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Curvilinear Contour Constructor (Cri-Co-Co)

The Cri-Co-Co Constructor was invented in 1989 by Alexander Kushelev and Dmitry Kozhevnikov. They patented it in 2001, then upgraded the set in 2007. It reminded me of the English building set Connecta-Straws. You can also build from cocktail tubes.

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.

Curvilinear Contour Constructor (Cri-Co-Co)
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ZOOB BuilderZ Crafts

Zoob Builderz is an interesting set that focuses on moving models. Technialy, all Zoob models can move, but this set includes a string and rubber bands to create things like trampoline or a catapult. This set is a better choice for older kids, who can learn many interesting things from it. The picture shows some Zoob Builderz crafts the manufacturer offers to build.

Back in 1997, inventor Michael Grey introduced Zoob, a toy inspired by the science of motion and organism development. Zoob represents an acronym for Zoology, Ontology, Ontogeny, and Botany. Each set has rod-like pieces with joint balls and sockets on their ends. Each of these balls has small bumps on its surface, so the joints can both move and stay in a certain position if you need them to.

This innovative toy features a ball and socket connection system, mimicking the natural movement and design found in people, animals, and machines. With just five basic shapes, Zoob offers 20 different ways to connect them together.

Zoob building sets have won awards because they’re different from regular building blocks. They use plastic pieces that snap together, like gears and joints, to build all kinds of objects, limited only by your imagination. After you build something with Zoob, you can actually play with it – the pieces were designed to move after being assembled, so you can have fun with the toys you create.

Zoobs are great for helping children improve their fine motor skills. The pieces are small enough to easily manipulate and put them together, but they’re not too tiny like some other toys, so it’s easier for kids who find small objects tricky.

ZOOB BuilderZ Crafts
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Gakken – Japanese Waffle Blocks

Gakken is a brand of Japanese building waffle blocks. There are many thematic sets – amusement park, cars, railroad and so on. There are even a toolbox set. I especially liked triangular and big arch-like pieces. Tha animals are 3D and don’t look like sand forms like in some other building sets. The pieces have bright and dense plastic.

Unlike Plus Plus waffle blocks, Gakken blocks have pieces of many different shapes. They have round and curved pieces, long beams and H-like pieces. The empty spaces inside the blocks also can have different sizes and shapes, so you can stack inside different pieces in different positions. All this allows even more building possibilities than the waffle blocks sets with similar pieces. However, some pieces have less connection opgtions, because they don’t have pegs on the sides, or have only one hole.

Gakken brand appeared in Tokyo back in 1946 when it became an important component of Japan’s post-war efforts to rebuild the nation. Back then, it became incredible important to properly raise a new generation that will be able to create a better future.

The founder and educator, Hideto Furuoka, created first Gakken waffle buidling blocks. He later told that his inspiration was traditional Japanese wooden houses. There he saw an idea of flat blocks people can took apart and rebuild again when they need to. So he decided to create a toy which repeats this principle. Children can connect these Japanese building waffle blocks, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

Gakken - Japanese Waffle Blocks
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KUTOI Building Blocks

KUTOI building blocks building blocks set are very similar to Gakken blocks. This set has pices of different and unusual shapes and proportions.

The pieces of this set have unusual proportions compared to the different “waffle” blocks. They have slim, long pegs and big openings, and you can fit two pegs in one opening if you need to. There are also rod-like pieces most waffle block don’t have. These long and slim details can be very handy if you want to stack pieces instead of connecting them the usual way.

The set also includes wheels and specias axis details. So you can connect the wheels seamlessly to the rest of your craft. This is a major improvement compared to the older “waffle” sets where the wheels couldn’t actually rotate. Most “waffle” building sets also have sharp shapes with many corners, with Gakken being one of the exceptions. Kutoi building blocks set has pieces with round ends, so the crafts look more smooth.

The size of the pieces is smaller that in the most “waffle” building blocks. All the pieces in this set are abot 1.5 inch long and less than an inch thick. They are safe for the older kids to use, but they still may be too tricky for children who are younger than 3 years old.

