Best Preschool Building Sets
It's never too early to start developing kids creativity at a young age, Picasso Tiles inspire youngsters learning by playing, children will acquire a strong sense of colors, geometrical shapes including 3D forms, number counts, magnetic polars, as well as the creativity which is the key factor to success in today's ever changing environment. Children can acquire strong sense of color, geometrical shapes including 3D forms numbers counts, magnetic polarities & architectural design at early age. CREATIVITY BEYOND IMAGINATION - Magnet Building Tiles Clear 3D color Magnetic Building Blocks Playboards for preschool, pretend play and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The colors are beautiful and the magnets work well enough to hold most structures together."
"My granddaughter received her first magnetic building set (the Magna-Tiles brand) a few months ago and she enjoyed building with them so much that I bought an additional set."
"He’s learning his shapes, he gets to make garages for his cars, they keep him entertained for about an hour at a time."
"We've played with this literally every single day since it was purchased."
"We had another set, I can't remember the brand - I can see they are slightly different but they work just fine together."
"My grandson's kindergarten class had these and I always noticed the students playing with them."
"We especially love building castles with these and you can remove tiles to make "windows," which just tickles my son to pieces!"
"We have magna tiles and decided to buy these to build on our set."
Designed with builders of all ages in mind, this classic toy with its collection of LEGO bricks in 35 different colors will encourage open-ended building play, and inspire any imagination. LEGO Creative Brick building toys are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When all is said and done, you are left with a lot of extra room in your storage box. For us, this was okay, but if your little builder wants to build a house, you may want to check out the Lego Education Basic Brick Set."
"I am planning on saving it for their Lego themed birthday party to set up paper plates or silverware in. I am a fan of Lego in general, I like their kits because they allow my 5 and 3 year old to create trains, cars, etc that look cool and are fun to play with. Right now we are getting these classics sets to bulk up my kids collection for free building. I have read that you shouldn't pay more than ten cents per Lego (accounting for differences in variety of sizes). Getting more Legos can never be wrong, especially when they build your child's imagination and keep them busy for hours!"
"If you're looking for a great kit of classic blocks with a nice selection of more specialized blocks to get you started or build on your existing collection, look no further."
"Since I "found" a local resource we can satisfy our Lego hunger in 30 or so minutes ."
"I added a big bag of generic Legos and a Lego Idea book to the gift mix so they should be happy for sometime...."
"First of all, if you expect the box to be full, you will be disappointed, but this is a good variety of pieces to get started and the box will accommodate additional sets or assembled projects."
"Such a great gift because it encourages Lego builders to use their imaginations to build whatever they wish AND it allows them to build onto any set they already have."
"My 8 year old daughter is obsessed with Legos, but the sets can be soooo expensive!"
When playtime is over, zip the blocks up in an environmental-friendly bag and stash them in the toy box until the next adventure. The practical storage bag keeps all of the pieces securely in one place and comes with a hand-strap to make carrying the blocks a snap!Ideal for children 1 year old and up! Compatible with all Mega Bloks sets for endless building possibilities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i bought these blocks in preparation for my growing baby!"
"So while he is a bit young to be building things, he loves to play with this big pile of colorful blocks. It is interesting to watch him look at the pieces with great curiosity, we don't think it will be long when he starts putting them together."
"I have to constantly move them out of the way so this toddler boy doesn't fall or step on them."
"These Mega Bloks are the perfect gift for my toddler grandchildren and I have bought two sets."
"Toys these days just arent made with the same quality..sucks too because megabloks is a good brand thats been around a while."
"Didn't have the car included."
";) My son has always loved Legos which are fun and educational, so I wanted to get my nephew started on a love for these fun and educational building toys."
"The blocks are colorful and come in a nice carrying case so I think both Mother and daughter will be pleased with this gift."
