This is part three in my ongoing series of Building Blocks for Beginners, where I breakdown all the many building systems in a way that only a bored homeschooling mom on summer break can do. If this doesn’t put you at your building system limit, you can read part one (DUPLO and LEGO) and part two (bristle blocks and TRIO). If you have other building systems you’d like to see rates on my uber-scientific scale and put to the rigorous scientific testing of the McLernins Mad Science Laboratory, let me know! We’re always on the lookout for more building toys. Our motto: If you sell, we’ll buy it and build something with it that looks nothing like the example on the box!
Kid K’nex
Ages: 3-7
Kid K’nex, the junior line of the K’nex building system, is a brightly-colored (and I mean brightly colored, lots of neon colors!) system of intersnapping/interlocking brick blocks, wheels, sticks (or “rods”), connectors, and other shapes. The brick blocks are DUPLO-compatible, which means Kid K’nex can extend the life of your DUPLO blocks beyond very early childhood. Most of the pieces are hard plastic, but some are a more flexible plastic, allowing children to build curving shapes. Kid K’nex come in a wide variety of small kits, each with a different them, all usable with each other, which have various vehicle or animal parts. They also have a full line of Sesame Street themed kits. Look for larger sets on Amazon.com or in toy stores, as the website does not show the full line of available products.
Pros: Kid K’nex have a life that lasts far beyond the age recommendations. Tank started playing with the larger Kid K’nex pieces from around age 2 and Captain Science still plays with them frequently at almost 10. Kid K’nex are one of the few toys where the boys will play together peacefully. Most of the pieces are incredibly durable and have held up to 5+ years of regular play. The rods and connectors pack very flat, so you can fit a lot of them into a storage bin. Some sets even come with a hard-sided storage case. The larger pieces are baby-friendly, so even Babypie can “play” Kid K’nex.
Cons: Most of the pieces are sturdy, but a few have not held up well. Certain animal sets come (or came, at least) with flexible foam accent pieces — a lion’s mane with a circus animal/train set, for example. The foam pieces were easily and quickly ripped to shreds. The tiny blue rods are small enough to fit in a baby’s mouth (and possibly to be swallowed) and the next-size-larger short white rods may fit into some babies’ mouths, so these pieces need to be watched carefully around small children. The long, flexible red rods can develop permanent kinks in them after a lot of use. The biggest con, however, is that no matter how many Kid K’nex you have, you will never have enough of them to make sure everyone has enough of whatever piece it is that they want.
Set to buy to get started: Kid K’nex Big Building Tub has a nice assortment of pieces at a low price. The Kid K’nex Education sets are also great.
Ease of use: High
Sturdiness: High
Likelihood of being swallowed/choked on by younger siblings: Low to Moderate (cull small pieces if used near <2s)
Degree of pain when stepped on by a parent: Low
Period of time spent as “favorite toy ever!”: High
Overall Rating: A+
Tinkertoys
Ages: 3+
The aptly subtitled “classic construction set,” Tinkertoys have been around for almost a hundred years and are still going strong, with only minimal redesigns to the the set, which was (according to Wikipedia) based on “the Pythagorean progressive right triangle.” Available in two materials, the new plastic and the classic wood, with few flashy add-ons (you get fins, you get wheels, and you may get a plastic piece or two that looks like part of a rocket ship), Tinkertoys are the ultimate open-ended building system. The sets are comprised primarily of sticks of various lengths, spool-like connectors, and short end-caps to hold everything together.
Pros: Like Kid K’nex, Tinkertoys have an exceptional creative shelf-life. My boys have happily played with the same set of wooden Tinkertoys for years and will play with them for hours at a time. Tank recently received an all-plastic set, which is splinter proof and as easy to use as the wooden pieces. These toys are built tough and have many possibilities for play. They come in a cylindrical bin for easy storage. The classic wooden sets are great for parents who like to minimize plastic toys. The wooden sets are also very affordable for the number of pieces.
Cons: Because Tinkertoys are so beloved, pieces have walked off over the years, leaving the original set short on a few pieces. Individual pieces aren’t readily available for sale, however, so to replace necessary components, you’ll need to get at least the smallest Mini Set. Though generally durable, the wooden stick can snap, leaving behind a jagged, splintery edge. The plastic pieces don’t snap easily, but don’t grip quite as well as the wooden pieces. The smallest end caps are a choking hazard for small children, so need to be watched carefully or culled if your bigger kids are playing around the smaller ones.
Set to buy to get started: The wooden Tinkertoy Jumbo Builder Set is the best bet. If you prefer plastic, the more expensive 200 piece plastic construction set is the way to go.
Ease of use: High
Sturdiness: Moderate-High
Likelihood of being swallowed/choked on by younger siblings: Low to Moderate (cull small pieces if used near <2s)
Degree of pain when stepped on by a parent: Low
Period of time spent as “favorite toy ever!”: High
Overall Rating: A
Next Up: Gears!Gears!Gears! and unit blocks
Disclaimer: All curriculum and product reviews here at Smrt Lernins are completely unsolicited and unsponsored. I don’t get money, freebies, or anything else for sharing my opinions about products. I am speaking entirely from personal experience or sharing information publicly available on product websites. If that ever changes, you’ll be the first to know.
