MindWareKEVA Contraptions, Wooden Blocks Building Set, Marble Run Kit, Includes 2 Balls - 200 Planks

I bought this for my 9yo son. We have only had it for 2 days, but he and his 14yo brother have been immensely enjoying it. Unlike the previous reviewer, I understood what we were getting -- a set of 200 identical wooden planks with instructions for *building* ramps, chutes, funnels and "crazy contraptions". Because no glue or connectors are used, it *is* challenging to build the contraptions but that is also what makes it an extremely open-ended toy. The first night my 9yo was a bit frustrated. We talked about how it wouldn't be much fun if I got him a toy where he "beat the boss" on the first night, and that with this toy he'd have a chance to improve and get better at using it over time, and that as evidenced by his older brother, he'd probably still be enjoying 5 years from now. He took that to heart and by the next morning was already starting to master some of the building forms and had created his own working contraption.This toy requires patience. It would be well-suited for the type of child who enjoys building domino runs -- it requires a similar level of patience, precision and resilience in the face of the inevitable mishaps.The planks are identical in size and shape to Kapla or other Keva planks, though these are pine and not hardwood as the other more expensive sets are. They can used interchangeably with those systems, and thus can be used to construct all the other types of structures one might build with Keva planks. The worksmanship seems excellent and precise.The balls appear to be colored ping pong balls and the only downside to this is that one of our balls already got crushed somehow. However the upside to this is that they are easily replaced/supplemented by readily available ping pong balls.We bought this set along with the 50-plank set, thinking it would give us some additional planks and a few extra contraption idea. I'm not sure that was worth it, and we might have been better off getting another 200 plank set, as with 2 boys using them, we clearly need more planks :)For those who already own a set of planks, there doesn't seem to be any way of getting the contraption instructions without buying the sets at this time. This is unfortunate. It would be nice to be able to buy the instructions only for my nephews who already own planks, and to buy instructions for more "generic" uses of the planks for my own sons.

I got these for my first grade (Waldorf) classroom, and the children absolutely love them. They literally beg for indoor recess, and come to school early just to play with them. I withheld the book, just to see what would happen with their own ingenuity, and they have been building complicated, multi-teired tunnels, jumps, and all sorts of things. The most interesting part has been watching their social interactions evolve. On the first day, they started out each building their own thing, and quickly ran out of blocks (I got two of these sets, so 400 pieces). They began to join their constructions together to build a more complicated one. By the end of about 40 minutes of play, six or seven children were all working together, and co-constructing a massive ball run. Having the pieces be all the same makes sharing easier, and opens up a whole range of flexibility in construction. After about two months of having these blocks in the classroom, they are still a favorite, and the constructions just get more and more complicated. I highly recommend these! Also-- helpful hint-- getting two sets of 200 blocks is actually cheaper than their 400 block set. I'm not sure why. I emptied them all into a big basket, and it keeps 6-7 children occupied. I'm sure they'd appreciate another set of them though. I may supplement later. Also, another helpful hint for classroom (and possibly home) use: I keep the balls in my desk, and the children have to "check them out", like in a library. The child that takes a ball is responsible for taking care of it and making sure it comes back to me. Without this rule, the balls would have been long gone.

I purchased this for my son who was interested in architecture but was too old for the chunky blocks. He loved it. He makes towers that touch the ceiling and challenges himself making cantilevers and buildings. I was teaching a class for 1st graders and brought the keva blocks and they abandoned the legos to play with Keva blocks. My sons are ages 17, 13 and 10 and I leave a box of these in the family room. I'd say you gets kids would like them too as I see them at the Children's museums and that 1st grade class loved them. They make designs, buildings, bridges and play games with the blocks. They have learned engineering and physics concepts by trial and error which is am added bonus. Because they are wood, you can't leave them outside, in the rain or in a sandbox or the could warp. But I love these blocks. We have purchased 3 boxes so far to make bigger structures. We have also bought a smaller keva trebuchet kit for my 10 year old where you glue the blocks together.

I'll admit, I was worried this was a lot to pay for pieces of wood. However, this is one of the coolest toys ever. It uses good old fashioned building blocks, except that the weight and proportion of the blocks just happens to mean that these are particularly good for building and balancing. My kids and I have so much fun trying to build the ball runs in the manual. It's challenging, and our structures sometimes fall down prematurely, but what a satisfying toy. We all get a sense of accomplishment from working together to build something that looks impressive, took hard work and brain power, and culminates with a fun ball run. Plus, did you ever notice that siblings fight less when they're working toward a common goal? This is just the ticket. I'm looking forward to hours of family fun.Hint: There are manufacturers that sell these types of blocks cheaper. I'm usually one for a discount, but in this case you'll want to consider the importance of the included manual. That's where the magic lies.