Building Set Reviews

Welcome to the Zany 50-Piece Kit version of Toobers & Zots! What are Toobers & Zots? Brightly colored, flexible, moldable tubes (Toobers) and a wide variety of individually shaped pieces (Zots) that fit together in zillions of combinations. Toobers & Zots have won more than 25 major toy awards in less than five years--and you need only look inside the box to see why. Goofy, fun, and creativity-inducing, this is one of those things kids just have to have. Because the creative possibilities are endless (and the kit is neither age- nor gender-specific), this toy is likely to be a favorite for years to come. Adults might even enjoy Toobers & Zots. Small parts make this toy inappropriate for children under 3 years. --Chris Livesay

K'NEX building sets have been used in classrooms for years, but these open-ended construction sets are also worthwhile for playtime at home or for homeschool use. This set focuses on building models of different transportation vehicles for land, air, sea, and space travel, using the 800 plastic construction pieces that include rods, connectors, tires, pulleys/hubs, and three motors. Activity cards with construction diagrams for 44 different models are included, along with a 56-page teacher's guide with 168 activity suggestions and background information. Some of the models are quite simple (a hang glider) and some are complex (a space shuttle), so the set can be used by children of varying abilities and ages (from 5 to 10). Kids who are drawn to construction sets will of course enjoy this set, but parents might also consider it as a fun and educational way to improve spatial reasoning skills in kids who aren't so mechanically minded. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian