The last time we bought Knex in bulk, on E-Bay. And the generous seller, having learned the age of my children, also added a set of Knex mosaics and Knex Lego. My daughter always likes Knex-Lego – she doesn’t like regular Lego, but this one has softer parts and rounded corners and the pieces connections are a little stronger.
An ice rink we made from Clics. It has a yellow locker room, a green cafe, a purple garage for cars that make and polish the ice.
ClicsToys is a Belgian company that was founded in 2001. They operate their own factory located in Kempen, where they manufacture the well-known Clics building blocks. These building sets consist of square pieces, all of which share the same form and shape. They easily connect at their edges, forming joints that can be moved.
Since the fundamental components of Clics are square, the basic forms you can build are typically cubic or brick-like. Nevertheless, thanks to the movable joints, you can connect them at various angles, resulting in diverse shapes. With careful assembly, it’s even possible to create triangular or sloping figures. However, the cubes remain the most robust and dependable structures this set can offer. Additionally, you can explore the option of crafting flat mosaics by combining pieces of different colors.
Using these plastic squares, you can construct flat surfaces and transform them into 3D shapes. Despite having relatively few extra pieces and accessories, Clics offer limitless creative possibilities. Some sets may include wheels and decorative panels, but these are the primary add-ons. On the plus side, Clics sets generally contain numerous pieces, enabling you to create complex structures with a single set.
The chair for the figurine, view from above. It goes on the pterosaurus’ back.
This is a very small Qubits craft that shows some possible connections of the different pieces. The bigger crafts just repeat these principles on a bigger scale.
Qubits is a small toy brand making very interesting and unusual building sets. Qubits sets have only two types of pieces – rectangular planks and multi-triangular pieces.
The multi-triangular pieces look like they are made from many connected triangles. They can connect to each other with the matching holes and pegs in the triangles’ centers. Each of these pieces has the same shape, but, connecting and overlapping, they create strong, flexible openwork structures. They can create any shapes and forms, flat or 3D. However, triangular shapes are the most sturdy and resilient ones.
There are also rectangular pieces, that can connect with multi-triangular ones both with the edges and with the openings on their surfaces. These pieces can also connect to each other. Both shapes come in multiple colors, often random, colors. Together, these two shapes can create many surprising and fascinating crafts. Sadly, Qubits have no extra pieces like wheels, so the number of moving crafts and toys is somewhat limited.
Qubits are big enough to be safe even for toddlers. However, these sets can be confusing for the smaller children, so the recommended age is 6+.
This K’Nex bird flaps its wings if you rotate the crank.
One movement of the baby’s hand and… the great Tiko tower fell. And during the fall, one connecting ball broke off on three different parts.
Tiko is a vintage building set, just like Tako. But, unlike Tako, Tiko pieces are solid panels of different shapes. They also connect by the edges – each edge has some sockets and some balls at regular intervals. Together, the balls and sockets form joints, so you can connect the pieces at different angles. The pieces themselves have different sizes – some are palm-sized, and others are smaller. But it’s possible to connect the pieces of different sizes, as long as the sockets match. Some big pieces have open centers – and these openings also have sockets, so you can add something there.
Since some Tiko pieces are so big, you can easily make crafts that are as tall as a 10-year-old child, and parts will actually hold together. Or you can make flat mosaics if you want to, and then roll them to make a 3D figure. There are no people figurines or decorations, but the building possibilities are endless. With Tiko, can create abstract shapes, buildings, toy furniture, and even something they can wear themselves. It’s a pity this set isn’t available to buy anymore, but there are some similar toys with the same basic concepts.
Crafts made from Geomag building kit.
This is a small set – it has only 22 parts. The ears a rather big, and we really liked both the size and the color. The girls were also happy with the muzzle piece with a pink nose. And 4 paws – by the way, they are darker than in the previous sets of Kid Knex.
Another possible craft from the smallest Magformers Basic set. It takes almost all pieces in the set to build.
As we expected, the great Tiko tower did not stand for long. It caused no less delight in my youngest, who resolutely headed towards the structure to study it.
Tiko is a vintage building set, just like Tako. But, unlike Tako, Tiko pieces are solid panels of different shapes. They also connect by the edges – each edge has some sockets and some balls at regular intervals. Together, the balls and sockets form joints, so you can connect the pieces at different angles. The pieces themselves have different sizes – some are palm-sized, and others are smaller. But it’s possible to connect the pieces of different sizes, as long as the sockets match. Some big pieces have open centers – and these openings also have sockets, so you can add something there.
Since some Tiko pieces are so big, you can easily make crafts that are as tall as a 10-year-old child, and parts will actually hold together. Or you can make flat mosaics if you want to, and then roll them to make a 3D figure. There are no people figurines or decorations, but the building possibilities are endless. With Tiko, can create abstract shapes, buildings, toy furniture, and even something they can wear themselves. It’s a pity this set isn’t available to buy anymore, but there are some similar toys with the same basic concepts.
