3 fun building toy alternatives to Legos

By Aimee Heckel

The “Lego Movie” has us with blocks on the mind.

Legos are definitely a childhood toy staple. But they have changed since we were kids.

Today, most Legos are sold in building kits, not the free-form, use-your-imagination buckets of loose bricks that were more prevalent in the ’80s.

There are plenty of Lego alternatives and spin-offs, too. Here are a few of our kids’ favorite non-Legos options that still come with plenty of tiny little parts for you to step on and vacuum up, causing your children traumatic agony.

Playmobil — Stack and build and reshape dozens of different, elaborate scenes with tiny details.

Part of the fun with Playmobil is the building, and rebuilding. Stack and combine the different kits together. Unlike Legos, these don’t look like bricks and are a little less flexible. But they are great for developing fine-motor skills — and patience (among kids and the parents who probably have to help set it up).

Build elaborate castles, pirate ships, farms, fire trucks, zoos, houses, treasure island, schools, flower-covered gardens and more. Dress the little characters, too; remove and add wings, clothes, hats, baskets, crowns — all accessories are flexible to work with all of the different characters, creating endless possibilities.

The best place to find Playmobil for a great price is Kohl’s — like this mother-of-all princess castles for just over $200. Save money at Kohl’s with these coupons (and of course you’ll get Kohl’s cash). Pair it with 4 percent more Cash Back from ShopAtHome.com and it’s a deal hard to beat.

Read more articles about saving money at Kohl’s here.

Other building toys we love:

• Twig Blocks — These wooden blocks come in various different shapes that can all connect to each other, meaning endless combinations. Best of all: they’re nontoxic.
• Plus-Plus blocks — These look pretty funky. They’re all in the shape of plus signs. Make simple, 2-D creations or get elaborate with 3-D. These are easy enough for young kids but interesting enough for older kids.
• Mega Bloks — These colorful blocks come in a seemingly endless number of kits. The preschool sets are easy, with blocks much bigger than Legos (read: they hurt less when you step on them). But Mega Bloks makes sets for older kids, too, where they can create mythical creatures and animated characters galore.

Save money on other purchases for your kids with these babies and kids coupons.

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