition
THE BLOCK SET, $90
Another set on the pricier side, but we think it’s worth the investment. In fact, this is our favorite set to gift. The Montessori set contains over 90 quality pieces and has been thoughtfully created to span several planes of early development. Colorful and offering more variety then most sets, with over 18 different shapes, this set also comes with a guide detailing 20+ developmentally stage learning activities.