Top 7 Child-Safe Building Toys in 2026

June 8, 2026

The building toy aisle won't tell you what matters most: is it safe, and will it actually help your child grow? As parents of three, we've done that digging for you. These 7 building toys earned the highest safety scores in our catalog right now — every one is a toy we'd happily hand our own kids.

Each pick is independently scored out of 100 for material safety, choking risk, recall history, and certifications, then checked against current recall data. No sponsorships, no guesswork — just our honest assessment, best-first.

How we scored these

Our Safety Score weighs what a toy is made of, whether it poses a choking risk for its age, its recall history, and which independent safety certifications it carries (like ASTM F963 and CPSIA). A score in the 90s means a toy we'd trust without a second thought.

Our top building toys right now

1. Grimm's Large Rainbow Stacker

Grimm's Large Rainbow wooden stacker with 12 nested arches in rainbow colors

Safety 94/100 · Development 85/100 · Ages 1 yr–8 yr. From Grimm's, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our Grimm's Large Rainbow Stacker review.

2. Tegu 14-Piece Magnetic Wooden Blocks

Tegu 14-Piece Magnetic Wooden Blocks set in Tints colorway

Safety 94/100 · Development 83/100 · Ages 1 yr–6 yr. From Tegu, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our Tegu 14-Piece Magnetic Wooden Blocks review.

3. Tegu Sunset 24-Piece Magnetic Block Set

Tegu 24-Piece Magnetic Wooden Blocks set in warm Sunset colors

Safety 94/100 · Development 85/100 · Ages 1 yr–8 yr. From Tegu, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our Tegu Sunset 24-Piece Magnetic Block Set review.

4. LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box

LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box 10913 with colorful bricks, toy car, and storage box

Safety 93/100 · Development 83/100 · Ages 18 mo–5 yr. From LEGO DUPLO, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box review.

5. Hape Fantasia Blocks Wooden Sorting & Stacking Train

Hape Fantasia Blocks wooden maple sorting and stacking train, 17 pieces

Safety 92/100 · Development 83/100 · Ages 18 mo–6 yr. From Hape, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our Hape Fantasia Blocks Wooden Sorting & Stacking Train review.

6. LEGO DUPLO Steam Train

LEGO DUPLO Steam Train 10874 push-and-go toy train set with track, station, and DUPLO figures

Safety 92/100 · Development 84/100 · Ages 2 yr–5 yr. From LEGO DUPLO, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our LEGO DUPLO Steam Train review.

7. Hape Twist & Turnables Wooden Shape Blocks

Hape Twist and Turnables colorful wooden nuts and bolts shape blocks

Safety 91/100 · Development 83/100 · Ages 2 yr–6 yr. From Hape, it's one of our top-rated building toys for this age — high marks for safety and genuine developmental value.

See the full safety breakdown in our Hape Twist & Turnables Wooden Shape Blocks review.

Choosing the right one for your child

Any toy on this list is one we'd feel good about putting in our own kids' hands. Browse every toy we've safety-scored on our reviews page, and if you'd like our safest picks and recall alerts in your inbox, join the SafeNest newsletter below.

Helping parents choose safer, smarter toys with confidence — that's why we built SafeNest.