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How to Choose and Buy Building Toys

How Can Building Toys Help Your Child's Development?

Between 12 and 18 months of age, your baby will be interested in playing with baby toys that can allow them to express their own thinking. Building toys allow children the chance to utilise their problem solving skills.

Researchers state that the more chance that children have to play with building toys the more likely they are to be confident, communicative and better at maths.

Some experts believe that the new educational electronic toys are actually detrimental to a child's creative thinking and are asking parents to include some good old fashioned fun. They say that electronic toys can preclude social play.

Children benefit from playing with other people and experts believe that parents who get down on the floor and build things alongside their children are fostering a sharing and learning environment.

Experts also suggest that you ask your child which bricks they want to play with and which ones mummy and daddy should play with. By encouraging your child to make choices you are helping them practice their problem solving and creative thinking skills.

What Types of Building Toy Can You Buy for Your Child?

Types of Building Toy – Wooden Building Blocks

Wooden building blocks like the ones from Mischief are beautifully robust and covered with alphabet letters, numbers and mathematical signs. Toddlers will enjoy stacking them high and then knocking them over.

Early Learning Centre has a wooden blocks set that contains 100 natural and coloured bricks that toddlers can use to build invincible cities.

Heros also makes beautiful wooden building brick toys that are popular with children.

Types of Building Toy – Lego

Lego Quattro and Lego Duplo are excellent for creative play. The blocks are bigger than the traditional Lego so are ideal for little hands.

Types of Building Toy – Stickle Bricks and Stickle Blocks

Children gain better control over their hands as they draw nearer to 18 months so they will find it easier to build more intricate creations.

Stickle Bricks are covered in little stickles that add interesting texture to toddler's creative play. Stickle Bricks challenge toddler's fine motor skills as they try to stick the different bricks together.

Stickle Blocks have been created for the younger toddler and come in sets that include axels, train wagons and little people – great for more imaginative play. They are sometimes scented too for a real multi-sensory experience.

Types of Building Toy – Playmobil Sets

Playmobil stage sets also encourage creative play as your toddler can help to put the sets together. Playmobil sets are based on many different environments like a city airport or a farm yard.

To find out more about what to look out for when choosing and buying nursery toys visit our How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Helping to Develop Different Skills section and How to Choose and Buy a Baby Toy for Different Ages section.

To find out more about the different online baby and nursery toy shops and stores visit our Top Sites section.

To see what different nursery toy manufacturers offer visit our Brands section.

You can also find out more in our How to Play with Baby section.