Wooden building sets sit somewhere between blocks and finished toys. The child has to build something specific, but once it is finished, the play really begins. It can be a hit, and it can end up in a box if the set was too hard, too easy or finished after the first evening. Here are seven things worth looking for.
Blocks or building set?
Blocks are completely open. The child builds whatever they like, but it can be hard to get started, and the tower falls over. A building set has a plan. The child follows instructions and ends up with something that stands firm and can be played with: a station, a house or a farm. Many children love the feeling of having built something real. The best building sets give both a plan and freedom afterwards, so the finished set can be used in many kinds of play and rebuilt when the child gets new ideas.
1. The age on the box, and what it means
Many building sets have both a recommended age and an age they can be used from. Fire Station from Crateit Town, for example, has a recommended age of 5-9 years, can be used from 3 years and is assembled with an adult up to 5 years. That means a four-year-old can easily join in, but that it is a project you do together.
2. Number of parts and difficulty
The number of parts says a lot about how long the build takes. Fire Station has 72 parts, and most parents are done in 20-40 minutes. A Roomies set such as The Cloud Office has 94 parts. The product pages also state a difficulty level, so you can see what you are taking on.
3. Glue, screws or click
If the set has to be glued, it is finished once it is built. If it has to be screwed, tools need to come out. Sets that click together without glue or tools are easier for small hands, and they can be taken apart again. That makes it possible to rebuild, and to pack the set away when the floor is needed.
4. Instructions you can find again
Instructions go missing. It is a good idea to check whether the maker has them online. We keep our assembly instructions together on one page as PDFs, so you can download a new one if the paper has gone missing.
5. What happens once it is built?
The most important question. A good building set turns into a toy once it is built. Do cars, figures or furniture come with it? Can it be used for role play? Is there something to do besides looking at it? A fire station that comes with vehicles, or a dolls' house with a figure, gives the play a start.
Also think about whether the set can be used by several children at once. A building set that becomes a town or a house makes room for siblings or friends to play together, each with their own role in the story.
6. Can it be extended?
A set that fits together with other sets can grow with the child. In Crateit Town , buildings, road pieces and vehicles fit together across sets, and Crateit Roomies can be stacked and put together into a bigger dolls' house. Then the next set becomes an extension, not just one more thing on the shelf.
7. Who made it?
For many parents it matters where the toys come from. Crateit's sets are designed and produced in Denmark, and assembly and packing take place in sheltered workshops where adults with special needs work. Roomies and Fire Station are made of MDF and tested and certified to EN71.
Bonus: let it become the child's own
A building set in uncoloured wood has an extra advantage: once it is built, it can be coloured. The child chooses the colours with markers, and then it is not just a building set but the child's own fire station, farm or house. Besides Crateit Town and Roomies we also have Crateit Craft , with sets such as The Farmhouse.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 4-year-old build a wooden building set?
Together with an adult. Fire Station from Crateit Town can be used from 3 years and is assembled with an adult up to 5 years, but is recommended for 5-9 years. Let the child click the parts in while the adult keeps track of the instructions.
How long does it take to build?
It depends on the set. Fire Station takes most parents 20-40 minutes, and a Roomies set 20-30 minutes.
What do we do if the instructions are lost?
The assembly instructions can be downloaded as PDFs from the assembly instructions page.
See the whole Crateit universe, and find the building set that suits your child.
