15 Best Building Toys for Kids

This Deluxe Building Set is versatile as kids can get a different result each time they play. The colorful 100-piece set allows them to experiment and learn about sorting, designing, and even physics thanks to the spinning gears. Among the pieces are over 40 brightly colored gears, 26 square pillars to put them on, 21 six-way axles, six interlocking bases, and one crank handle to turn the gears.

This Wood Blocks Set from Melissa & Doug gives kids a durable building set to play with. There are 100 pieces that come in nine shapes and four bold colors. With the block variety, kids can construct numerous different buildings both small and large. It's a good way to teach about shapes as well as colors.

From the beach to the park, the SandBox Castle Play can give kids the freedom to make fun art and buildings out of the sand. It's a multicolored set that includes a shovel-sieve, watering can, rake, spade, two molds, a small sieve, and a bucket. All of this fits neatly in a see-through carrying bag for easy clean-up and transportation.

The Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag comes with 80 colorful blocks. They are small enough for little hands to grasp and to create some diversity in their buildings. The bag also includes a few special shapes, for out-of-the-box building. It's a great and simple introduction to building, and once kids are done with their creations, clean-up is fast thanks to the large storage bag.

This BuilderZ STEM Challenge pushes a child's development and learning skills in a number of ways. With 220 pieces, they can construct cool creations and solve various challenges. If they're unsure where to start, there's a booklet that contains guides to 40 different builds.

Among the 15 best building toys for kids is the traditional LEGO Classic Creative Brick Box. This large box comes with 790 pieces that vary in shapes, sizes, and colors. There are even a few toy windows and doors as well as two green bases for them to build on. The only limit a child has is their imagination.

This Clock Work Roller Coaster Building Set is another exceptional kit for kids to explore and enjoy. It's one of the best building toys for kids that step outside the traditional route and gives children several ways to play. With 305 parts, there's room to create a remarkable roller-coaster ride, and it even functions properly as the motorized cart can move around the track.

This Straw Constructor is a fun STEM toy that uses straws and connectors to allow kids to use their imagination. Everything is vibrantly colored, and there are multiple ways to play as kids can build, stack, and bend the flexible straws to create a variety of constructions. There are 300 pieces in all so their imaginations are limitless.

Kids can create a true fort to defend with this Fantasy Fort Kit. Made from faux wood, there are 32 pieces (16 panels and 16 connectors) and children can build different sized and shaped structures. It's easy to build, too, thanks to the double-sided hook and loop connectors. This life-sized building kit brings unique fun for any building enthusiast.

These Magnetic Tiles can help kids create beautifully colored three-dimensional creations. Young children receive an introduction to various geometric shapes as well as different colors and multi-dimensional constructions. They have 60 pieces to work with, and with the diverse shapes, they can push their creative thinking and discover architectural design.

This Build-On Brick Mug Set provides a distinctive way for kids to build with their brick toys. It comes in three different colors and the mug is large enough to provide room for multiple constructions using unique layouts. This isn't just a toy, though, as kids can keep it with them to drink out of something that’s more exciting than your usual cup.

This Wood Building Blocks Set puts a cute twist on this wooden style. Rather than color the whole block, just the middle of these 24 pieces feature rainbow-colored faux windows. They are safe for younger kids to play with without worry, and thanks to the "stained glass" design, the pieces wonderfully reflect light.

The Flower Garden Building Toys is a simple and mess-free way to help kids role-play gardening. Rather than use typical building blocks, kids use plastic flower pieces made from recycled material that's designed to be durable and easy for them to stack. There are dozens of pieces and all of them come in a large, clear storage bag.

The Building Block Robot Set is a unique way to combine the benefits of STEM learning and the skills gained from building. More of an educational coding kit that offers hours of fun, this set contains 351 pieces of building blocks. It also comes in four different bright color styles, and once kids finish their construction, the play goes on as they can remotely control the robot.