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MAGBLOCK Magnetic Wooden Blocks Set

This is wooden magnetic building set, containing birch blocks with magnets in them. The shape of the pieces is very similar to pieces of Tegu building sets. Just like Tegu, Magblocks has cubes, planks, columns and wheels, and they are also close in size. The main difference is the magnets – in Tegu, magnets are hidden inside the wood, but in Magblock, they are inside rotating plastic sockets on the blocks’ surface. Because of this, magnets in Magblocks may connect directly to each other, and already-connected blocks rotate more smoothly. However, in theory, Magblock magnets have bigger chances to detach from the pieces, which may be dangerous to children.

MAGBLOCK Magnetic Wooden Blocks Set
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GEOMAG

GEOMAG is a Swiss toy brand, specializing on magnetic building kits.

Most GEOMAG building kits contail magnetic rods and contacting balls, and often there are extra panels which can fill space between the rods in assembled structures. This way, toys made from GEOMAG pieces look not just like hollow shapes, but more like actual solid items. Some kits also contain special parts like wheels. Pro-L is a more advanced version of these kits, with big number of pieces and strong magnets.

Another type of GEOMAG building toys are sets with cubic blocks which can connect to each other in any direction. These sets are mostly intended for the younger children, so they have fewer, but bigger pieces.

There are also GEOMAG KOR series of toys, with blocks centered around magnetic core creating animal-like shapes. Children may reassemble those pieces in any way they like, creating new fantastic creatures.

GEOMAG
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Magformers Light – Illuminated Magnetic Building

A radar in green tones…

Not so long ago Magformers with illumination appeared on the toy market. Usually they offer a set of 55 parts, which, in addition to triangles and squares, includes 6 white pyramids. But I unexpectedly came across a set of 48 transparent parts – triangles, high isosceles triangles, squares, small rectangles and diamonds. It is lighted by an LED enclosed under a matte case on a square magnetic piece – you can attach it to the craft any way you like. There are several lighting modes – first, the variable one, which changes color like a Christmas decoration in 2 modes, fast and slow. Then there are modes with only one color at a time – red, yellow, piercing yellow, greenish, blue, pink, and neutral white. The LED charges very quickly from a computer via a USB port. Full charge is enough for one busy construction evening.

The reaction of children to the backlight is difficult to describe – they liked it very much. I had to take take turns giving the LED piece to children. With it, crafts come to life, rockets and cars are illuminated, houses with luminous windows are very cozy.

Magformers Light - Illuminated Magnetic Building
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Geomag Kor – Core

This picture, provided by the manufacturer, shows the basics of Geomag Kor construction. Plastic blocks have magnets in their narrower ends, and you may see light dashes where magnets was sealed in the plastic. Blocks attach to a single metal ball from all sides. forming the hape of your creature. You may switch the blocks and add extra pieces into sockets omn the surface to decorate your craft.

Geomag Kor - Core