Haba Sevilla Building Blocks are made from beechwood and measure 2 inches. Their size and shape makes them easily stackable, and the bright colors make kids want to play with them. Included in the set of 25 building blocks are a block with a rattle, a block with a bell, a block with a prism, a block with a mirror, a block with a magnifier, and a block with a peep hole. Recommended for ages 1 1/2 and up, they are designed to be compatible with other Haba building blocks as well.

Fun for a boy or a girl, these blocks would make a great Christmas gift. At $70, they won’t break the bank, either. Take a closer look at LandbridgeToys.com.

In this day and age, when shopping for toys, one doesn’t always know what one will get. There have been so many safety recalls, problems with melamine in plastic toys, problems with imports from China, and so forth, that it might make parents afraid of buying toys for their children this holiday season.

If you feel like this, it might be a good idea to return to basic toys, such as this classic Roy Toy Tree House Play Set. These building blocks have been made in Maine from real wood since the 1930s. This is a practical, quality toy. The 71-piece set comes in a reusable storage container.

Recommended for ages 4 and up, you can purchase this toy for $24.95 at VermontCountryStore.com. It’s one gift you can feel good about buying and giving to your child.

I never liked having my children playing with anything that was heavy, had sharp or pointed edges or was made from any kind of material that could splinter or crack. No matter how much they told me they would be careful and not poke their brother or sister (or themselves), I was adamant.  But I think I would have been at ease giving this Mulitcolor Foam Block Toy Set to them to play with.

This 180 piece Multicolor Blocks by Edushape are soft, colorful, light blocks and textured animals. It is excellent for developing motor coordination, creativity, and understanding of geometric shapes. Children can create and recreate ever changing environments. Make sure you find an appropriate storage container for these 180 pieces. Anything from a laundry basket to a plastic bin will do. Just make it readily accessible to your child for play and clean up.

This toy is appropriate for ages 2 and up and is available for $64.95 at SensoryEdge.com.

Tree Blocks®are such an unusual block set. Each set comes with some “Y” or forked shaped pieces, and pieces of various diameters and lengths.

Tree Blocks® are made from discards of managed paper forests — no living trees are harmed in the production of Tree Blocks®. “We identify abandoned or end of productive cycle plots and contact the farmers,” it says at the Tree Blocks®Web Site. “We come in to push the old trees over, thereby removing the roots. Then we purchase the wood and haul it away to process. This leaves the farmer clean soil and seed money, so it can be back into production.”

The entire set comes ready to give as a gift in a drawstring cotton bag. Safe, lab tested. Conforms to CPSC & ASTM 963- F, and EN 71. Sounds like you can purchase this natural product with a clean conscience, and at a price of just $39.95 at naturalpod.com, it’s a toy that’s affordable too.

Your child can get playful with this little caravan of a Camel, Elephant, Giraffe, Bird and Lion. I think children will want to “handle” these animal blocks in the Zid Zid Caravan Block Set. They look like they’d weigh pretty solidly in your hand, and the cool vinyl material coupled with the embroidery details makes this a tactile delight. The company also offers a variety of block styles/themes, including “Off to the Country” and ”In the City Blocks”. It’s a very unique concept in children’s blocks.

Zid Zid Kids was founded by married artist/designer couple Julie Klear and Moulay Essakalli in 2003 after they and their two children relocated from Massachusetts to Morocco, where Moulay was born and raised. Julie and Moulay combine the local warm colors and unique designs to their line of high quality products for generations to enjoy. All of their products arel handmade by artisans in Marrakech, Morocco.

The caravan block set includes the colors blue, brown, orange, silver, gold. They are handmade from high quality vinyl with fine embroidery details.  The set even comes with a re-usable cotton drawstring bag. Sizes range from 3-14 inches.

Purchase this unique block set for $68 at pokkadots.com.

Things that move, swirl, and flow, and don’t make a mess on the floor make everyone happy. These are certainly very unusual blocks compared to the ones I used to play with as a child. I’m sure I’d be right down there on the carpet with my children playing with these Water Blocks by Plan Toys.

There’s just something about the movement of water that captures our attention — whether we’re adults or toddlers. I’ve noticed that children will tend to toss or step on blocks after a while but I think these Water Blocks will hold their attention a little longer. With the addition of colored water, these could be the building blocks of a sea port or their own Sea World.

The Water Blocks by Plan Toys was the Teachers’ Pick in Parent & Child 2004. The set includes three square blocks with red, yellow and blue water, and three semi-circle blocks with red, yellow and blue water. Made from sustainable rubberwood, it’s appropriate for ages 3 and up.

The Water Blocks by Plan Toys measure 4.25″ x 5.5″L and can be purchased for $30 at UncommonGoods