By Marcia Colpan

As a daycare provider, I get to see a lot of toys that get hard use and I can tell you those that spend more time on the shelf than in the hands of the children. Invariably, the toy that gets THE most constant playing time is the Building Block sets. There's something magical about the way some shapes and colors combine to create buildings, towns, railways and phasers that pulls a child back again and again.

As an educator, I'm thrilled that this toy does get as much time in little hands that it does. There is nothing better on the market that will stimulate eye/hand coordination, teach color and texture, cause children to experiment with balance and teach them the earliest lessons of physics than blocks. This simple toy in its myriad forms hold some much potential for learning and creative play that they have never been able to duplicate it. It'll teach sorting, order, size and other early math concepts and yet give your budding artist a chance to show of his or her creativity. I was amazed to see that someone had actually tried to put the concept of building blocks into a computer program. I have no doubt it will be a successful program, but I don't think it will replace that wonderful feel of smooth surfaces being worn even smoother by little hands.

We have found some wonderful block ideas from the people at Amazon.com and and we will provide you with links to go there. However, they are not the only types known and if you look carefully, you can find just the right type of block for your child. Be careful to read and follow the recommended age levels since the incorrect level could prove to be frustrating or even dangerous to a younger child.