Playmobil to LEGO: Construction Toys Through The Ages

Embark on a journey through the captivating realm of construction toys, tailored for various age groups. New parents and caregivers may be wondering why certain construction toys are aimed towards each age group?

In this article, we will help guide you in picking the perfect set for your child, what developmental skills the sets target and the enjoyment that is bound to be experienced.

Why Playing with Construction Toys Is Important

Construction toys are more than just play – they are a gateway for developmental growth and well-being. These construction toys have a huge impact on a child’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills, problem-solving, and imagination when linked to brands like Playmobil and LEGO.

Inventive play has potential in closing the “Dream Gap”, which is known to effect young girls. The Dream Gap refers to a combination of barriers that deny or impede girls from achieving their dreams or full potential. These barriers could be due to gender bias, gender stereotypes or discrimination. For example, statistics show that on average women make up 32% of world governments.

This is why it is important to challenge these ideals by exposing young girls to all kinds of inventive play and not hold them back from reaching their full potential.

Best Construction Toys For 1-2 Year Olds

Your toddler has reached the age of saying their first words and following instructions, whether verbally or through gestures. For the youngest builders, explore constructions toys for 1 to 2-year-olds that will spark curiosity and improve on their fine motor skills, featuring renowned brands like Dolu.

Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag

The Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag, includes 60 Mega Bloks pieces in a variety of sizes, colours and shapes for endless learning and mix & match building opportunities. Mega Bloks are amazing block-building toys for young children, featuring brightly coloured, chunky pieces that are easy to grip and put together.

This is a great, affordable building bag for children aged 1 to 2-years-old which enhances fine motor skills while introducing colours, numbers and much more.

Hedgehog Blocks 100 Piece Construction Set

Imagine all the endless building possibilities with the Hedgehog Blocks Construction Set. This is a wonderful set for children aged 1 to 2-years old, focusing on improving a child’s hand-eye coordination and hands-on ability.

This set features flexible and interlocking fun! An easy to build experience for little one’s to unleash their creativity and imagination.

LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box

A fun-filled developmental toy suitable for children over 18 months. The LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box is packed with bricks and pieces to inspire creative play. The chunky pieces are easy to handle and grip as children explore hands-on, open-ended play.

The bricks are also numbered 1-2-3 to extend learning beyond colours, with familiar pieces to encourage children to recreate the real world. The perfect addition to learn through playtime while developing self-expression and fine motor skills.

Let’s not forget to mention the box included for clutter-free storage! Check out more options from LEGO DUPLO.

Best Construction Toys For 3-5 Year Olds

As your child’s skills evolve, so do their construction needs. Dive into construction toys for 3 to 5-year-olds focusing on cognitive development, gross motor skills and featuring engaging options for their growing imagination.

LEGO Friends Horse Training Stables

The LEGO Friends Horse Training Stables set comes with 2 characters, a horse figure, a foal figure and lots of accessories to encourage little builders to create their own horse care and friendship stories. Recommended for children aged 4 and above, this set offers a helpful Starter Brick – a sturdy base that offers a fun building experience and starting point for children to expand on.

This set is fabulous for children who are passionate about horses and animal care, instiling confidence and encouraging imagination and storytelling. Discover a wide range of playsets within the new LEGO Friends universe.

Geomag Rainbow Magnetic Construction Set

Engage in colourful fun with the Geomag Rainbow Magnetic Construction Set. This 32-piece sets lets children build exciting creations, in motion, showing them a variety of optical illusions. Use magnets, rods, and spheres to create dynamic constructions that can be easily assembled, leaving your child with satisfying Geomag models.

A customer reviewed this product for their son with a 5-star rating, stating,

“It’s great for him to twiddle with and very stress busting.”

Geomag is an educations STEM product, stimulating and developing imagination, creativity, logic, and dexterity. Combine this set with other Geomag sets for infinite construction opportunities.

Best Construction Toys For 6-8 Year Olds

Stepping into the realm of bigger builds, explore construction toys for 6 to 8-year-olds. Children at this stage, may be looking for a challenge to intertwine themselves in or more complex characters to add to their imagination and narratives. Here are some great sets for this age group.

Playmobil City Action Fire Truck

The Playmobil fire brigade take their job very seriously as they dash around the city protecting citizens with the Playmobil City Action Fire Truck.

With several fun accessories including realistic fire flames, this set is wonderful for children aged 4 years and above. Enhancing creativity, instruction following, storytelling, and cognitive development.

A 5-star reviewer stated,

“This fire rescue truck was a great project for my 8- and 4-year-old boys! Mostly the 8-year-old built it, but my 4-year-old has to try to do what his big brothers do. But the directions were easy to follow, parts went together easily, and the truck felt more sturdy than I expected. They’ve enjoyed it and I would buy another toy like this!”

Explore the world of Playmobil City Action for more construction adventures.

Geomag Mechanics Motion Flywheels Magnetic Construction Set

Combine the joy of magnets with a world of mechanical construction in this Geomag Mechanics Motion Flywheels Magnetic Construction Set. Suitable for children aged 7-years-old and up, experiment with chain reactions and harness the understanding of magnetism to create movement.

This 96-piece STEM set, made of recycled plastic, helps children develop their imagination and curiosity through the science of magnetic construction as they rotate and twist the individual rods and steel spheres.

Indulge further in a world of magnetic construction toys for all the science enthusiasts.

Best Construction Toys for Older Kids and Teens

Navigate construction toys designed for the budding architects and engineers. Explore big kids construction toys for complex and mindful building projects.

LEGO Icons Dried Flower Centrepiece Set for Adults

Cultivate a piece of home decor that requires zero maintenance with this LEGO Icons Dried Flower Centrepiece Set for Adults. Suitable for those 18-years-old and above, this is an immersive project that features vibrant artificial flowers with a rose and gerbera as its focal point.

Relax, and unwind with this mindful building project for adults that allows you to create a wonderful floral display than can be cherished forever once built. Once completed, this can be used as a satisfying display to impress guests or even as wall décor.

A 5-star reviewer commented,

“I have bought a few botanical collection sets for my wife, and she has enjoyed putting them around our home. When I showed her this set, we both thought that it would be something nice to put together as a family each Thanksgiving. We plan on disassembling it each year and then pulling it back out.”

Explore more LEGO sets for adults.

Meccano 25-in-1 Motorized Supercar STEM Models

Ideal for the intermediate builder, rev up your engines with the Meccano 25-in-1 Motorized Supercar Set.

Enjoy experimenting and building a variety of different vehicles through this one set! With 25 motorised luxury dream cars to choose from, children will always have something to do with this car building STEM set.

The LED light piping gives children the option to add working head- and rear lights to their motorised builds. This set offers a rewarding yet challenging building experience for children and adults as they take part in quality time together. The set comes with 347 Meccano STEM pieces, a 6V electrical motor with LED, two real tools, and an instruction sheet to help you get started.

Enjoyed this set? Discover more Meccano sets to build and display.

Summary

As you embark on the exciting journey of finding the right construction toys for you, ensure to consider your child’s age, interests, and skill levels. Construction toys and building blocks not only offer hours of fun but also valuable developmental benefits. For more construction toys, don’t hesitate to check out The Entertainer.

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