●Suitable for toddlers over 1 year old● Big Bro’s Big Brick Collection

I think I must be addicted to buying building blocks. Ever since Big Bro turned one, I’ve started getting him different types of blocks. For me, the ability to play in various ways makes them one of the most worthwhile investments in children’s toys—especially in terms of spatial combination and imagination. Almost every child can create unique ways to play, and the lack of restrictions means they can grow with the child. These qualities are exactly why I love buying blocks.
(Recommended Reading:)

If you want a car, build one yourself.
If you know how high the sky is, stack the blocks infinitely upwards.
If you want to stage a Star Wars battle, then direct it yourself.

Aside from the O-Ball and stacking cups, Big Bro’s first set of toys might have been building blocks. So now, at seventeen months old, he takes out the blocks to play with every day. We now have five different types of blocks at home.

Some friends have asked me which blocks I recommend the most. Actually,

The first set of building blocks for Tong Daye is the SKIP HOP Alphabet House wooden blocks. This type of wooden block is very suitable for one-year-old children to stack up high. Its bright colors and non-toxic dyes are the main features of the product. In addition to being stacked into little city houses, the blocks also feature the English alphabet and animal patterns.

At 1 year and 3 months old, Tong Daye began stacking wooden blocks up high. The SKIP HOP wooden blocks are exquisitely crafted. Compared to regular plastic blocks, they offer a better texture and feel in both quality and handling. However, in terms of flexibility and versatility, plastic blocks still perform better.

– Basic Green Bucket

LEGO is a childhood memory for many friends and also a popular block choice for many moms. Its infinitely expandable nature is why LEGO remains a strong presence in the block world. However, the classic (Bricks series) is too small and can be dangerous for toddlers who like to put things in their mouths.

Therefore, for younger children, LEGO’s Duplo series is designed specifically for kids aged 1.5 to 5 years. Tong Daye, at 1 year and 5 months old, loves stacking blocks up high and completing this “Block 101” together with his mom.

In addition to the basic sets, the Duplo series also includes themed sets that incorporate figurines. However, I personally feel that the basic sets offer the best expandability. I bought the basic green bucket set for my little boy.

(Tong Daye, now 1 year and 7 months old, is assembling LEGO blocks.)

Assembling and disassembling LEGO requires aligning each stud. Even the Duplo series, which is suitable for toddlers, needs precise alignment to connect. Therefore, it helps develop finger dexterity in young children, but it also takes time to get familiar with the process of assembling and disassembling.
(Recommended reading:)

Children always find many fun ways to play with blocks. Aside from stacking them up high, they love stuffing the blocks into every nook and cranny they can find, then taking them out one by one—never getting tired of it.

Or they might line up the LEGO blocks in a straight row. Through these play combinations, children train their sense of spatial awareness.

–Bristle Blocks by B.

Coming from the United States, B.

Actually, both our group and Dad really love them, but if we’re talking about creativity, LEGO Basic bricks offer more options. After all, B.Toys’ Fur Real Building Blocks come with pre-designed doll parts, and then you build creative expansions based on those. But in terms of ease of use, for a one-year-old child, B.Toys is actually easier to get started with.

So if possible, I’d buy both sets for our group. But if you want something that’s easier for a very young child to assemble, _g perhaps B.Toys would be a good choice. In short, it depends on personal considerations.

Unlike wooden or plastic building blocks, the edushape Bumpy Blocks set is made from safe, non-toxic foam. According to the edushape official website, all toys have passed safety standard tests from the EU (CE) and the U.S. (ASTM) for toy products.

Originating from Israel,edushapeit mainly produces sensory integration toys suitable for infants aged 0–5. The bumpy design on the blocks, paired with bright colors, isn’t it just a perfect little item for stimulating babies’ sense of touch and sight?

Moreover, because it uses non-toxic soft foam material, even babies in the oral stage can play with it, maximizing the play value of the blocks. Therefore, although the product is labeled as suitable for children over 2 years old, I personally think that because it’s made of non-toxic foam, it’s actually also great for babies under 1 year old.

It can also be used as a bath toy—brightly colored, and Big Bro also really likes it. Two uses in one, extremely high cost-performance ratio.

The Smartmax Baby Magnetic Sticks use the principles of magnetic attraction and repulsion to allow babies to easily build combinations. To some extent, I also think this might be an even easier block set for toddlers to assemble than LEGO. However, since Big Bro’s first block set was LEGO, he’s already accustomed to the way of taking apart and putting together pieces, so his interest in this set of magnetic sticks is noticeably less than with LEGO.

Magnetic building sticks not only encourage creativity but also help develop spatial awareness. Compared to other building blocks, I personally find that magnetic sticks make constructing three-dimensional structures relatively easier and are also expandable.

Regarding magnetic sticks and balls, there have been several incidents abroad where children accidentally swallowed metal balls, with some cases even resulting in fatalities. Therefore, it's very important to choose safe magnetic sticks suitable for babies. The Smartmax baby magnetic sticks are very safe. Additionally, they are easy to grip and hold, allowing babies to assemble them effortlessly and gain a sense of accomplishment. They’re especially great for first-time block players or those who’ve never been interested in LEGO bricks.

The following is just based on my personal experience.

LEGO DUPLO Blocks >B.Toys Fuzzy Sticks Building Blocks > Smartmax Magnetic Building Sticks, edushape Soft Blocks, and Skip Hop Alphabet House Blocks

LEGO DUPLO Blocks > B.Toys Fuzzy Sticks > Smartmax Magnetic Building Sticks > edushape Soft Blocks and Skip Hop Alphabet House Blocks

LEGO DUPLO Blocks and B.Toys Fuzzy Sticks > edushape Soft Blocks and Smartmax Magnetic Building Sticks > Skip Hop Alphabet House Blocks

Smartmax Magnetic Building Sticks > B.Toys Fuzzy Sticks > Skip Hop Alphabet House Blocks > LEGO DUPLO Blocks (basic green bucket) > edushape Soft Blocks
(Recommended reading:)

After an overall comparison, I personally recommend LEGO DUPLO Blocks and B.Toys Fuzzy Sticks as top buys. As for the edushape Soft Blocks, they can also be used as bath toys and offer great value for money. As for Tong Daye (a nickname), he still loves LEGO blocks the most.