When I was little, my favorite toys were my doll, my wooden train set, and my wooden blocks- especially my wooden blocks. With enough simple wooden cubes, anything is possible, though I must admit that the amazing blocks available today make me a little bit jealous...

• The Young Mad Scientist Building Blocks from ThinkGeek are as beautiful as any old-world blocks, with the added advantage of teaching geeks of all ages about freeze rays, tentacles, and nanotechnology.
• The Heirloom Wooden ABC Blocks from Blueberry Forest Toys are equally beautiful, though perhaps a bit more classic. Both of these sets are carefully crafted out of all-natural maple.
• Blueberry Forest also carries the HABA Kaleidoscopic Blocks, ingenious beech blocks with acrylic prisms- think how they'll class-up your wooden block cabin!
• Inhabitots featured Tegu's Eco Magnetic Wooden Blocks, pretty little blocks that are exciting in so many ways. Their colors delicious and each block contains a high-powered magnet, but that's not all. The purchase of each set creates employment for Honduran craftspeople and also gives you the option of either sending a child to school for a day or planting a tree in devastated Honduran forests.
• Man Make Home featured Serena Mitnik-Miller's hand-painted blocks, made using bits of leftover paint. A wonderful project to try with or without kids!
• SFMOMA carries the XYZ Alphabet Blocks, which utilize the artwork of Christian Northeast to teach kids about ice cube trays and jackalopes- so essential.
• ForeverGeek has Geometry Equation Building Blocks, the perfect tool to help your kid re-teach you geometry.
• Finally, if you or your child are both really careful, and your block budget is unlimited, you could build something gorgeous and other-worldly with the Vasa Cubes from MoMA.

(All images as credited above, except Mad Scientist Blocks from NOTCOT.)

MORE KIDS' BLOCKS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Uncle Goose Alphabet Blocks, Store Profile
• Go 3D with Puzzle Blocks
• Make Your Own Mix-n-Match Box