Best Toy Building Sets
Designed with builders of all ages in mind, this classic toy with its collection of LEGO bricks in 35 different colors will encourage open-ended building play, and inspire any imagination. LEGO Creative Brick building toys are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When all is said and done, you are left with a lot of extra room in your storage box. For us, this was okay, but if your little builder wants to build a house, you may want to check out the Lego Education Basic Brick Set."
"I am planning on saving it for their Lego themed birthday party to set up paper plates or silverware in. I am a fan of Lego in general, I like their kits because they allow my 5 and 3 year old to create trains, cars, etc that look cool and are fun to play with. Right now we are getting these classics sets to bulk up my kids collection for free building. I have read that you shouldn't pay more than ten cents per Lego (accounting for differences in variety of sizes). Getting more Legos can never be wrong, especially when they build your child's imagination and keep them busy for hours!"
"If you're looking for a great kit of classic blocks with a nice selection of more specialized blocks to get you started or build on your existing collection, look no further."
"Since I "found" a local resource we can satisfy our Lego hunger in 30 or so minutes ."
"I added a big bag of generic Legos and a Lego Idea book to the gift mix so they should be happy for sometime...."
"First of all, if you expect the box to be full, you will be disappointed, but this is a good variety of pieces to get started and the box will accommodate additional sets or assembled projects."
"Such a great gift because it encourages Lego builders to use their imaginations to build whatever they wish AND it allows them to build onto any set they already have."
"My 8 year old daughter is obsessed with Legos, but the sets can be soooo expensive!"
Best Toy Interlocking Gear Sets
Bright colors and easy-to-assemble pieces encourage children to create moving masterpieces. The turning gears in this colorful set offer hundreds of 3-D construction possibilities. Encourage Problem Solving and Perserverance This engaging set features plastic gears, cranks, connectors and interlocking base plates for endless construction possibilities! The included experiments encourage them to notice interesting movements and connections, and explore the fascinating action that can be created with gears. While your child engages with his favorite construction toy, he's developing hand-eye coordination and handwriting muscles. He thinks he's playing but he's also learning colors, cause and effect and the concepts of push and turn. Gears Cranks Connectors Interlocking base plates Activity guide. Different every time you build, this versatile, interconnecting gear set fosters imagination and provides opportunities to experiment with simple mechanics and science. 96-piece set includes 48 uniformly-sized gears in six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, and purple, 8 interlocking square base plates, 19 square pillars, 8 pillar extenders, 12 six-way axles, and Activity Guide.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My son loves these!"
"It wasn't in the original box but a plain brown box. I opened the box and put the gears in a plastic file folder container."
"I had thought about buying the gears monkey set, but only being able to put it together one way made me change my mind."
"My husband was really into building things when he was little, so when we saw this set, we knew it would be the perfect gift for a little boy who's birthday our baby girl had been invited to attend."
"My kids lose interest after a while, but they have busted it out again to make a "Cranky the Crane" on their Thomas train table."
"My three year old hasn't stopped playing with these since Christmas morning."
"He thinks it's great to see how you can connect different things and it turns all the gears at once."
"We love the quality of the pieces."
Best Toddler Mechanic Toys
When playtime is over, zip the blocks up in an environmental-friendly bag and stash them in the toy box until the next adventure. The practical storage bag keeps all of the pieces securely in one place and comes with a hand-strap to make carrying the blocks a snap!Ideal for children 1 year old and up! Compatible with all Mega Bloks sets for endless building possibilities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i bought these blocks in preparation for my growing baby!"
"So while he is a bit young to be building things, he loves to play with this big pile of colorful blocks. It is interesting to watch him look at the pieces with great curiosity, we don't think it will be long when he starts putting them together."
"I have to constantly move them out of the way so this toddler boy doesn't fall or step on them."
"These Mega Bloks are the perfect gift for my toddler grandchildren and I have bought two sets."
"Toys these days just arent made with the same quality..sucks too because megabloks is a good brand thats been around a while."
"Didn't have the car included."
