Best Marble Runs
See-Through Pieces -. One of the most interesting features of our Marble Run is our translucent pieces that allow you to see the Marble as it goes from the top of the set to the bottom. 8 solid bases including 3 large bases to ensure maximum stability (large base designs vary slightly per included pieces image).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me first start by saying I went and bought one from the store which was a few bucks cheaper, but had to return it because it was not well made and it was flimsy, definitely cheap. My son who is only 3yrs old enjoys playing with his Marble Run for hours and won't stop talking about it."
"Excellent Marble Run Set. Note: This is TWO "Super Sets" combined."
"This set is awesome, Love how they are clear and you can see the marble as it goes, has 3 Large whirlpool, and the muiltply pin wheels are cool, plus other pieces i have never seen with my original marble machine. I was worried at 1st because the regular pieces seemed small compared to the old marble machine i grew up with but after assemble and playing with it the supper set gives many options for building.. Love it!"
"Must be done by an adult, and even then it was not structurally sound. 2) Not the highest quality plastic so it tips over easily."
"Bought this for my 3yo son, and his 6yo and 8yo sisters love it just as much as he does."
"Got this as a Christmas gift for my kid."
"The tall towers can be a little bit unstable if not supported underneath, but for the most part it's a very good marble set."
"I had serious problems with some parts of this set staying connected."
MindWare's Marble Run keeps attention spans rolling. NO HASSLE CREATIONS: Marble Run is a MindWare favorite among youngsters and is the perfect introduction to marble runs with pieces that go together and pull apart with ease.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My son and his friends have been having endless hours of fun with this since Christmas."
"We decided it could use more of the end “cups” for catching marbles at the bottom... it only has two."
"lots of pieces,picture on box is instructions,little bit unstable but grandson goes crazy when he stars dropping the marbles!"
"My kids love this set!"
"this set is great."
"I would be hesitant to leave him alone with the marbles since he is still young, but it appears to be a big hit."
"This is a huge set."
"This is the second set I purchased for my grandson."
Use this Marble Run set with other marble run sets; it’s compatible with Marbulous, Rolliblock and more. COMPATIBLE: All marble run sets and marble coasters are compatible with other marble race games like Marbulous and Rolliblock.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I first put it together like the directions said but it wasn't stable enough to support itself and if just slightly bumped it fell over and it all would fall apart."
"He's built so many different mazes and designs."
"After reading lots of reviews, I saw the wooden sets toppled over easily... this can too if toddler bumps into it of course but otherwise pretty stable as each piece interlocks with one another.... our 3.5 year old loves playing with this anywhere from 30-60 mins."
"I love it comes with so many marbles, though if it came with even more pieces and a few less marbles, I think it would be even better."
"My 19 year old son and I had to test it out before Christmas, of course..."
"We put together the easy design, from the book; the completed design was pretty sturdy, but you cannot bump it because it will topple over."
"My nephews love this toy.."
"This toy allows the kids to put on their thinking caps and have some fun."
Best Miniature Pinball Machines
Each game comes with 39 essential die-cut parts and everything you need to build your PinBox 3000. The kit includes two interchangeable play boards for you to customize two separate pinball games. NO TOOLS REQUIRED - You only need your hands and your wits to construct this easy to assemble kit with graphics printed on the negative space of each punch out slide for multiple custom themes and inspiration!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"That said, I do recommend watching the video as you assemble it -- you can do it pretty much in real time, the video gives you some tips and a few warnings at the 2 or 3 "be careful" moments, and the company founders who do the video are hilarious. After checking out the company's website, we found their YouTube channel, which includes all sorts of cool playfield gadgets and tricks (like making a spinner out of a binder clip and a paper clip! It's not a full-sized "machine" by any means, and any modifications you make to the playfield are going to have to be playtested one at a time as the playfield can get super busy very fast if you add a lot of stuff to it all at once. I was a tad skeptical at seeing this at first, but it's super cool and a lot of fun."
"It took an hour, wasn't too hard and we followed along with the YouTube video which made the process a breeze."
"Lots of family fun with this!"
"I can't recommend this product enough to anybody who likes to build things with their kids."
"Both of my boys purchased one, and they love connecting them back to back for battle mode."
"I have found that low tech or high/low tech projects are accessible, interesting, and encourage creativity/problem solving."
Best Toy Building Sets
Designed with builders of all ages in mind, this classic toy with its collection of LEGO bricks in 35 different colors will encourage open-ended building play, and inspire any imagination. LEGO Creative Brick building toys are compatible with all LEGO construction sets for creative building.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When all is said and done, you are left with a lot of extra room in your storage box. For us, this was okay, but if your little builder wants to build a house, you may want to check out the Lego Education Basic Brick Set."
