The ultimate win is when you find toys that foster creativity, inspire learning, instill a good sense of design, and are eco-friendly—which earns extra-credit points. The following building sets meet all those criteria and will keep the little ones entertained for hours.

Bokah Blocks

Bokah Blocks is an innovative hardwood construction toy with an inventive, patented feature: The Bendy Joints. The blocks can be connected with “bendys” to form flexible joints, making the block constructions rotatable, portable, and wearable. Their natural wood-grain finish, clear-cut lines, and simple color palette make them sleek, stylish, and educational. The company recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to produce a smaller, more affordable toy package, the Explorer set.

Tsumiki Stacking Blocks

Tsumiki Stacking Blocks from Japanese architectural firm Kengo Kuma and Associates, in collaboration with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto's forestry conservation organization More Trees, offer endless creative building possibilities for both little and big people. They're crafted from sustainably sourced Hinoki wood (Japanese cedar) and smell delicious.

Mokulock Wooden Building Bricks

Inspired by LEGO® and carved out of wood, the Japanese company Mokulock offers a natural and eco-friendly alternative to the iconic plastic building toy. Each set contains bricks carved from six types of Japanese trees including cherry, birch, maple, bigleaf magnolia, hornbeam, and zelkova.

Haba Architectural Blocks

Well-known for their classic wooden building toys, Haba puts a design-forward spin on their building blocks with their architectural series. The beechwood blocks are available in different sets, which allow kids to build their own versions of the Roman Colosseum, a Russian cathedral, and even Egyptian pyramids.

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