";) My son has always loved Legos which are fun and educational, so I wanted to get my nephew started on a love for these fun and educational building toys."
"The blocks are colorful and come in a nice carrying case so I think both Mother and daughter will be pleased with this gift."
Best Toddler Wood Blocks
● Thinking & Problem Solving: Ever-changing shapes, never tired of playing. With our instruction booklet, your child can easily start building the basic. forms from 2D shapes to 3D models. - Powerful magnets make playtime more fun and storage easier. - The magnetic tiles connect to each other strongly to guarantee firm construction; - when cleaned up, every piece connects to another and neatly stack benefiting cleaning and compact storage! Children can acquire strong sense of color, geometrical shapes including 3D forms numbers counts, magnetic polarities & architectural design at early age. It can combine various models,such as goat, house, pentagram, heart shape, windmill, airplane, motor car, microphone, ball, etc, which makes an unlimited fun.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought two sets and my girls (ages 4 and 6) have a blast building with them!"
"The magnetic blocks compatible with previous magnetic blocks，and that has many others shapes magnetic blocks，which are my son wanted. Compatible with previous magnetic blocks."
"The 87 pieces set is a great item for people who are looking for challenge and learn how to manipulate the magnets quickly."
"My kids preschool had a set of this kind of magnetic blocks."
"They are large enough for her to play with but too large for her baby brother to accidentally swallow."
"The price is cheaper compared with other similar products.I do not want to spend about one hundred dollars to buy a toy."
"It's a very useful toy."
"My kids love them."
Best Magnet Toys
Recreational: Entertaining for single or multiple parties, great for parent-to-child bonding with hours of fun quality time. It's never too early to start developing kids creativity at a young age, PicassoTiles inspire youngsters learning by playing, children will acquire a strong sense of colors, geometrical shapes including 3D forms, number counts, magnetic polarity, architectural design as well as creativity which is the key factor to success in today's ever-changing environment. Children can acquire strong sense of color, geometrical shapes including 3D forms numbers counts, magnetic polarities & architectural design at early age. CREATIVITY BEYOND IMAGINATION - Magnet Building Tiles Clear 3D color Magnetic Building Blocks Playboards for preschool, pretend play and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Early this year I purchased new large 2016 sets of Magnatiles and Picasso tiles and ran them through a few hours of comparisons. Picasso tiles are about 1% larger and heaver, but the Picasso Tile magnets may be 1% stronger (yep, you read that right). (As in, for every extra 100 square tiles in a build, Picasso tiles have the added weight equivalent of a single tile). If Magnatiles really outshined Picasso Tiles in terms of stability, I was ready to pay the premium price, but as hard as I tried to show a clear or measurable advantage for the Magnatiles currently being manufactured, I couldn't. ------------------------------------. Background: After buying Picasso tiles two years ago, I have always wondered if I was missing out on a much better product in the Magnatiles brand. Picasso tiles have a 100-piece set priced at $100. Magnatiles are approximately twice the price for anyone who needs to purchase within 90 days (because the Picasso tiles go on sale much more regularly). Picasso tiles weigh an average of 27.52 grams per tile (a 1.03% difference). From a physics standpoint, the reinforcing lines inside the Magnatiles (which criss-cross through the middle of the tile) are more logically arranged to distribute forces throughout the tile and prevent breakage. I believe that it is this tiny ~1% size difference that makes the Picasso tiles slightly heavier overall (they are 1.03% heaver per tile). Basically, if you use 971 square Picasso tiles in one build and 971 square Magnatiles in another, your Picasso tiles build will weigh the equivalent of 10 extra tiles. If the tiles are assembled randomly, the difference would be small, but if you did a whole row of Magnatiles next to a whole row of Picasso