Construction Toys

By TDmonthly Staff
November 2011

See these recently added specialty and mass-market construction toys.

Playable Metal - Pose by BEYOND123 LLC

Playable Metal - Pose by BEYOND123 LLC Playable Metal blocks are made in aluminum alloy. There are 10 different shapes each with threaded holes on many of its facets. Blocks can be interconnected using specially designed screws. This patented connecting mechanism makes building flexible structures possible for each two adjacent blocks can be secured in any easily adjusted angle. Playable Metal blocks are available in 7 metallic colors. This set includes, 22 playable metal blocks, 39 connecting screws, 6 aluminum rods, 2 special rods (sports pack), L-shaped wrench. 9/1/2011 (MSRP: $74.99; Age: 9 and Up)

LEGO Star Wars Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter 7868 by LEGO

Blast through the droid ambush with LEGO Star Wars Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter! With quad flick missiles and the reliable R8-B7 astromech droid to navigate and repair damage, Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter will be more than a match for the tactical droid TX-20 on his Separatist speeder.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 14 reviews on Google Product Search. Pros: Mini Figures are great; lots of details and extras included. Cons: Many similar sets have been made. 10/19/2011 (MSRP: $39.97; Age: 7 to 12)

GeoMag Kids Color - 44 pcs by REEVES INTL. INC.

GeoMag Kids Color - 44 pcs by REEVES INTL. INC. Includes 24 blue and turquoise magnetic rods & 20 chromed steel spheres. Magnetic rods combined with non-magnetic spheres transform into thousands of geometric forms.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Products For Kids ( Watch Video) 10/6/2011 (MSRP: $21.50)

3-D Building Sets - Empire State Building by RAVENSBURGER

An extension of Ravensburger's popular puzzleball line, each of these buildings feature flat and hinged precision-cut pieces that snap together perfectly, and stand up to 15” high when completed. Other sets include Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and a New England lighthouse. 9/26/2011 (Age: 10 and Up)

Quadrilla® Twist and Rail Set™ by MANHATTAN TOY

Kids can send marbles down the wooden 99-piece Quadrilla Twist & Rail Set. Curved rails, straight rails, and a big twist make up this set. 50 marbles are included along with a cloth bag for safe storage.
Awards: Dr. Toy's 10 Best Toys - 2011 9/16/2011 (MSRP: $150.00; Age: 4 to 12)

nanoblock Mini Series - Emperor Penguin by OHIO ART CO.

These micro-sized building blocks will enable kids to execute even the finest details like never before. With over 100 pieces, kids watch in amazement as this regal bird takes shape right beneath your fingertips. With a finished size of 1.5″w x 1.5″d x 2.36h, only this giant penguin is able to fit perfectly in the palm of a hand. Includes detailed color instructions. 9 animal designs currently available.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, Shana Hack, owner of Moon Rabbit Toys in Santa Fe, N.M., told TDmonthly that nanoblocks were an overall best seller at their store. 9/9/2011 (MSRP: $8.49; Age: 8 and Up)

Toobalink by METRE IDEAS AND DESIGN LLC

Toobalink by METRE IDEAS AND DESIGN LLC Toobalink is the only construction toy that uses paper towel tubes and toilet tissue tubes as a main building element. A Toobalink set comes with all the pieces necessary to build a wide variety of connectors, which are then used to hold the tubes together to build large scale structures. Each Toobalink kit comes with 39 pieces, including brand new tubes so that kids can get building right away. Kids love it because they can collect more tubes to build bigger, better structures and parents love it because the extra building material is FREE. Made in the USA. Launch date: June 2012. 9/8/2011 (MSRP: $34.99; Age: 5 and Up)

Hexacus by POPULAR PLAYTHINGS

HEXACUS is an exploration in creativity and fun for the entire family. Just sort by size and color, then stack, nest, and balance to create a wide variety of patterns and shapes. Our Idea Booklet shows over 100 examples of easy to challenging patterns and shapes to build. Ages: 2+ CONTENTS: 12 Hexagonal Pieces – 3 Red, 3 Orange, 2 Yellow, 2 Green, 1 Light Blue, 1 Dark Blue, Idea Booklet. "Due to it's unique and geometrically accurate shape, children are able to nest and stack HEXACUS pieces in a wide variety of ways using horizontal, vertical and diagonal planes," Jason Cheung, general manager of Huntar Company, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2012. 9/8/2011 (MSRP: $20.00; Age: 2 and Up)

Junglemorphs by RIVER DOLPHIN TOYS

Junglemorphs by RIVER DOLPHIN TOYS Junglemorphs, new for 2011, is part of the Zoomorphs pop-together building system. The child can build animals that exist or have existed in nature; or easily pop the pieces apart to make all sorts of friendly, poseable fantasy creatures. There are four characters in this set: Tree Python, Bird of Paradise, Tiger and Tropical Beetle. All sets are interchangeable. Some animals have hinged jaws. Launch date: August 2011.
— Karin Evick, manager of Kids' Ketch in Lewes, Del., told TDmonthly in an April 2012 survey that Zoomorphs are one of their best selling construction toys. 9/8/2011 (MSRP: $20.00; Age: 6 to 9)