138 Piece Big Building Blocks

The right size for a first set

A hundred and thirty-eight pieces is enough for a tower taller than the child building it and a wall long enough to be a garage, which is the practical test. It is not enough for two children to build independently at the same time, and families who know they are buying for a pair are usually happier with our larger box.

As a first set it has a quiet advantage over the bigger one: it can be tidied away in a couple of minutes. A box that takes ten minutes to clear gets offered less often, and a toy that gets offered less often gets played with less. Several reviewers describe buying this one and then adding the larger set a few months later, which is a sensible order.

Compatibility and build quality

Built to the same oversized standard as the major brands, so the bricks join onto an existing collection and onto baseplates. Reviewers who bought it explicitly to extend a set they already owned report that the pieces are hard to tell apart in play, and that they hold position on a plate rather than popping off.

The usual honest notes apply. The plastic is a little lighter than the premium original, and in one box reviewers occasionally find a piece that has come out of the mold badly. The booklet shows models in colors that are not necessarily the colors in your box, since the assortment varies by case, so expect a multi-colored pig.

Who it suits

Toddlers upward. Every piece is large enough that nothing is a choking hazard, the edges are rounded, and the material is non-toxic and washable. It is the gift we would choose for a child under three without knowing anything else about them, and it is the answer for a house where clay would mean supervision the parents do not currently have time for.

The gift box is printed and sturdy, so it survives as the storage container and saves a wrapping emergency if the thing is being given on the day.