KUTOI Building Blocks
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Zoob Wheels

Wheels from left to right: The large yellow wheel with rubber tire is from the Zoob Jr Zoomer set. The parts in these sets are 4 inches long. Wheel diameter is about 3 inches. Large gray wheel with rubber tire is from the Dragster set. The diameter of the wheel is 3 inches. The small wheel with a rubber tire is a wheel you can find in some car Zoob sets. Its diameter (with the bumps on the wheel) is 2 inches. The last wheel on the right is a clone from the ZZ Toys company. Its diameter is 1 inch, just rough plastic, no rubber…

Back in 1997, inventor Michael Grey introduced Zoob, a toy inspired by the science of motion and organism development. Zoob represents an acronym for Zoology, Ontology, Ontogeny, and Botany. Each set has rod-like pieces with joint balls and sockets on their ends. Each of these balls has small bumps on its surface. So the joints can both move and stay in a certain position if you need them to.

This innovative toy features a ball and socket connection system, mimicking the natural movement and design found in people, animals, and machines. With just five basic shapes, Zoob offers 20 different ways to connect them together.

Zoob building sets have won awards because they’re different from regular building blocks. They use plastic pieces that snap together, like gears and joints. With these simple pieces, you build all kinds of objects, limited only by your imagination. After you build something with Zoob, you can actually play with it. The pieces were will move after assembly, so you can have fun with the toys you create.

Zoob Wheels
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Gakken – Japanese Waffle Building Blocks

There is a set’s logo on each of the Gakken pieces.

Unlike Plus Plus waffle blocks, Gakken blocks have pieces of many different shapes. They have round and curved pieces, long beams and H-like pieces. The empty spaces inside the blocks also can have different sizes and shapes, so you can stack inside different pieces in different positions. All this allows even more building possibilities than the waffle blocks sets with similar pieces. However, some pieces have less connection opgtions, because they don’t have pegs on the sides, or have only one hole.

Gakken brand appeared in Tokyo back in 1946 when it became an important component of Japan’s post-war efforts to rebuild the nation. Back then, it became incredible important to properly raise a new generation that will be able to create a better future.

The founder and educator, Hideto Furuoka, created first Gakken waffle buidling blocks. He later told that his inspiration was traditional Japanese wooden houses. There he saw an idea of flat blocks people can took apart and rebuild again when they need to. So he decided to create a toy which repeats this principle. Children can connect Gakken pieces, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

Gakken - Japanese Waffle Building Blocks
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Baby Bear At School And At Home

This is our excellent student Baby Bear at his desk. A green lamp above the table shines cozily, a medal handg around his neck. So our Baby Bear is ready to do his homework. We also have a bed from K’Nex, but we didn’t include it in the photo. Just to not embarrass Baby Bear – all his friends are preparing for hibernation, and he is studying.

Baby Bear At School And At Home
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Japanese Gakken

The green grid in the centre is a piece from malysh set, and anything else are Japanese Gakken blocks. It actually looks like they use the same mold.

Unlike Plus Plus waffle blocks, Gakken blocks have pieces of many different shapes. They have round and curved pieces, long beams and H-like pieces. The empty spaces inside the blocks also can have different sizes and shapes, so you can stack inside different pieces in different positions. All this allows even more building possibilities than the waffle blocks sets with similar pieces. However, some pieces have less connection opgtions, because they don’t have pegs on the sides, or have only one hole.

Gakken brand appeared in Tokyo back in 1946 when it became an important component of Japan’s post-war efforts to rebuild the nation. Back then, it became incredible important to properly raise a new generation that will be able to create a better future.

The founder and educator, Hideto Furuoka, created first Japanese Gakken blocks. He later told that his inspiration was traditional Japanese wooden houses. There he saw an idea of flat blocks people can took apart and rebuild again when they need to. So he decided to create a toy which repeats this principle. Children can connect these Japanese waffle building blocks, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

Japanese Gakken