Waffle blocks like this Michley waffle blocks set are popular building toys. They are flat and have matching pegs on their sides. You can assemble these pieces in 2D and 3D shapes, and in different positions.
Pieces of this set have an unusually big number of pegs on them – far more than pieces of Gakken and Plus Plus. The pieces have wall patterns, windows, round openings, and other similar decorations. Some panels have the same shape, but no decoration at all. The basic models the set offers are houses and castles. However, you can build anything else from these interlocking squares and triangles. These triangular pieces are in fact less common in waffle block sets. Gakken sets, for example, severely lack them. On the other hand, this set doesn’t have arches and other similar pieces, which somewhat limits the building possibilities. The houses are the things Michley waffle blocks make best, and, sadly, there are no options for, say, cars with moving wheels.
This particular set has pieces that are 2 inches wide, so they are safe for small children to play with. These pieces are easy to hold and too big to swallow, so the manufacturer recommends them for kids who are 3 years or older.
Author: MaryB
Da Vinci High Fashion
Magnet is new black. Made from EDTOY Da Vinci series by Willy, 5,8 years old.
Magformers My First – Fish
As the most Magformers sets, My First has only square and triangle frames. They look simple, but allow you to build almost anything (if you have enough pieces, of course).
Mix or Match Jungle Animals
This set is more a “usual toy” than a building kit, but it still includes a “building” element, so I’ve decided to add it anyway. The set includes 4 animal figurines (elephant, giraffe, tiger, and crocodile). Each of them, in turn, has 4 parts – head, body, front legs, and hind legs – that connect to each other with magnets. You can either mix and then sort pieces or just create Frankenstein-like animals with any parts you want. This sounds simple, but this toy may actually be very interesting for younger children, around 2-3 years old. The animals are rather big, the giraffe is almost 10 inches tall (when assembled correctly), so kids won’t be able to swallow something. There are also similar sets with farm animals and dinosaurs, made by the same brand, Popular Playthings.
MAGNA-TILES Rectangles Expansion Set
This Magna-Tiles set has only very big rectangular plates. It is meant to become an addition to some other set you already own. It’s hard to build something using only this set, but it can do wonders with any set of usual-sized pieces. These big plates are rare in other Magna-Tiles set, and they allow creation of bigger buildings and sculptures. The only minus of the set is lack of magnets in the center of bigger plate – you can only add things to the edges.
FUBAODA Building Blocks
Waffle blocks like this FUBAODA waffle blocks set are popular building toys. They are flat and have matching pegs on their sides. You can assemble these pieces in 2D and 3D shapes, and in different positions.
Pieces of this set have an unusually big number of pegs on them – far more than pieces of Gakken and Plus Plus. The pieces have wall patterns, windows, round openings, and other similar decorations. Some panels have the same shape, but no decoration at all. The basic models the set offers are houses and castles. However, you can build anything else from these interlocking squares and triangles. These triangular pieces are in fact less common in waffle block sets. Gakken sets, for example, severely lack them. On the other hand, this set doesn’t have arches and other similar pieces, which somewhat limits the building possibilities. The houses are the things these waffle blocks make best, and, sadly, there are no options for, say, cars with moving wheels.
This particular set has pieces that are 2 inches wide, so they are safe for small children to play with. These pieces are easy to hold and too big to swallow, so the manufacturer recommends them for kids who are 3 years or older.
MindWare Imagination Patterns Deluxe – Case
The set comes in wooden case, which you can later use a storage or a portable board to use this set.
Creative Whack Company Eureka Ball
Another Ball of Whacks. This one has pentagonal pieces, so the most crafts have solid, even surface.
Roller Robot
It can’t walk, but it can skate around. Made from EDTOY Da Vinci series.
PLUS PLUS Tube 240 Piece Neon Color Mix
This is a basic type of the Plus Plus sets – PLUS PLUS Neon Mix with 240 pieces in a plastic tube. There are many different colors and themes of Plus Plus Tube sets. This is a neon color set, with the pieces of extremely bright and vibrant colors.
Danish Plus Plus sets are among the most popular and well-known “waffle” building sets. Almost all pieces in these sets are exactly the same – except for the wheels and the baseplates. However, even with only the basic pieces, you can build almost anything.
All basic pieces have exactly the same shape and size – they look like two pluses joined together, hence the brand name. Each piece has two pegs on the long sides one peg on the short sides, and the matching empty spaces. The pieces are thick, so the pegs are as thick as they are long. Because of this, you can connect the pieces in any direction, they will hold well all the same. So you can build both 2D mosaics and all kinds of 3D shapes, connecting the pieces vertically, horizontally, or even with an angle. The Danish schools use Plus Plus kits as an educational tool. They help teach kids basic STEAM skills and help them develop fine motorics and creativity.
To add some difference and more variety to the crafts, the Plus Plus brand offers countless sets with different numbers and colors of the pieces. There are pieces of different colors and hues, glowing pieces, pieces with glitter, and so on. The sets also may include any number of the Plus Plus pieces. There are also both small traveling kits and big gift sets.