Gift ideas · for a Builder
Gifts for kids who love to build
Kids who love to build want to make something that wasn't there before. The best gifts for them are open-ended, with lots of pieces and no single right answer.
Not sure they're a Builder? Take the quiz.
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Ages 4 to 6
- 1Magnetic tilesGet a bigger set than you think. Sixty pieces or more, because they run out of pieces fast. Find one
- 2Wooden unit blocksThey last for years and work with every other toy in the house. Find one
- 3A big bin of DuploEasier on small hands than regular LEGO, and it all fits together. Find one
- 4A marble run they can rebuildThe fun is changing the track, not watching the marble. Find one
Ages 7 to 9
- 1A big mixed bin of LEGO, not a single setA set gets built once. A bin gets built a hundred different ways. Find one
- 2A kid-sized real tool kitA real hammer, screwdriver and tape measure, used with a grown-up. Find one
- 3A gear or K'NEX building setMoving parts give a builder a new kind of problem to solve. Find one
- 4Cardboard building connectors, like MakedoEvery delivery box becomes a building project. Find one
Ages 10 to 12
- 1A beginner woodworking kitA birdhouse or a box they cut, sand and nail themselves, with some help. Find one
- 2LEGO TechnicGears and motion, for kids who have outgrown regular sets. Find one
- 3A low-temperature glue gun and a craft binCardboard, sticks and glue will keep a builder busy all winter. Find one
- 4A beginner robotics kitBuilding first, then a little coding to make it move. Find one
What usually doesn't get used
Big licensed sets that build one thing. They look great on the box, get built once and end up on a shelf.
Not sure this is your kid?
This list is for a Builder: makes things, and wants to see them exist. Most kids are a mix of two Play Types, so the quiz is the quickest way to know which lists to use.
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