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Spaghetteez Building Set – Truck

Spaghetteez building sets often include wheels that allow you to create vehicles like this truck. This truck is sturdy enough to actually hold together whille you roll it around.

Spaghetteez is a unique brand of building sets with flexible tubes. Basic Spaghetteez pieces are plastic straws of different lengths, and they not only bend very well but also keep whatever shape you twist them into. They can bend again and again to form a flat surface, they can wrap around each other, form knots, and so on.

All the straws have special connectors on their ends, so you can connect any straws together, or loop a straw by connecting its own ends. The sets also have special connectors that will hold the straws together at certain angles or side by side. Or, if you need to connect two straws by their middles, you can just tie them together.

Just like any other straw, the Spagheettez set allows you to create lightweight and hollow shapes. However, these straws can hold together upright if your craft’s shape allows it. For example, you can create an animal, and it will actually stand on its legs. The Spaghetteez sets also include wheels, so you can create a vehicle and actually roll it around.

Unlike with many other sets with straws, you can’t cut Spaghetteez straws and continue to connect them. Spaghetteez straws have special connecting pieces on their ends, so they won’t be able to connect if you cut the end off. Because of this, the sets have many straws of different lengths.

Spaghetteez Building Set - Truck
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Tiko Sailboat

A small Tiko sailboat from a very few pieces.

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.

Tiko Sailboat
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K’NEX 35 Model Building Set – Car

This is another car model proposed for the 480-piece K’NEX 35 crafts set. This set includes 480 pieces of different sizes and shapes. It has both big and small flake-like pieces, along with thick and thin rods that match. Some rods are designed to connect the big and small pieces together. Not all K’Nex sets have these special pieces.

One good thing about this kit is that it comes with a large storage box where you can keep your projects. You can store unfinished toys inside the box and work on them later.

Like other K’Nex sets, the pieces in this one fit together securely. You can easily take apart your creations and use the pieces to make something new. Regular K’Nex pieces have strong connections, so your creations can withstand active play. Mini K’Nex creations are a bit more delicate. The K’NEX 35 crafts set includes both regular and mini-sized pieces.

While the crafts you make can be quite big, some of the pieces, especially the mini ones, are very small. This makes K’Nex sets not suitable for small babies who might accidentally swallow the pieces. They can also be a bit challenging for younger kids to put together correctly. That’s why it’s recommended for kids aged 7 and older to use K’Nex sets.

K’NEX 35 Model Building Set - Car
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Gakken Building Set – Gears

This one is a Japanese Bulldozer from a Gakken Gears set.

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 waffle building blocks, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

Gakken Building Set - Gears
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Clics Glitter Carousel Set 90 Pieces

This set exceeded all expectations! My daughter doesn’t really like building sets. She plays only with her older brother or with me, never herself, and she is also firmly believes that construction sets are for boys :). It’s is impossible to convince her otherwise). And then there’s the glitter thing. “Oh, is this for girls?!”. She was glued to this set for two days (I also bought a glitter bucket). She made all the models herself (she is 5 years old), I just helped bend and insert the arcs for the carousel. Clics Glitter carousel set has an auxiliary part, a rotary block, it’s a very interesting thing. Thanks to it you can build carousels and other spinning attractions. But it turned out that all the Clics figurines for boys… There are pirates some characters with mustaches and beards. There are other dolls riding in the carousel for now, but maybe the manufacturer will release Clics princesses, Clics girls and maybe even Clics animals?

The second set I bought was a Glitter Bucket set, which is just a common Clics set with some glitter pieces. It has wheels, but no axis pieces. So it’s very similar to the medium-sized non-glitter sets.

Clics Glitter Carousel Set 90 Pieces
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Tiko Castle

An ancient castle we built from the Tiko panels.

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.

Tiko Castle
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Gakken New Block Shinkansen – A Train And A Building Set

Japan has been inextricably linked with the Shinkansen for half a century. So this theme is also reflected in children’s construction sets. This is Gakken New Block Shinkansen set.

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 waffle building blocks, stack them, lay them, plug, or tuck blocks in different orientations, for example, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally.

Gakken New Block Shinkansen - A Train And A Building Set
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Spaghetteez Building Set – Hats

Adding the wheels on a headpiece is a great idea. This photo of hats from a Spaghetteez building set was made by the manufacturer.

Spaghetteez is a unique brand of building sets with flexible tubes. Basic Spaghetteez pieces are plastic straws of different lengths, and they not only bend very well but also keep whatever shape you twist them into. They can bend again and again to form a flat surface, they can wrap around each other, form knots, and so on.

All the straws have special connectors on their ends, so you can connect any straws together, or loop a straw by connecting its own ends. The sets also have special connectors that will hold the straws together at certain angles or side by side. Or, if you need to connect two straws by their middles, you can just tie them together.

Just like any other straw, the Spagheettez set allows you to create lightweight and hollow shapes. However, these straws can hold together upright if your craft’s shape allows it. For example, you can create an animal, and it will actually stand on its legs. The Spaghetteez sets also include wheels, so you can create a vehicle and actually roll it around.

Unlike with many other sets with straws, you can’t cut Spaghetteez straws and continue to connect them. Spaghetteez straws have special connecting pieces on their ends, so they won’t be able to connect if you cut the end off. Because of this, the sets have many straws of different lengths.

Spaghetteez Building Set - Hats
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