2010 Top Toys Guide: Part 1- K'nex Building Sets

1:46 PM Posted by Centsible Mommy

We were sent some of the newest toys from K’nex for our “expert testers” (ages 5 and 2) to try out. If you haven’t yet heard of K’nex, they are a popular brand of building toys for ages 2 through 9+. K’nex building toys allow children to let their imaginations soar as they play and build with K'nex Building sets. Here are just some of the newest toys from Spring/Summer Collection from K’nex:

The New K'nex Sesame Street Collection (ages 2+)

K’NEX has three new Sesame Street Building Sets. Aren't they cute? The new characters are Kick It! Elmo, Swim Time Ernie, and Cookie Monster’s Basketball. Each set has 13-15 pieces, and comes in a cute and handy carrying case making cleanup for the little ones easy. Each one retails for $12.99, and is recommended for ages 2 and up. The colorful chunky parts make it easy for small hands to snap, stack and plug together.

More information about each:

"Kick it Elmo" Building Set

Your child can build Sesame Street's coolest red monster, Elmo, gearing up to kick his soccer ball! This 13 piece set includes parts to build Elmo in his uniform and ready to hit the field with his soccer ball. "Play & Learn" activity sheet filled with collaborative and educational fun for parent and child is also included along with additional building ideas. When playtime is over store the parts in the handy canister for a quick and easy clean-up.

Swim Time Ernie Building Set

Your child can build Sesame Street's friendliest resident, Ernie, dressed in his bathing suit and ready to take a swim! This 14 piece set includes parts to build Ernie, complete with snorkel and flippers, on his way to the pool, lake or beach! "Play & Learn" activity sheet filled with collaborative and educational fun for parent and child is also included along with additional building ideas. When playtime is over store the parts in the handy canister for a quick and easy clean-up.

Cookie Monster Basketball Building Set

Your child can build one of Sesame Street's most lovable - and hungriest - characters, Cookie Monster, getting some exercise by hitting the basketball court! This 15 piece set includes parts to build Cookie Monster dressed in his uniform, including his yellow visor, with basketball in hand. "Play & Learn" activity sheet filled with collaborative and educational fun for parent and child is also included along with additional building ideas. When playtime is over store the parts in the handy canister for a quick and easy clean-up.

Our thoughts on the Sesame Street building sets: The Sesame Street building sets are perfect for my 2 year old son. Not only are the Sesame Street Characters some of his favorites, but at his age he is too young for most other building sets. The K'nex Sesame Street building sets allow him to build his favorite characters, as they have fewer and bigger pieces than the K’nex sets for older children. And well it's Elmo, Ernie and Cookie Monster, which was an added plus for my little Sesame Street fan. He has a blast building and playing with his favorite Sesame Street friends.

Benefits of K'nex Sesame Street Building Sets:

Physical Development: Building with Kid K'nex supports the development of hand-eye coordination
Social Emotional Development-Playing with Kid K'nex either alone or with friends encourages imaginative play
Language Development: Talking about K'nex creations can enhance language skills
Cognitive Skills-Sorting and making Patterns with K'nex encourages thinking and problem-solving skills

Construction Crew Series (5+)

There are also 4 new toys in the Construction Crew Series, which includes an excavator, front loader, steam roller, and backhoe. These are great for kids who love construction vehicles. Each set comes with about 120 pieces, accessories, and a driver. Combine all 4 sets to make a huge construction site! These retail for $11.99 each, and are recommended for ages 5 and up.

More information about each:

Collect & Build the Excavator, #1 of 4 in the Construction Crew Series! This set comes with 120 K'NEX parts, including bricks, rods and connectors to build a construction vehicle with a pivoting cab and working arm. There is also a K'NEXman to operate the vehicle, and construction accessories to play with! You can build on the brick plate that is included in the set, then combine all four sets and the brick plates become your own actual construction site! Recommended for builders ages 5+.

Collect & Build the Front Loader, #2 of 4 in the Construction Crew Series! This set comes with 120 K'NEX parts, including bricks, rods and connectors to build a construction vehicle with working bucket. There is also a K'NEXman to operate the vehicle, and construction accessories to play with! You can build on the brick plate that is included in the set, then combine all four sets and the brick plates become your own actual construction site! Recommended for builders ages 5+.

Collect & Build the Steam Roller, #3 of 4 in the Construction Crew Series! This set comes with 121 K'NEX parts, including bricks, rods and connectors to build a working construction vehicle with a drum that rotates when pushed. There is also two K'NEXmen to operate the vehicle and work alongside, and construction accessories to play with! You can build on the brick plate that is included in the set, then combine all four sets and the brick plates become your own actual construction site! Recommended for builders ages 5+.

Collect & Build the Backhoe, #4 of 4 in the Construction Crew Series! This set comes with 127 K'NEX parts, including bricks, rods and connectors to build a construction vehicle with a working digger in the back and bucket in the front. There is also a K'NEXman to operate the vehicle, and construction accessories to play with! You can build on the brick plate that is included in the set, then combine all four sets and the brick plates become your own actual construction site! Recommended for builders ages 5+.

Our thoughts on the Construction Crews Series:
This set is an amazing set for kids who love construction vehicles. Not only can you have fun building these sets, but children can play with the vehicles once they are built because they have some working parts! My 5 year old son loved this set and appreciated the fact they could be combined to make a "work site".

Fire Rescue 10 Model Set

Build 10 different models, including a cool fire engine, and bring them to life with the spring motor! Packed with 127 parts plus step-by-step instructions and building ideas for 10 unique models. The convenient storage box is a great place to store your parts and makes it easy for you to take the fun with you. For ages 5+.

Our thoughts on The Fire Rescue 10 Model Set:

This set is a fun building set that comes with the directions to build 10 amazing "working" models. The possibilities are endless with this set! My boys love firetrucks so they have lots of fun playing with this set while they allow their imaginations to run wild.

Overall, we thought ALL the K'nex products sent to us to try out were really fun! We liked them so much in fact that we've included them in our 2010 Top Toys Guide. (more toys will be featured soon)
For more information or to purchase the featured sets, or to see other K'nex products visit the K'nex website.

Buy it: You can buy directly from the official K'nex online shop or purchase K'nex products at most retailers nationwide.

We were provided with the above mentioned toys for review purposes only. We received no monetary compensation for this post. All the opinions and ideas expressed are our own. Note: Some excerpts taken from K'nex website.