tiles, the difference could be a little problematic. I'm going to start by saying that I kept the tiles from each brand stacked in identical piles and worked my way down through the stack, using a new tile for each test. The Picasso tile magnets were able to attract test object A at an average distance of .95 mm from the edge of the tile. The Magnatiles averaged .75 mm (so the Picasso tiles were able to pull something from farther away). Test object B resulted in Picasso tiles having a range of .55 mm and Magnatiles .5 mm. Basically, in the most conservative measure, the magnets in Picasso tiles are every bit as strong as the magnets in the Magnatiles (and may even be 1.1.-1.27% stronger). Now, because the Picasso tiles are slightly larger, it is possible that the size difference is on edges outside the magnets (I do not have the tools to be able to measure something this small very well). It is possible that this means that the magnets in the Magnatiles are slightly closer together when the tiles are in place side-to-side (too small of a difference for me to measure) yielding a tiny stability advantage. An alternate possibility is that the magnatiles magnets are placed further into the tile (by less than my measurable amount of 1 mm). (I'll put up a video of just one example of the tests run-you'll notice I didn't swap the tiles out in that video as it was a preliminary one, but I repeated the test with new sets of tiles and the video accurately reflects the results. Because the Picasso tile edges are about 1% larger, we know that there is (1% or less) more plastic (therefore space) between the magnets when a tile is placed perpendicular to another tile in a build. If you don't have tiles, you might want to know that the tile does not sit on top of one it is perpendicular to; instead, it is just outside the tile with the corner edges touching. There were no build differences using actual tiles, even in large builds; they failed at the same point every time. In a truly massive build, this would confer a very small advantage, but for all intents and purposes, this was a real-world wash. Summary on magnets: Let's say as the most conservative estimate that the magnets are identical from the same factory in China (even though the Picasso tile magnets measured 1% stronger, which seemed to negate the fact that the magnets may be slightly farther apart in building). As previously mentioned, the Picasso tiles *may* have a tiny bit more plastic between them on the edges, do have a tiny bit more plastic between the magnets placed perpendicular to each other, and are slightly heavier overall. I conducted additional large build tests, having the subjective impression that Magnatiles might fail about a split-second after the Picasso Tiles, but every time I found a difference, I went through and made sure the tiles were in exactly the same position (the tiles can sit slightly inside/outside of the tile beneath the one it is "connected" to). When I took the time to ensure that every tile was in the exact same position, I could never find the difference that I kept thinking I would find and both sets of tiles failed at the same point on every build test. ***Requests - Picasso Tiles, if you read reviews, I strongly believe you should be offering rectangles (the shape of two small squares side by side) as your primary building shape."
"The only notable difference between the two brands of tiles (other than price) is that MagnaTiles have round metal rivets in the corners that hold the tiles together."
"Magna-blocks and Picasso tiles are completely interchangeable, almost identical."
"Together it provides a nice combination of boards of different sizes and shapes for kids to build things out of their imagination. I am ordering more magnets for him to that he can try out anything he likes, hotels, hospitals, school, etc."
"We discovered these at a local children's museum and my oldest spent quite a bit of time playing with them even after the other kids in his class had left."
"I purchased the magnetic tiles after seeing how all the children in my grandson's pre-K class loved playing with them."
"They don't fit absolutely perfectly with the regular magnatile brand, but they aren't so far off that you still can't build with them (I think the need for perfection is worse for Mommy and Daddy than our 3yr old!"
"They are expensive but children really like them."
