The Knock-Knock Blocks are a set of 16 soft, super light-weight building blocks with doors and windows that open to reveal smiling characters or a mirror inside.  The Knock-Knock Blocks set is made by IQ Baby.  The set consists of 8 triangular blocks with striking black and white patterns that help a newborn eyes to develop, as well as creating visual interest for babies looking at them from in their cribs.  There are also 8 vibrantly colored  square blocks, with fun colorful graphics. The square blocks  are covered with  fabrics like satin, corduroy, and cotton, to create varied textures and tactile interest.  Each of the 16 blocks makes sound when squeezed, either jingle, crinkle, or rattle, to enhance baby’s auditory stimulation, and teach baby  about cause and effect.  This building block set is most suitable to be played with by children 6 months  and older.

Pros:

• Blocks are soft, making them even safer than the normal harder bricks.  There is no danger of injury if they are thrown or swung at someone.
• Block set is brightly colored and patterned, as well as having characters inside the windows and doors.  A great toy for inspiring young imaginations.
• Blocks come with a zippered carrying case that makes it easy to either store the blocks, or travel with them.
• Blocks make different sounds, and many of them have doors or windows that open, all of which encourages interaction and learning for baby.
• Require very little storage space when stored in the zippered storage pouch that comes with the set.

Cons:

• There is a potential that the opening doors and windows could get torn off with repeated use.
• The blocks do not stack as well as hard blocks, so may not be ideal for older children that are really into building.
• The size of the blocks may be too large for small, young babies to be able to hold and manipulate.
• Colors may fade in the washing machine.  It may be more preferable to hand wash these blocks to limit color fade.

The Rock-A-Stack is a rocking cone and 5 brightly colored graduated rings that fit on the cone, made by Fisher-Price.  The Rock-A-Stack is a toy designed to encourage both motor skills and cognitive abilities, as they learn to stack the rings in the proper order.  All of the bright rings are made of safe, washable, soft plastic that work well for teething babies.  This is a toy that is best suited for children from 6 months to 2 years.

Pros:

• Because of the stacking order of the graduated rings, the child learns logic as well as developing memory, and problem solving skills.
• The rings and base are light in weight, easy for a small child to carry around with them.  More importantly, if they are dropped, they are light enough that they will not cause injury to a baby’s feet or toes.
• A great learning toy for many stages of development, as it can teach colors, coordination, and balance, in addition to the other skills of logic, memory, and problem solving.
• The toy is very easy to clean, durable, and not too large to take along on road trips.

Cons:

• There have been some issues (in early 2009) with blue dye rubbing off of the blue ring and getting on things, including the baby.
• For some babies, the task of choosing progressively larger rings may be more frustrating than fun, so this toy may not be for everyone.
• The rocking bottom of the cone is hard and can cause injury if used as a weapon.
• Do not let children chew on the rings unattended, as there have been cases where small pieces were broken off, causing a potential choking hazard, as well as jagged edges that can cut little fingers.

The Duplo 5380 Building Set is a 71 piece deluxe building brick set, made by LEGO.  The Duplo 5380 set comes with 71 brightly colored LEGO bricks, a figure to help inspire role-playing fun, a wagon base, and building plate.  This set has a new container to allow for easy clean-up and storage, and a transparent lid that allows young architects to display their creations while they are put away.  The LEGO Duplo 5380 Building Set is best suited for children from 18 months-5 years.

Pros:

• Set comes with a good assortment of shapes and sizes of blocks, as well as one small building plate, one  wagon base, and one man action figure.
• Because it is made by LEGO, it is easy to buy more compatible pieces to expand the number of bricks, building plates, wagon bases, and even people action figures.
• The pieces in this set are large enough for a young child to handle.  The pieces snap together easily, and can be easily removed with a little effort.  The pieces hold together tight enough that they do not come apart without taking them apart.

Cons:

• This set only has 71 blocks, not enough for big building projects.
• The blocks in this set are brightly colored, but plain.  This set is really made for youngsters that are most interested in building.  This set may not be appropriate for children that are more interested in blocks that have animals, flowers, or other designs on the blocks.
• The house building plate is very small, and there is only one wagon base.  If your child likes to build lots of cars or large houses, the set may need to be expanded by purchasing additional pieces.
• This set only comes with one man action figure, so if your child really likes playing with  little people, you may need to purchase more people figures to go with this set.