When trying to decide which basic set to go with, we decided to go with the extra large one, and was not at all disappointed. There is enough blocks for both of my small children to have enough to work with, and there is a great selection of basic shapes and good number of special shapes for example crosses for making latticework. The set is large and complex enough for it to be your only block set, but Haba's block sets are made temptingly compatible with the ball track set and most of Haba's other block sets, so add-ons are always an option.

Here in Portland, Oregon, we have lots of rainy days and it's essential to have fun things around the house for the children. I think blocks are one of the most lovely toys, and Haba has a nice block system. Not only do Haba's whimsical baby blocks integrate with this set, but you can also continue to add special accessories on birthdays and holidays. Another thing, these can coordinate with Haba's marble runs, which I'll be giving my children this year. I"m looking forward to seeing them make marble runs through their architectural creations. By the way, I gave these blocks to my children along with a beautiful book of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "Block City", and were they delighted!

My middle child (now 5) got this set when she was 2 years old. She loved them and built 'cities' all over the living room. These are great quality wood and having the bag is a definite plus for clean-up. Our 2 year-old son plays with them now, too.

These are great blocks. My son loves to play with them - building towers and knocking them down. We plan on getting more from Haba. I like how sturdy they are and safe for my son.

We purchased this set when our baby was 14 months old. She had been stacking blocks from her sorting box, which had only 8 blocks, so we thought she was ready for this set. However, we soon found that the blocks were a little too big for tiny hands to hold, and also, it seemed 102 blocks were way too many for 14 months to play with. As a building blocks set, we like it very much, and are sure that she will enjoy it when she is older. The set has simple, but unique shape blocks, and has enough blocks to build bigger things. The reasons for giving 4 stars, not 5, are that there were several blocks that were obviously forgotten to have trimmed (You can finish it easily with a sand paper though). Also, the bag was easily punctured with the edge of the block.