Best Preschool Train & Train Sets
Features: 120-piece set 3 storage bins 3 durable red plastic bins that slide under the table for effortless storage Special T-molded edges to prevent chipping Silk-screened landscaped play board 1" lip to keep toys on the play table Sturdy construction Composite wood table and accessories, solid wood train track, and plastic accessories Dimensions: 48.75"L x 34.5"W x 16"H. Three durable red plastic bins that slide under the table for effortless storage. Dimensions: 48.75"L x 34.38"W x 16"H. Three durable red plastic bins that slide under the table for effortless storage.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He absolutely couldn't wait to get his little hands on this set and it's a good thing my husband is very handy and was able to put the table and all of the little pieces and structures together within a couple hours so our son could start playing with it right away. This set comes with a lot of pieces and I've included a couple pictures of the table so you can see what it looks like. This set also comes with a helipad, helicopter, small airport runway that consists of four puzzle pieces, a plane, a plastic mountain with a waterfall, a bridge, a turntable that really works, a crane, and small wooden pieces made to look like a hospital, police station, fire station, and gas station. We bought Orbrium Toys 12 Pcs Wooden Engines & Train Cars Collection Compatible with Thomas Wooden Railway, Brio, Chuggington which work perfectly with this set. We also have a number of the Thomas and Friends wooden trains such as Fisher-Price Thomas the Train Wooden Railway Thomas and Fisher-Price Thomas the Train Wooden Railway James Engine which are compatible with the wooden tracks in this set. I've even sat down on the floor and played with the table with them so kids of all ages can definitely benefit from this table set."
"Its really eaten up a lot of floor room so be prepared to sacrafice some space for it if your real estate is scarce. Also. one minor section that was pre-screwed and glued on to support the surface was cracked during assembly from over-tightening of screws, but it didn't effect the overall integrity so we gave that a pass. Our public library has a similar table (smaller) and they used a protective plexiglass to cover the surface. My boy also requested I add sirens and a star logo to the police car and firetruck which I happily obliged with some adhesive paper. I've bought a few Amazon warehouse deals now, and honestly if you are just buying for yourself, it really is worth taking a chance on."
"It has a huge train set with lots of extra accessories like little people, trees, and road signs. This table is great quality and could be interesting for a younger preschooler or older child who likes to build."
Best Preschool Dolls & Dollhouses
Two molded plastic staircases Three levels of open space 17 pieces of furniture Windows that open and close Large enough that multiple children can play at once Accommodates 4-inch mini dolls. Enter your model number to make sure this fits. This adorable dollhouse comes with a whopping 17 pieces of furniture and would make a great gift for any occasion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I debated getting this or a dollhouse fit for Barbies, but I didn't like the cheap looking Barbie houses I saw, nor did I want a 4+ ft tall monstrosity taking up way too much space. I'm sure this will provide many hours of quiet play time for my daughter and honestly, I even enjoy going in there when she's done and straightening all the furniture and arranging the little people in cute positions!"
"I found some of the holes didn't quite match up, and the bottom floor wall doesn't quite touch the floor. :( Also can't figure out why the top stairs don't match with the floor. I bought the Happy Together dollhouse people, and the Hape Family Pets."
"The house is great."
"What I don't like is that some of the screw hole do not line up properly, which in turn makes other pieces not line up properly."
"The Chelsea Doll Cottage is an excellent starter doll house for our Grand Daughter who just turned 3 years old."
"This is a Christmas gift for our 3 year old granddaughter and we can’t wait for her to unwrap it!"
"Also, some of the small sections and backer sections (#11 top pieces and 4A/4B/etc) were not tall enough to cover the full pre-drilled spacing; as such there are gaps in the assembled version and the back board is in danger of falling out if jostled because it doesn't rest fully in the channel."
"The pre-drilled holes for assembly are not in the right position, so the pieces do not fit together properly."
Best Preschool Car, Truck, Boat & Plane Toys
The Paw Patroller comes with Ryder and his ATV vehicle and can hold 3 Paw Patrol vehicles inside and can display 6 vehicles when open. By Paw Patrol. The Paw Patroller is the ultimate rescue vehicle and can transport three Paw Patrol vehicles inside, or display six vehicles when opened up!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me begin by telling you that we are huge Paw Patrol fans in this house and already own several of the pups and their mid-sized vehicles. When the set is open, you can fit 6 vehicles inside and 4 passengers - 2 get seats and 2 don't. They are made of a thicker paper, almost a thin cardboard and they separate. The Paw Patroller is a fun and durable "WOW" gift for any child. It has been played with for hours in our house and the kids love to pretend they are Ryder and Marshall! Note that some of the figures, such as Everest, are NOT included in the set and are sold separately."
