What child does not like to build something and then tear it down? The answer is no child!

Building toys and building block sets have been around longer than anyone is probably aware, and are still a huge part of every child’s early development, boy or girl.

There is just something about stacking things up high, then watching it fall down, and doing it all over again; all the while improving the strategy with each attempt. And, we ask you, what could be better than watching your brother or sister build a mighty tower of blocks, and then driving through it with your very cool, real metal vintage tonka truck ?

We start off very simply, with basic blocks, Legos or even shapes and parts from other toys and games, and eventually we move to more and more complex systems.

Early Learning Building Toys

Building and construction toys are as diverse a market as any other, and choosing the right ones for a particular age group can be a challenge. Playmobil and Melissa & Doug are the most popular brands for basic building types of toys and are certainly appropriate for the youngest of the future contractors in all of us.

Playmobil and Melissa and Doug specialize in wood and plastic block sets and other simple stackable toys that help with hand-eye coordination, paring of similar shapes and basic building skills. They are safe, non-hazardous and very inexpensive.

Melissa and Doug specifically have impressively-varied tool sets as well, which safely allow for children to pretend they are using real tools, screws and nails . Playmobil is the largest maker of early development toys and mega building sets, and are more complex as they age range increases.

For Intermediate Building – Stick with Lego

The most well known intermediate to highly advanced building toy company is without a doubt, Lego . Legos come in the most simple, easy to put together sets , to the most elaborate and advanced building ideas you can imagine.

There are actually professional Lego groups, who strive to make exact replicas of well know structures around the world, the most recent being an exact scale model of Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, complete with retractable roof.

Legos are not only building sets, but now come with miniature figurines and vehicles that let you create your own Lego world. They are attached to such huge markets as Star Wars , Batman and Indiana Jones . If there has been an action figure or toy made for these movies, Lego probably has a version of it that you can build and play with.

Advanced Construction Toys

For the super advanced building toy enthusiast, you need to look for a few different types of systems. K’nex and Erector Sets are about the most well known, and are a challenge for most age groups. While each have “beginner” sets, even the most simple, entry level addition is going to provide a good challenge. These sets incorporate batteries and other power plants, wiring, m...