Parents' Choice Foundation

Noodle Expert Member

December 18, 2019

Does your child love building? We partnered with Parents’ Choice Foundation to select the most educational toys to encourage her passion for architecture.

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Yes, we know that LEGOs are the go-to construction toy. And they’re great. Many successful professional architects from databases to skyscrapers have claimed LEGOs as their training ground. But what about looking at building from other angles?

# 1. Collector’s Edition Homestead Lincoln Logs

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Start with the classics: plain and beautiful wooden blocks. Then, introduce some history and/or nostalgia with the Lincoln Logs (ages 3+).

# 2. DIY Dream House by Hape

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Bauhaus devotees will be thrilled to watch young builders create a beautiful home, complete with magnetic decorations and furnishings (ages 3+).

# 3. Bill & Betty Bricks

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With multi-shape building blocks that function as 3-D puzzle pieces, this toy will encourage your child to undertake creative problem-solving as she builds her next architectural marvel (ages 5+).

# 4. URBAN FOLD: Build Your Own Paper Block City

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These paper blocks will have your child bringing famous skylines to life. This toy works equally well in the playroom and the boardroom (ages 6+).

# 5. The Extraordinaires ™ Design Studio – INVENTIONS/BUILDINGS

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This toy is a fun and fascinating adventure in design process. Players must use information about different characters to create appropriate buildings and inventions for them (ages 8+).

# 6. Design Dossier: Architecture

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This book and CD set delves into the profession itself, asking difficult questions about what’s required to realize one’s dream of becoming an architect.

Books for Your Future Architect

For page-turners, the talented picture book team of Andrea Beaty and David Roberts encourages young dreamers in “Iggy Peck, Architect" and “Rosie Revere, Engineer" (ages 4–8). Other not-to-be-missed and now classic books include “Built To Last" and “Building Big" (ages 10+), examples of David Macaulay’s finest work.

Start building!

Check out more educational gifts for kids handpicked by Noodle and Parents' Choice!