MEGA BLOKS First Builders Big Building Bag review

The MEGA BLOKS First Builders Big Building Bag is the plain, oversized block set many families start with. Mattel's product page lists 80 big blocks in 10 shapes and 9 colors, rated for ages 1 and up, and the reusable bag doubles as storage. Mattel describes the blocks as easy to grip, stack and pull apart, which suits a 12-month-old who cannot yet press small bricks together. Mattel calls the line the #1 junior construction toy in the U.S.A., and it sells larger bags, including a 130-piece and a 150-piece version, if a child wants more. The limits are scope and how you buy it. There is no guide, figure or activity beyond building, so it does less than the Lovevery Block Set, and Mattel's US store showed a Where To Buy link to retailers rather than a direct price when we checked, so we could not verify a USD price. Prices at retailers vary by color and store.

Who it is for

1-year-olds starting to build

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• 80 big building blocks
• 10 shapes and 9 colors
• Rated for ages 1 and up
• Reusable storage bag for cleanup
• Blocks sized for toddler hands to grip, stack and pull apart

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Youngest age rating among the building toys here, at 1 year
• Strength: Storage bag makes cleanup part of play
• Strength: Mattel sells add-on MEGA BLOKS sets such as the 150-piece Deluxe Building Bag
• Weakness: Mattel's US store sends shoppers to retailers instead of selling direct
• Weakness: Plastic blocks only, with no figures or activity guide
• Weakness: Fewer shapes than the 18 in the Lovevery Block Set

Key facts

• Ages: 1 year and up
• Blocks: 80
• Shapes: 10
• Colors: 9
• In the box: 80 blocks and 1 storage bag

Where it ranks

MEGA BLOKS First Builders Big Building Bag is No. 4 in our Best Toys for Toddlers verdict.