Play Type

Builder kids: how they play and what to try

Makes things, and wants to see them exist.

Gift ideas for a Builder

· Quiz another kid

Remind me beforeor

Try tonight

A cardboard box city that grows all week.

Halloween for a BuilderA robot costume they build out of a box, and a candy chute for the porch.See the costume

What it looks like

Builders are happiest when something is there at the end that wasn't there before. They rebuild the same thing ten ways, get upset when it gets knocked over, and would rather make the game than play it.

Give them materials and a problem, then get out of the way.

Outside

  • Build a fort from sticks, sheets and whatever's in the garage
  • A backyard dam or river in the dirt with the hose on low
  • A sandcastle with a moat that actually holds water

At home

  • A cardboard box city that grows all week
  • A LEGO challenge with one rule, like a bridge that holds a book
  • Cook something from a recipe they get to change

With friends

  • Marble-run building contest with a shared box of parts
  • A blanket fort sleepover where the fort is the activity
  • Build a car from boxes and race them down the driveway

Toys that fit

  • Magnetic tilesOur pick: Magna-Tiles Clear Colors, 100 pieces Find it
  • A big mixed bin of LEGO, not a single setOur pick: LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box (10698) Find it
  • A kid-sized real tool kit, used with a grown-upOur pick: Stanley Jr. 5-Piece Tool Set Find it

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More gift ideas for a Builder, by age

On a screen

Worth saying yes to. Ratings shown on each.

MinecraftESRB E10+Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, phones and tablets · Sells things insideThe best building game there is. Stick to Creative mode on your own world, and turn off Marketplace purchases in settings.Find it on Amazon
LEGO Builder's JourneyESRB ESwitch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Apple Arcade · Nothing to buy insideQuiet, beautiful brick puzzles with no timers and nothing to buy. Good for younger Builders.Find it on Amazon
Dragon Quest Builders 2ESRB E10+Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC · Nothing to buy insideMinecraft-style building with a story that teaches you what to make next. Good for kids who stall on a blank world.Find it on Amazon

Watch out for

Public Minecraft servers have open chat with strangers. Keep them on their own world or a private Realm with people you know.

More gift ideas

By age

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ToddlersAges 4 to 6Ages 7 to 9Ages 10 to 12

By occasion

Stocking stuffersChristmasScreen-freeBirthday partiesKids who have everythingGame night

By what they love

Art and drawingScienceAnimalsDinosaursSpaceCars and trucksCooking and bakingReading

By how they play

BuilderExplorerCompetitorStorytellerCollectorPerformerPuzzler

All gift ideas

Things to do near you

Camps, leagues, classes and weekend events that fit a Builder. Tell us where you are and we'll email when there's a good one close by. About once a month.

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The other Play Types

Explorer Competitor Storyteller Collector Performer Puzzler

Made by a dad of three. Ideas and picks are chosen by hand, and nobody pays to be on this site. Game ratings come from the ESRB and the App Store, so check anything yourself before saying yes.

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