10 Building Sets for Kids to Create With

Calling all parents who are looking for some fun ways to keep the chaos in check and their kids’ minds in creative mode. Or, if nothing else these 10 building sets are great answers to the question “mom, I’m bored, what can I do?”. Keep reading to view the ones that have kept my 5 kids busy time and time again.

Getting Creative with Building Sets

Each of my kids has a personality and interests that are all their own. However, all of them have loved to get involved with certain types of building sets.

It’s something that they can play with that encourages their creativity and keeps them entertained for a good amount of time.

The extra bonus is that it’s time away from electronic devices, which I know can be a parent’s biggest struggle these days.

No Legos on this Building Sets List

Don’t get me wrong, our family loves Legos and we have our fair share of them. And by fair share I mean we have a ton of them.

However, I often feel like when my kids get a set of Legos and puts it together, that’s it. Once it breaks apart and the pieces get scattered they rarely sort through them to put the set back together.

That’s why these building sets are a little different. Kids can take them out again and again to make whatever they want. The pieces aren’t specific to a particular build so it’s easier to just let their imaginations run wild.

Over the years we’ve experienced a lot of toy sets. Here are ten of my favorite building sets that have kept my kids captivated.

1.) SNAP CIRCUITS || 2.) FORT KIT || 3.) MAGNETIC STICKS || 4.) MARBLE RUN || 5.) MAGNETIC TILES || 6.) TINKER TOYS || 7.) LINCOLN LOGS || 8.) GEAR SET || 9.) WOODEN TRAIN TRACKS || 10.) DOMINOES

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SNAP CIRCUITS

I had had snap circuits on the gift list for my second oldest son for the longest time, but for whatever reason I never got it for him. Finally I purchased a set for my third son and it was a big hit, not only with him but his older brother, who I thought might have out grown this toy, loved it too. They both enjoy piecing it together to create different reactions according to the instructions.

Snap circuit has several different sets but the two I recommend to start with are the 100 project set or the 300 project set.

FORT KIT

I mean c’mon, kids and forts? They pretty much go together like peanut butter and jelly. With this set kids can build their own little hide out to play in. It’s also easy to clean up and store away when they are not using it.

MAGNETIC STICKS

My in-laws have a set of these in their toy closet for when any of their grandkids come to visit. It is always one of the first things that gets taken out and is played with more than any other toy. They can sit for hours arranging the magnetic sticks and balls in different ways.

Note: the magnetic balls are the size of a marble so this set may not be appropriate for younger children who tend to put things in their mouth.

MARBLE RUN

My kids are still taking this set out to play with and we’ve had it for years. Even I like to help create different courses to roll marbles through! They can follow the picture on the box or use their imaginations to design their own marble run.

MAGNETIC TILES

Magnets are just cool and kids find them so intriguing. With this set they can build anything from a castle to a bridge or a fortress for their toy soldiers. Plus, it’s great for all ages so everyone can get involved.

TINKER TOYS

These have been around for a long time. I had a set when I was a kid so it was one of the things I wanted to have for my own children. They build all sorts of creations with our set and it keeps them tinkering for a long time.

LINCOLN LOGS

This is another classic set that I remember playing with as a child. I would sit with my dad and we would build our log cabin together. It’s different from any other building set and your kids will enjoy linking the logs together to build whatever they imagine.

GEAR SET

I didn’t realize how mugh you can actually build with this set. My youngest son was given a gears set for his first birthday. He was a bit young for it at the time but all of my other kids helped to put the gears together in different sequences and I have to admit that it is a pretty darn cool toy set.

WOODEN TRAIN TRACKS

I bought a set of these years ago for my older boys and let me tell you they have gotten their share of play time. They are way less expensive than the name brand version and just as good of quality. In fact they still look brand new and have been through three of my boys and my daughter. There are plenty of tracks in the 52 piece set but if you want more they have a 100 piece set as well, which is the set I originally bought for my boys.

DOMINOES

When I was growing up we would go to my grandparents house a lot and in there game closet was a pink plastic bucket full of the old-school wooden dominoes. I can’t tell you how much time my cousins and I spent setting up dominoes and knocking them down, but it was a lot. It’s the perfect set for my middle child who is always lining up his cars and toy soldiers anyways and so much fun to watch as they tumble down in a line.

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