LEGO brand is the only way to go!
My 5 year old son and I love to spend hours building legos- it's wonderful to see his imagination take over with our builds. We have had other brands of building blocks gifted on birthdays etc but can tell you they are junk compared to LEGO! While the price may be a bit more upfront the value it offers is worth it. The instructions are easy- step by step my 5 year old can do most any of them. They stay together without a lot of force etc. Don't waste your money on anything else- but LEGO
Teresamorlan
Kansas City, MO