Guidecraft is a leader in children's toys and for good reason: they feature quality products that engage children's brains and stand up to the test of time. We own several developmental toys from Guidecraft, and, after many months of playing, none of them have shown any signs of wear. Because of this, saying yes to another review from Guidecraft was a no-brainer.
This time, Guidecraft sent us their newest building set, a new version of their classic Magneatos, in a 100-piece set. This Magneatos Better Builder Series has super strong magnets, unique rod and ball builders, and nearly endless possibilities for creation. It also includes a convenient storage bin and 22-page activity guide to get your little architect's creative juices flowing. The magnets are all safely and securely built so there's no risk of choking or other hazards for children over 18 months old. An Oppenheim Platinum Best Toy Award Winner, you can rest assured knowing that this toy is both fun and educational.
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As soon as we opened the box, we were in love with Magneatos. We've never owned anything like these before, so that just added to the fun. The inner magnets are very strong and easily "stick" together so the designs we make stay in place until we're done but they come apart easily when we're ready to tear them down. We had a blast building houses, towers, hotels, bridges, spiders and other creatures, and even using them to spell out our names. Both my kids, ages 5-1/2 and 11, loved this set, and even my husband and I enjoyed building with them.
Magneatos help to build both fine and gross motor skills because they are relatively small but they require gross motor muscle use when taking them apart. I loved coming up with building challenges for my boys and seeing their faces as they tried to figure how to construct what I'd imagined for them. We've literally had hours of fun with these since we got them a few weeks ago and I'm sure we'll have many, many more hours of use in the years to come.
As with all Guidecraft products, these will surely be around for a long time because of how sturdy they are. In fact, I'd say my kids will outgrow them long before they need to be retired. You can purchase Guidecraft's product on their website, www.guidecraft.com. This 100-piece set of Magneatos Better Builders retails for $159.95. You also have the choice of the smaller 30-piece and 60 piece sets.
Thank you to Guidecraft for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.
Good luck in the drawing!
