Author: TatianaZh

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Connect-A-Straws

Another version of the construction set with elastic tubes – the English Connect-a-Straws.

Building straws, also known as building tubes, are a popular type of construction set with unique possibilities. They allow you to create silhouettes and contours of different objects and animals. All crafts from these sets can bend and move, so kids can actually play with their creations.

Instead of blocks, these sets have flexible plastic tubes, that look and act like soft cocktail straws. They can bend in any way and hold any position you want. The tubes usually attach to each other with special plastic connectors. The connectors can look and work differently in the different sets, but there are always many ways the straws can connect. The most common version is hard pins that go inside the straw’s hollow end, fixing it in place. Some connectors of this type have only one or two pins, some may have eight or ten. They also can have different forms, like sharp corners or straight rods. However, this connection type usually means that you can connect the straws only with their ends, and never with their middles.

These straws have great building potential, but, sadly, they can’t hold their shape under pressure (unlike, say, block towers that can hold something on their top). The straws’ building possibilities also depend on how long they are.

Connect-A-Straws
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Robot

The robot has a large screw on its back, its arms are movable thanks to special plastic inserts in the squares. Square parts with a cross in the middle are from the Korean brand Ginimag, as well as the green-blue wheels, the mount of which is inserted into the holes in the squares and triangles. The wheel mount, unfortunately, is weak, it breaks.
Once again we are very pleased with the wonderful properties of the Magformes constructor. Going on a summer vacation and stocking up on games and toys for children of different ages, you can safely exclude everything and leave only Magformers. It fully satisfies the needs of one-year-old toddlers, and girls of primary school age, and even teenagers skeptical of real games, who suddenly discovered the absence of the Internet on a summer vacation. And it’s alsi impossible to scatter it in a car, details around will definitely not fly around the vehicle.

Robot
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Connect-A-Straws Set Pieces

We purchased this construction set several years ago. The kides played sluggishly until we cut the straws into several pieces. Tubes have a diameter of 0.2 in, 6 colors, the connectors are blue and yellow. There also are large wheels-stands (diameter 4 inches). When this set appeared at our house, I regretted purchasing it a little. The tubes, on the one hand, are rigid and confidently hold the structure, on the other hand, due to this rigidity, they bend poorly. And after the structure has stood for some time, the tubes remain deformed forever, like the yellow tube on the left. But the kids play Connect-a-straws with interest, connecting them into chains and flowers. The tubes are easy to put on and you can insert the tube into the hole in the connector. The Chinese have a similar set by the 4M brand.

Building straws, also known as building tubes, are a popular type of construction set with unique possibilities. They allow you to create silhouettes and contours of different objects and animals. All crafts from these sets can bend and move, so kids can actually play with their creations.

Instead of blocks, these sets have flexible plastic tubes, that look and act like soft cocktail straws. They can bend in any way and hold any position you want. The tubes usually attach to each other with special plastic connectors. The connectors can look and work differently in the different sets, but there are always many ways the straws can connect. The most common version is hard pins that go inside the straw’s hollow end, fixing it in place. Some connectors of this type have only one or two pins, some may have eight or ten. They also can have different forms, like sharp corners or straight rods. However, this connection type usually means that you can connect the straws only with their ends, and never with their middles.

These straws have great building potential, but, sadly, they can’t hold their shape under pressure (unlike, say, block towers that can hold something on their top). The straws’ building possibilities also depend on how long they are.

Connect-A-Straws Set Pieces
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USSR School Building Lesson

I studied in an ordinary Soviet school, but nevertheless, we often brought our own construction sets to the lessons. Mostly metal construction sets with screws or Polet, sometimes we had the rare Soviet Lego. We made crafts and organized exhibitions right in the classroom. Of course, the boys were more interested in the sets, but the girls weren’t far behind. There were children who did not have construction sets. The photo shows a lesson in an elementary school (Soviet school in Geneva) in the late 80s of the last century. Children create models using Quercetti gear sets. It’s a pity that the experience of lessons like that remained in the 80s…

This vintage building set is similar to the Quercetti Gears sets. It also includes baseplates, poles, and, of course, the gears. The baseplates connect like the pieces of a puzzle, they are heavy and sturdy enough to hold the whole construction in place. There are also many small colorful pins to decorate the pieces.

While there are no poles like in Quercetti sets, you can connect and interlock the baseplates in 3D, making some of them stand upright. They can also hold together at the angle, so you can build all kinds of shapes from them. Overall, these plates themselves form a good building set.

After making something from the baseplates, you can attach the gears to the finished crafts and make the gears spin. All gears are the same size, they are almost as big as the baseplates, and you can also use them just to decorate the crafts. All pieces come in many different colors. Sadly, there are few pieces overall.

This set has an educational purpose – some schools used it to teach children about the gear transmissions. The description says that the set is for children aged 4-8 years.

USSR School Building Lesson
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Geomag E-Motion – Magnetic Spinning Tops

These 2 sets of Geomag allow you both to create movement and feel this movement. In general, we bought these sets not because we love spinning tops this much, but because we wanted to add pentagonal plates and multi-colored rods to the pieces we already had. Of course, it was also interesting to play with tops. In the end, we both played and added pieces to other sets. The children liked it. The smaller set is designed for spinning on the surface, the larger set, in yellow-green colors, is designed for spinning in 3D space.

Geomag E-Motion - Magnetic Spinning Tops
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Self-Portrait With Long Hair

‘Geoformes Animaux’ – magnetic mosaic with large details. One of the youngest daughter’s favorite mosaics. We bought it exclusively for her with the expectation that this mosaic will occupy her during the long car trips. The goal was achieved and the mosaic has been traveling with us for the second year already. The magnets are strong, the details hold tight, it’s easy to play. On the one half of the large tablet, she places the pieces, and the other half becames a clear field for creativity. You can play with someone, too. Despite the fact that the proposed samples depict animals, of course, from the details, you can put together mosaics depicting anything – 5-year-old Alesya painted her self-portrait.

Self-Portrait With Long Hair
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