It’s so easy to buy toys for kids these days. With toys coming in all types, shapes, sizes, prices from everywhere, it is tempting for parents to buy as much toys as they like. Ironically, with so many options available, the field of choices became even narrower because now, parents know what to look for: price, quality and impact.

One of the things I learned from buying toys for my 3-year-old daughter Ahren through the years is that it is best to choose those that don’t put too much emphasis on age range like Mega Bloks. While it is important to give kids age-appropriate toys, it doesn’t always work since they tend to grow up fast and they will just outgrow the ones you bought for them.

More than just ‘building blocks’

For kids like Ahren who love to work with their hands and to construct and deconstruct their toys and one who hates playing by the rules, Mega Bloks is just perfect. And coming in various models, Mega Bloks ensures that it has something that will suit the interest of any child.

I can say that this is Ahren’s favorite toy because she plays with it every single day and even has a name for it, “big blocks.” Having this product at home is both a delight and hard work for all of us. Delight, because aside from keeping Ahren busy almost all day long, I can see how it nurtures her creativity and feeds her imagination.

At times, parents like us forget that children tend to see and understand the world much differently than we do. In their world, there are no limits or restrictions. And since there are no exact rules on how to play with this product, kids like Ahren are given the chance to explore unlimited possibilities, paving the way for them to express their creativity and imagination.

When a child’s imagination is nurtured at such a young age, discovering and creating things will come naturally. With Ahren, I am constantly surprised on the inventiveness she displays everyday. It amazes me how these simple and colorful chunks of plastic can stimulate pretend play and sharpen the mind in the process, since it encourages the child to come up with strategies to build something.

Over the months, Ahren’s favorite creations would include towers, animals, buses, ships, cars, airplanes, bicycles, and robots. But, her favorite are her own versions of trains that she calls “choo-choo.” When you see it, you could barely recognize it as a train but since it’s her world, who are we to disagree?

Aside from nurturing her creativity, I also love how the blocks develop her reasoning and problem-solving skills. One time, she found a magazine with a toy car on it. She placed the magazine on the floor, gathered her big blocks and took her usual spot in front of the TV. One of the things I practiced early on is that I don’t offer help unless she asks for it. I always see to it that she tries something out on her own first before she asks for something. Of course, I always assure her that I am just there if she needs something. I just stay around and will pretend to do something else, without her knowing that I am watching closely the things that she does.

I knew that she was trying to copy the car but can’t figure out how to do it. I told her that she needs to do it herself. Despite her constant tantrums and throwing pieces that don’t seem to fit, she patiently worked on it. After almost an hour, she was able to build a version of her own. Of course, it’s not a perfect replica but the good thing is she was able to get all the colors right! It was great how this toy enabled her to discover, learn and execute strategies necessary to produce the desired effects!

Growth in all aspects

Since the product gives the child the power to create and the freedom to set her own playing rules, the child will be able to gain confidence and self-esteem. I noticed this on Ahren because whenever she builds something, there’s a glow of confidence on her face. It’s nice how this product encourages her to act independently and take pride in her accomplishments.

For younger kids, Mega Bloks is an ideal product to help enhance fine motor skills such as muscle movement and hand-to-eye coordination as well as color recognition. This product also engages the young minds to stay focused and attentive because the very simple process of the way it is played induces children to concentrate. These are the skills that will be crucial in facing challenges when they grow up.

Toys like these could also be an effective tool in teaching kids values and discipline. In fact, I use this product to help Ahren develop her sense of order. I have always known that organization is a skill best acquired through play. But it’s not very easy when you don’t have the right toys at hand.

Since Mega Bloks has pieces that need to be gathered afterwards, this is the tool I used to develop in Ahren the sense of orderliness and being organized. Whenever she plays with it, Ahren knows that she needs to dump everything back to the bucket where she got it. It was hard at first to tell her to fix her own toys but since she enjoys playing with it so much, she forced herself to learn how to pick everything up. It feels good that a product as simple as Mega Bloks can help a child as young as Ahren to be organized, which is very crucial for having clear thoughts and good decision making.

Likes

• It’s a good investment since kids as young as 2 years old can already play with it and they can do that until they get to grade school.
• It’s an effective tool to teach simple values and skills such as being responsible and organization skills.
• It’s a perfect toy to keep kids busy.
• Ideal for teaching kids colors, shapes, and sizes as well as in teaching them numbers.
• It’s not a “sensitive toy” so it’s okay if Ahren throws it around.
• The blocks are big enough so I don’t need to worry that she might swallow it.

Dislikes

• It could be expensive for parents, who don’t have a budget allotted for toys.
• It could create too much clutter inside the house and if your child doesn’t know how to fix their toys yet, you will be the one to pick up all the pieces.