Finding the Best Toys to Encourage Creating and Building (at Target!)

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser, #TargetToys. All opinions are mine alone.

Friends have you started your holiday shopping lists? I am knee-deep in shopping for the 10 children on my list because, quite frankly, they are the REALLY fun ones to shop for. And this year, I’m looking for the best toys I can find that will encourage creating and building. I want toys that children simply can’t resist, and not because they are electronic!

Do you wish you could more easily identify toys like this, too? I find them to be among the very best resources for setting up invitations to play. When I take a few minutes to set up these kinds of activities, my kids make their way over to them with little to no prompting, and they figure out exactly what they want to create or build without my help.

For the nieces, nephews, cousins and school friends you might be buying for this year, consider a LEGO set. They come in a wide variety of price points (the one featured above was just $9.99) and they have really great, really clear instructions for kids to follow, or they are free to build whatever the heck they want!

Darah got right to work doing a little building. She followed the directions for a spell (she’s a HARDCORE direction-follower…gets it from her mama) but even she couldn’t resist that dolphin in the corner, and found herself making up a story about an adventure with it after just a few minutes left to figure out how she most wanted to play. It was a delight to witness!

Kiwi Crates are also available at Target (look for them near the games!). My oldest absolutely adores Kiwi Crates. When I set out a set for her consideration, she was thrilled.

Every child is going to have a different reaction to an invitation to build. Darah is highly verbal, so her first reaction was the pick up the book that comes with the Kiwi Crate and to start checking out the comic strip that was inside. The book was a great way to get her warmed up to the idea of building wind cars. After flipping through it, she was ready to go!

Target is also a great destination for items that help encourage a child to create. I was particularly impressed with the Kid Made Modern line that I found in my local store. It’s actually in the stationery section, so don’t forget to look beyond the toy section for great, creative finds!

Here are just a few items I picked up from Kid Made Modern. Everything was very reasonably priced: perfect for stocking stuffers, filling up the gift closet with inexpensive-yet-awesome finds, and great gifts to put under the tree this year. I’ll definitely be getting more from this line for my girls this Christmas.

My 2-year-old absolutely LOVES coloring and painting, so I set up invitations to create for her quite often. Just by providing fun and engaging materials, I am continually surprised by how long she can stay engaged and focused on a creative play activity.

The next time you head to Target, be sure to take a good look around for items that encourage creating and building, and help kids put their imaginations and their talents to work. Don’t forget to look near the games and to head over to the stationery section, too!

Additionally, Target has an amazing Toy Emporium (found only online) and there are some truly fantastic brands that you may not have even heard of, but that will blow you away. You MUST check it out as you put together your ideas for people on your gift list. These toys will be particularly good for kids who like to get their hands on creative toys that everyone in their class doesn’t already have! You’ll find great options to help kids explore, discover, imagine, create, build and to promote being active. Something for everyone, for sure.

Want more inspiration to help you provide invitations to create and build? Check out this Pinterest board for some more great ideas!