I Just Discovered Play Blocks That Actually Develop With My Toddler!

Shopping for learning and educational toys for our children feels overwhelming — just which STEM toys and science-backed programs should we be buying to help foster brain development? And should we change them out every time a new skill is mastered? A new comprehensive stage-based play system can't solve that individual dilemma for every parent, but it did just release a new product that makes open-ended play and adaptable learning opportunities possible.

Lovevery, the brand behind the popular play mats and play kits, just announced The Block Set ($90), the expansion of its staged-based line that goes well into toddlerhood. It's exactly what a parent like me, who's looking for ways to problem-solve with my child under the guise of playtime, wants. It's essentially a neat and tidy kit of blocks, shapes, wheels, and other pieces — all non-toxic – that in total creates 20 different challenges for kids, each one more advanced than the next. So rather than buying my child 20 STEM toys, I only have to get one. The block system is genius and simple at the same time!

"Blocks are universally recognized by educators as offering crucial lessons in physics, engineering, science, math, and open-ended imaginative play," Lovevery cofounder Jessica Rolph said in a release. "Yet we discovered after going into families' homes that many kids aren't playing with blocks anymore! Bricks and magnetic tiles that click together have widely replaced blocks. These building toys are great for open ended play, but kids don't learn about balance and support in the same way that they can with a classic set of blocks. Blocks are the original STEM toy," she continued. So from there Lovevery set a new mission. "We set out to give families a more inventive, more adaptable block set because blocks have so much meaning for early childhood development. We tested this set with more than one hundred families and saw first-hand that kids of all ages love it."

The Block Set arrives in its own wooden container with enough blocks and shapes inside to assemble up to 20 different challenges, each ranging in difficulty. Here are just a few of them (you'll see how they get more advanced).