I’m a massive fan of construction toys. There are thousands of studies that expound their educational and developmental value; from improving dexterity and fine motor skills, to following instructions, to problem-solving. Let’s face it, they’re also a ton of fun and preschoolers are quick to discover there’s nothing better than building a huge tower with mummy and daddy and squealing when it finally succumbs to gravity.

Mega Bloks are impossible to fault as a toy for the under 4′s. If your child is too young for Lego and finds tower-building enough of a challenge without introducing wheels, figurines and themed sets, then Mega Bloks are for you.

Construction sets are timeless toys that are fun for both girls and boys… 25 years of construction play expertise, ensure our preschool sets are easy to handle for little hands. Each eye-catching piece, with its special texture and other intriguing details, helps children confidently build worlds as big as their imaginations.

Not only are their First Builder sets readily available from supermarkets, online retailers and toy shops nationwide, they’re also well-priced and come in huge bags (which is great when the height of one’s tower is of the utmost importance). Their sets have also expanded to include trucks, farms, trains, recognisable characters, games, and much more to encourage imaginative play.

The bright primary colours will entice over any child, and the blocks connect solidly and easily allowing children to play independently. Unlike their major competitor (who shall remain nameless) the blocks also come apart incredibly easily, are easy to grip and well-sized for clumsy hands.

So when we were recently contacted about reviewing a couple of bags, I grabbed the opportunity. Dexter was very kindly sent a Mega Bloks First Builders 60 Piece Original Building Bag and Mega Bloks First Builder Make a Monster Bag and they’ve been played with every single day since their arrival. Mega Bloks were on Dexter’s Christmas present list anyway, so the only slight issue was that we had to give them to him early to complete this review. In fairness though, there was no way we could ever hide these from him as he sniffs out new toys from miles away!

The age on the bag suggests they’re fab for children aged 1-5 which I’d support. Dex is great at building towers and shapes but isn’t yet at the stage of following building designs yet. I’m not sure he even realised the relevance of the characters on the bag, but he did enjoy all the wacky shapes of the ‘special’ blocks.

We did have a go at making the designs on the bag, but the beauty of this particular set is that the eyes, mouth and hands can be used to build hundreds of variations of monster especially when you buy additional blocks alongside your themed set.

The Mega Bloks First Builders Make a Monster Bag came with stickers to add mouths, eyes, toenails, hair etc to the blocks, and I must admit that it was tricky to match the stickers to the correct block (they’re are some 70 pieces). This is the one bit you won’t want your toddler’s help with, so is best done when they’re in bed. Trust me it’s not easy keeping an over-excitable toddler away from Mega Bloks! If you’re buying this, or any other special Mega Bloks set for your child this Christmas, I’d considering doing this before you wrap it up.

Lastly, Mega Bloks come in portable PVC-free zip-up bags which are simply brilliant for storage. They’re really hardy and can withstand a real battering from impatient tots as they extricate their blocks. This will also (hopefully) encourage your child to tidy away their blocks after play-time, and keep them separate from their other toys.

To learn more about the ranges available from Mega Bloks, tips on helping your child get the most out of their sets, and get building inspiration, check them out on @MegaBloksTTB (Twitter) and Facebook, or to buy the Mega Bloks First Builders Make a Monster Bag yourself, head to Argos where the set is currently £13.29, saving your 1/3 off RRP.

There you go! That’s why Mega Bloks should be on every toddlers Christmas list!