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Clics Knut

Knut the polar bear cub from the Clics building pieces.

ClicsToys is a Belgian company that was established in 2001. It makes the well-known Clics building blocks in its own factory in Kempen. Clics building sets have square pieces of identical form and shape. They easily connect at their edges, creating joints you can move.

With These plastic squares, you can create surfaces and fold them into 3D shapes. There are endless possibilities, even though Clics have very few extra pieces and accessories. Some sets have wheels and decorative panels, but this is pretty much it. On the other hand, Clics sets usually have many pieces, so you can create something truly complicated from just one set.

Since the basic Clics building pieces are squares, all the basic forms you can assemble from it are cubic or brick-like. However, thanks to the movable joints, you can assemble them at different angles, creating different shapes.
There are ways to create triangular or sloping figures if you assemble the pieces just right. The cubes, however, are the most sturdy and reliable structures this set can offer. There are also a possibility of creating a flat mosaic, combining the pieces of different colors.

Clics Knut
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Tegu Explorer Set

The new Tegu set comes in in 3 color options. The set contains 40 parts – 8 very long (18 cm), 8 standard (12 cm) and 8 short (6 cm) planks, 4 long (3x3x18 cm) and 4 short (3x3x9 cm) pillars or prisms with a square at the base, 4 large (base – 12 cm) and 4 small (base – 9 cm) trapezoids. It can be both independent and additional set for construction. For irresponsible buyers who have not yet experienced all the charm of Honduras landscaping, there is a smaller and cheaper Tegu – Endeavor Set of 22 parts (without trapezoids and long pillars). It has 6 very long dies, 8 short prism pillars , 4 standard and 4 short dies.

Tegu Explorer Set
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Magformers My First Ice World

This is a small Magformers set made with younger children in mind. It has square and triangle pieces, so you can make anything you want. However, the main theme of this set is Arctic. All proposed figures are polar-themed, like an igloo or a whale, and all pieces are white on one side, so you can add more or less color to your craft by simply turning the pieces.

Magformers My First Ice World
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FLOWER BED

Another building straw craft.

Building straws are a popular and unusual type of building set. These sets include long, hollow flexible tubes that connect to each other at their ends. Since the tubes themselves have no special connecting devices, the set also includes special connecting parts. These parts are very small hard and rigid, and they have long pins that you can insert into the straws. The number and the positions of these pins can vary, so different connectors hold the straws’ ends at different angles. Because the tubes are flexible, this simple principle allows you to assemble countless shapes and crafts.

These sets are very unusual because they allow you to create any geometrical form you want and use the bent lines. The final craft will always be hollow, lightweight, and almost symbolic. However, you will still recognize these shapes, and they look more detailed and solid if they have more straws. Also, the straws are soft, so you can shorten them with a pair of common scissors if you need to. Sadly, there is no way to fix the straw after it was cut. Since a long building straw bends more smoothly than the short straws connected in a row, the long ones are very valuable in these sets. So you have to be careful if you want to cut something.

FLOWER BED
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Incredibly Interconnectable Toys Waffle Blocks

This set is very similar to Plus Plus, but with simplier, smaller pieces. Just like with Plus Plus, the set has identical pieces of different colors. Incredibly Interconnectable Toys waffle blocks have only one peg on the long side and two pegs on the short side. Unlike Plus Plus blocks, they also have square windows in their centres.

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.

Incredibly Interconnectable Toys Waffle Blocks
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