Magna-tile-tastic
Today, Heather recommends a toy that her brood never tires of:
Magna-tiles may very well be the best toy purchase I have ever made. My 7-year-old and 4-year-old triplets never get bored with them, and, well, neither do I. We purchased the 100 piece translucent set that includes square and triangular tiles in a variety of sizes. The tiles attract on all sides and in all combinations, helping children move easily from two-dimensional to three-dimensional creations.
The tiles truly are unbreakable as advertised (and believe me, my triplets in particular have put them to the test!) and offer a fun way to teach spatial relationships and inspire creativity. My kids proudly show off their creations -- rocket ships, boats, airplanes, mazes for their Hexbugs, houses, towers, stages for their talent shows, ice cream cones, etc. -- and have just as much fun knocking them down before building again.
The only downside of the tiles is that they are expensive, but we've found them to be worth every penny and then some. We love the tiles so much that we're looking to get another set this year, likely the non-translucent version.
Comments
Which age children can play them?
Posted by: Una | June 15, 2011 8:01 AM | Reply to this comment
Hi Una, the manufacturer recommendation is ages 3+, which sounds about right to me. I believe that's about the age Laurel first discovered them at day care.
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor replied to comment from Una | June 15, 2011 9:13 AM | Reply to this comment
We love, love, love these. We have had them since my boys were about 2 (they are now 4 and 5). I would think they are safe for any age child - there are no exposed magnets and they are easy enough to manipulate. I would say any child from 1 year to adult would enjoy them. We have two 100 piece sets of the translucent and they are worth every precious penny. Translucency is key since it allows you to see the cars or little people or whatever you put inside so that the pretend play with whatever you build is more fun. The boys have built train stations over their tracks, tunnels for trains and garages and houses and rocket ships... No knock-off magnet toy I have seen comes close in terms of how it works - these are wonderful!
Posted by: maggie | June 15, 2011 9:47 AM | Reply to this comment