"I will start by saying that my daughter (3.5 years old) is obsessed with this toy. The front of the truck is pretty large and can fit a lot of pups. When we play and my daughter drives the Paw Patroller around, she is always disappointed that she can only choose 3 cars to put inside it. I would love to be able to store more of the vehicles in the truck when we are finished playing! The front and back of the truck are so close together that there isn't any room for it to turn corners. My daughter has a really rough time turning it around in the playroom and always asks for me to do it. I just can't see why it costs so much (other than that it has the Paw Patrol name and that means people will pay a lot for it). My daughter likes it, but she usually ends up just playing with the pups and vehicles that I had to buy in addition to this."
"There are also 1-2 other things you must attach / get in place before letting a kid play with this one. Comes with Ryder figure and ATV. BUT, you CAN stuff an entire set of Paw Patrol figurines inside the Paw Patroller when closed IF you use figurines, racers and/or an appropriate combination of figurines and mid-sized vehicles. Here's what we stuff in our Patroller (while still being able to close it): Two medium-sized vehicles with riding figures (Ryder & ATV, and Everest & snowmobile); Two small racers (Chase and Zuma); Two figurines plus their detachable packs (Skye and Rocky); Two figurines with spring-action packs (Robodog and Tracker); and. Two figurines with other features (Rubble and Marshall)."
Best Play Tents & Preschool Outdoor Toys
FOX TOYS Play tents are a magical adventure for indoors and outdoors activities. FoxPrint Princess Play tent creates a kingdom in any corner of the house with this magical castle for kids. This charming castle has two side windows for ventilation and enough room for 2-3 little princesses to play. THE PERFECT PLACE TO RELAX AND DREAM THE DAY AWAY: FoxPrint Princess Play tent creates a kingdom in any corner of the house with this magical castle for kids. GREAT FOR A BACKYARD ADVENTURE: Your child will have hours of fun with this colorful play tent decorated with hearts and glow-in-the-dark-stars! With the fold down door and peep through window, it's great for encouraging role play, adventure and fun. The Poles are inserted from the bottom of the tent into concealed sleeves making them hidden and untouchable while in use for maximum safety .When assembled, the castle tent size is 41.5” x 41.5” x 54” and when it's time to clean up, the castle folds down flat to fit a lightweight and portable zipper carry bag just 17" in diameters.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The tent is well-made and can be folded and stored in a small bag, so it is very easy to be carried around. All four tent rods need to be set up from the inside of the tent, so I had to crawl in there; However, It is not that easy for a 5'11 adult. Anyway, this tent is perfect to take to beach and park too, since it is very light and easy to pack into a small bag, Overall, I am very happy with this purchase, so I give it 5 stars based on the cheap price and portability. It is little difficult to set it up because all four tent rods need to be set up from inside the tent, so I had to crawl in there."
"I have had children in it ages 5-13 and an 85 pound dog that loves it, as well as two cats that believe it's for them lol."
"My granddaughter's eyes were wide and bright when she saw her pretty pink tent! She likes to play in her own private space sometimes, and the play tent allows this, while still giving the adults in charge the ability to easily see that all is well with her."
"It was easy to put together and is small enough to fit in the corner of the living room."
"This should easily fit two or more little girls at a time and will provide a fun play time!"
"Although the tent is somewhat durable, I do not recommend rough-house playing in or around the tent such as how my grandboys would play."
"This is such a cute, fun tent for any little girl. I got this for my daughter to have her own private hideaway."
"It has two side windows that roll up for ventilation or to just talk out of and a door on the front that folds up.It's just about 3.5 feet in diameter so there's plenty of room inside, yet it doesn't really seem like it takes up much space when it's set up."