Arishka’s geometric experiments with the constructor ended with the creation of this snake. The craft is also inspired by the impressions of a real snake the children caught in the lake.
K’Nex Snake
Tiko Mountain Fortress
A magic Tiko fortress on the mountain (real one we visited). For the purpose of the game, however, the boulders in the background acted like mountains.
Pythagoras, Tiko, and Tako are vintage building sets. They have big panels of different colors and shapes, that connect by the edges. Each piece has sockets and balls that can snap together, connecting the pieces. You can also connect the pieces of different shapes, as long as their sides match. This connection is strong enough to hold even the biggest structures together.
Because of the sockets’ form, Pythagoras and Tiko panels can form both flat surfaces and 3D shapes. The flexible joint connection means that you can connect the pieces at different angles. The bigger panels are huge – they are a few inches long, so kids can create toy hats or items to hold, and not just toys. They are sturdy enough to wear and to play with. There also are smaller pieces that can help connect the bigger pannels together or make smaller crafts. The pieces of this set have all kinds of shapes – there are different triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, and so on, all in different colors.
Sadly, Amazon seemingly has no sets exactly like Tiko and Pythagoras, but some very similar concepts also are interesting enough.
A Walk of Anteaters
The author is my son (11 years old) made anteaters with long ears. Such specimen do not exist in nature, but this way they are much prettier, according to the son. We put 2 anthill pyramids, then made trees. The eldest daughter (9 years old) built a pond (in the upper right corner) with lush vegetation. 2-year-old Arishka, of course, took an active part, handing over the details and constructing flowers. The stones scattered throughout the forest are what the round and oval cicadas are then made of. You can read more about the life of anteaters here.
Tileblox Rainbow
Just as with any other magnetic tiles, you can also build from this set without baseplate.
Tiko Ship
And this ship swam around the mountain river to its heart’s content – the children had fun with it all day long. I must admit to the quality of Tiko – the stones did not cause any damage to the parts of the ship, only scratched them a little. Unfortunately, the ship sank more than once, but still managed to sail a couple of tens of meters.
Pythagoras, Tiko, and Tako are vintage building sets. They have big panels of different colors and shapes, that connect by the edges. Each piece has sockets and balls that can snap together, connecting the pieces. You can also connect the pieces of different shapes, as long as their sides match. This connection is strong enough to hold even the biggest structures together.
Because of the sockets’ form, Pythagoras and Tiko panels can form both flat surfaces and 3D shapes. The flexible joint connection means that you can connect the pieces at different angles. The bigger panels are huge – they are a few inches long, so kids can create toy hats or items to hold, and not just toys. They are sturdy enough to wear and to play with. There also are smaller pieces that can help connect the bigger pannels together or make smaller crafts. The pieces of this set have all kinds of shapes – there are different triangles, rectangles, squares, pentagons, and so on, all in different colors.
Sadly, Amazon seemingly has no sets exactly like Tiko and Pythagoras, but some very similar concepts also are interesting enough.
K’NEX Bat
A very small craft we made only from a few pieces from Knex 100 craft kit. We decided to call it a bat, but sometimes it looks more like a pterodactyl.
K’Nex comes in two sizes: regular and mini K’Nex. It also includes both thick and thin rods, and some rods can connect the larger and smaller pieces together. Not all K’Nex sets include mini parts.
Like other K’Nex sets, this one features pieces that securely lock together. You can easily take apart your creations and use the pieces to build something new. Regular K’Nex pieces have stronger connections, making crafts sturdy even during active play. Mini K’Nex creations are a bit more delicate. Knex 100 craft kit has regular pieces.
Although the crafts you can make with K’Nex can be quite large, some of the pieces, especially the mini ones, are very small. This can make K’Nex sets risky for small babies who might accidentally swallow the pieces. These small parts can also be a bit challenging for younger kids to assemble correctly. That’s why it’s recommended for children aged 7 and older to use K’Nex sets.
It’s also worth noting that most K’Nex sets don’t provide detailed crafting instructions. Some packages may only show completed toys as examples. However, thanks to the versatility and creative possibilities K’Nex offers, this usually isn’t a significant issue.
A house, a hammer and a pyramid made by Alena – Magnext
A house, a hammer and a pyramid made by my daughter from Magnext building kit.
The Samurai
Another picture made from French Iotobo mosaic.
Our Quercetti Gears
My daughter invented and decorated by the whole thing, and everything is spinning. Everything is flat yet, she doesn’t accept the proposals to build in height 🙂 Made of Quercetti Gears set.
These gears by Quercetti has all the essential thing you’d desire in a gear system. Firstly, their construction quality is top-notch, and the pieces have robust and solid design. The set also has a seamless gear interface, so they interlock securely. With this reliable connections and sturdy pieces, the set allows you to build machines that can perform real work.
The set includes several base plates that fit together like puzzle pieces. Nearly half the time these are in use at our house, kids made colorful boxes from them. So, they’re not just basic pieces but are interesting decorations in their own. The second set of pieces has support structures, which are tubes and joints that interlock to create sturdy poles. These pieces come in a consistent size, without the frustration of dealing with components at slightly different heights, a problem we’ve encountered with other sets in the past. The support connects are sturdy, so that the structures stay intact once they’re built.
In addition to the gears, this set also comes with attachments like chains and rubber bands. You can use them to connect groups of gears that would otherwise be separate. Also, you can use them with other toys and building sets.
K’NEX Car Front View
K’Nex racing car from the Knex 100 crafts kit. This craft is minimalistic compared to our plane, it is mostly plastic rods forming the shape of the car. But it still rolls like any other toy.
K’Nex exists in two sizes – regular and mini KNex. There are also mathing thick and thin rods, as well as some rods that can connect big and small flakes together. Not all K’Nex sets have mini parts. Knex 100 crafts kit has regular pieces.
Just like with any other K’Nex sets, this one has pieces that hold together securely. However, you can easily dismatle your crafts and create something else using the pieces. The regular K’Nex pieces have more robust connections, and crafts can survive even the most active play. Mini K’Nex crafts are slightly more fragile.
While the crafts themselves can be very big, the pieces, especially mini pieces, are very small. Because of this, K’Nex can be dangerous for small babies who can accidentaly swallow the pieces. These pieces can also be too tricky for smaller kids to assemble properly. Because of this, the recommended age for K’Nex sets is 7+ years.
It’s also important to remember that most K’Nex sets don’t have many detailed crafting instructions. Some crafting ideas packages depict may be only shown as completed toys. However, with versatility and possibilities K’Nex offers, this usually is not a big problem.
