Toy wooden blocks are great toys to give to your toddlers to play with. They are both educational and fun, and they do inspire kids’ imaginations.

You want to introduce this great type of toy to your child early, maybe as early as when they are babies. What types though are good? Soft toy building blocks are ideal for very young children or toddlers between about a year to a year and a half of age. Kids this age will love these soft toy blocks which are similar to the wooden blocks but much easier for the young toddler to play with and stack to build his or her creations.

The IQ Baby Chubby Soft Activity Blocks are an excellent choice for a first set of soft building or activity blocks. This is a set of 19 blocks covered in cloth. They make interesting noises and have little picture flaps, and even come with a carrying case.

Once your child has reached the age of about a year and a half he or she is probably ready for a set of small wooden building blocks. Many parents choose to start with something like a set of alphabet blocks where each block has a letter of the alphabet printed on it. Or you may want to get a set of blocks that have numbers on them, or even combine the two.

I would definitely recommend buying the wooden blocks rather than the plastic block sets that are also available. They may be a bit more expensive but the plastic ones are simply too light to be able to stack and play with in the same manner you can with the classic wood block sets. Another negative of the plastic sets is they tend to be rather cheaply made and somewhat uneven, making them harder to stack for that reason as well. They also can be stepped on and smushed easily. I think your child will only become frustrated if you purchase the plastic rather than the wooden block sets.

The benefit of the wooden blocks is that they are heavier of course and also that the surface is smooth. And don’t forget, they are much more durable! That in itself is a wonderful reason to go for wood blocks every time for the older toddler and the soft blocks for your tiny tots.