"I am planning on saving it for their Lego themed birthday party to set up paper plates or silverware in. I am a fan of Lego in general, I like their kits because they allow my 5 and 3 year old to create trains, cars, etc that look cool and are fun to play with. Right now we are getting these classics sets to bulk up my kids collection for free building. I have read that you shouldn't pay more than ten cents per Lego (accounting for differences in variety of sizes). Getting more Legos can never be wrong, especially when they build your child's imagination and keep them busy for hours!"
"If you're looking for a great kit of classic blocks with a nice selection of more specialized blocks to get you started or build on your existing collection, look no further."
"Since I "found" a local resource we can satisfy our Lego hunger in 30 or so minutes ."
"I added a big bag of generic Legos and a Lego Idea book to the gift mix so they should be happy for sometime...."
"First of all, if you expect the box to be full, you will be disappointed, but this is a good variety of pieces to get started and the box will accommodate additional sets or assembled projects."
"Such a great gift because it encourages Lego builders to use their imaginations to build whatever they wish AND it allows them to build onto any set they already have."
"My 8 year old daughter is obsessed with Legos, but the sets can be soooo expensive!"
Best Toy Stacking Block Sets
Children can let their imaginations run wild as they build towers and towns with this 60-piece standard unit block set. Ideal for ages three to five, this block set stimulates children for hours as they engage in imaginative play. Each set features a large variety shapes and sizes including arches, columns, squares, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, and circles, as well as basic, half, and double unit blocks. Best of all, when the child finishes constructing their masterpiece, all the pieces store neatly into a wooden storage box. An essential for any child's toy box, these blocks are sturdy, durable, and beautiful enough to put on display. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They use these blocks every time they visit and it is the one toy that they use together without a fuss. I'm posting those photos here, because I refer to them every time we put these blocks back in the sturdy box that they came in."
"Initially, I planned to order more, however, as I played with the blocks with my son, I noticed a significant problem. Just understand that roughly 20% of the blocks may be far less useful because they've been improperly cut to the wrong length or finished at bad angles."
"Best of all they facilitate play with other toys, such as building a house for the doll or making a car ramp, so they never get old for your child."
"Well made wooden blocks -- like the old "kindergarten" blocks we grew up with."
"I will say that if your kids wanted to build something big, there may not be enough blocks. I think that these blocks will be something we will always keep- I will keep them for someday when I have grand kids as they are classic, all kids love blocks!"
"We've purchased 2 additional sets throughout the last few years and he wants even more for Christmas this year, so I'm going to get him another set or 2."
"Beware though, if you have younger kids, these blocks are heavy and if a fight breaks out, you will have to remove it for fear of injury as I have had to do on occasion."
"All in all, great investment for years of building."
Best Toy Interlocking Gear Sets
Bright colors and easy-to-assemble pieces encourage children to create moving masterpieces. The turning gears in this colorful set offer hundreds of 3-D construction possibilities. Encourage Problem Solving and Perserverance This engaging set features plastic gears, cranks, connectors and interlocking base plates for endless construction possibilities! The included experiments encourage them to notice interesting movements and connections, and explore the fascinating action that can be created with gears. While your child engages with his favorite construction toy, he's developing hand-eye coordination and handwriting muscles. He thinks he's playing but he's also learning colors, cause and effect and the concepts of push and turn. Gears Cranks Connectors Interlocking base plates Activity guide. Different every time you build, this versatile, interconnecting gear set fosters imagination and provides opportunities to experiment with simple mechanics and science. 96-piece set includes 48 uniformly-sized gears in six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, and purple, 8 interlocking square base plates, 19 square pillars, 8 pillar extenders, 12 six-way axles, and Activity Guide.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My son loves these!"
"It wasn't in the original box but a plain brown box. I opened the box and put the gears in a plastic file folder container."
"I had thought about buying the gears monkey set, but only being able to put it together one way made me change my mind."
"My husband was really into building things when he was little, so when we saw this set, we knew it would be the perfect gift for a little boy who's birthday our baby girl had been invited to attend."
"My kids lose interest after a while, but they have busted it out again to make a "Cranky the Crane" on their Thomas train table."
"My three year old hasn't stopped playing with these since Christmas morning."
"He thinks it's great to see how you can connect different things and it turns all the gears at once."
"We love the quality of the pieces."