Jenny Peck, parent of six year old Luke, takes a look at Connetix’s Magnetic Tiles: Rainbow Transport Pack.
Connetix Tiles was launched in 2019 by two families enthusiastic about seeing their children play with bigger, better and brighter toys that encourage STEAM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics).
When the Rainbow Transport Pack arrived it was much larger than we thought it would be. A collection of brightly coloured magnetised tiles, with wheel bases, I was surprised at the level of design that had gone into even just the packaging (all of which is recyclable and looks very stylish).
For tidying purposes, a big plus is that everything fits back in the box every time, and the box looks strong enough to be used as storage for its lifetime. Luke thought the packaging was “cool”, showing the colours and ideas for what he could make, although he did think that three year olds would be too small to play with the set.
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The pack contains 1 x Train/Truck; 2 x Car Bases; 3 x Equilateral triangles; 3 x Right angle triangles; 2 x Isosceles triangles; 15 x Door pieces; 4 x Small square pieces; 2 x Window pieces; 18 x Rectangles; Idea Booklet. Luke had 30 minutes to one hour of independent play with the tiles before we got involved! On his first occasion he loved looking at the ideas book that came with the set, and having a go at making the suggested designs.
He liked making a lorry then transforming it into a robot. Also making cars and using them with his other toys to change the play from pure building to stories with imaginative play. He needed no help from us to get started, as it’s a very intuitive toy, and he enjoys using it in conjunction with his other toys.
The magnetic tiles are made of thick plastic, and having the bevel on the faces helps with moving bits around and replacing them. I’m very happy to know that if a piece does end up in his mouth it’s made of food grade plastic and nothing harmful will leach off into him.
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We already have a similar type of toy to this, but this is much higher quality although a little more expensive. The quality is such that it feels that if you accidentally step on it, it won’t shatter. All in all I think it’s a good toy, built to last, fun, and something that you can build on over time, injecting new ideas with new kits.
Luke thinks it’s “awesome”! This in the Lego League of toys. Always there and can be anything you want it to be. Educational but in a fun way!
Connetix Magnetic Tiles: Rainbow Transport Pack costs £69 from ConnetixTiles.com
