There is something uniquely satisfying about building with K'NEX. It's not just the ease and secureness with which the pieces glide and snap together. Nor is it their versatility, although the huge range of things you can create with them is immensely gratifying. It's got more to do with their distinctive look and feel, the way whatever you're building with them seems to almost magically take shape under your hands. This...Read more

You know you're playing with an ingeniously conceived building toy when your mind can be so intently focused on the task at hand and simultaneously free to wander. Those seemingly contradictory states of concentration and relaxation are the result, in part, of the great flexibility with which the K'NEX rods and connectors join to one another. Kids of all ages adore them, and for good reason. They connect so easily, yet fi...Read more

Portal Masters and sports fans will be thrilled with the arrival of Kickoff Countdown, a tech element character and new member of the SWAP Force team of heroes. His head, both on the physical toy and in-game, is a soccer ball, and a rather ferocious-looking one at that. In addition to his unique soccer-themed appearance, Kickoff Countdown is fast, fierce, and can fire in multiple directions in the blink of an eye, making ...Read more

Laser Pegs construction toys have the unique quality of enabling you to create models that light up from within. This particular set contains 59 transparent construction parts, a triangular power base, and 13 Laser Pegs. It is the Laser Pegs that send various colors of light streaming through your creations, toggling on and off with the push of a button. Instructions provide a step by step on how to construct six differen...Read more

Build 6 different lighted construction models from this single set and immerse yourself in a world of undersea adventure. Create Lanternfish, Tiger Shark, Hammerhead, Clownfish, Manta Ray, and Deep Sea Explorer using 62 Construction Parts and 10 Laser Pegs that assemble with varying degrees of intricacy. Each and every model becomes luminously beautiful when you press the button in the Power Base, sending rays of colored ...Read more

This entry in the LEGO City series brings high-speed cops and robbers action to the realm of imaginative build 'n play. The 196 piece kit assembles into two vehicles and three mini-figures, with lots of fine touches included. There's an armored prisoner transporter with POLICE emblazoned on the sides and a lawman at the wheel. There's a bad guy on a souped-up ATV rigged specially to break his buddy out of the transporter....Read more

LEGO DUPLO building toys are specially designed for pre-school ages 1-1/2 to 5 years old. My First Train Set is a fine example of how wonderfully LEGO DUPLO products serve that age set, both in terms of providing joyful play and in developing the skills and thought processes coming to bloom during those years. Its pieces are large and chunky - sized perfectly for small hands. The ways in which those pieces can easily but ...Read more

With LEGO there are two phases to the fun, building and playing, and LEGO Friends Dolphin Cruiser shines in both areas. Building, of course, is a form of play, and the pride and excitement children feel as their efforts quickly take shape under their own hand are palpable. One of the many play benefits to building the Dolphin Cruiser is the way the steady sense of accomplishment fuels an often unprecedented combination of...Read more

As with all of the products in the LEGO Friends series, this one provides an exceptional level of detail and personality. As a building toy, it gives children hours of fun during which their concentration and focus are rewarded with the gratification of working with their hands and seeing the structures, mini-figures, and vehicles take shape. Once the set has been completely assembled, the result is a tremendous imaginati...Read more

Stephanie's Beach House puts on full display LEGO's renowned penchant for detail. That attention to the little things creates a level of nuance that makes this a world any girl (or boy) would be thrilled to inhabit. Assembling it is a very big part of the fun. The illustrated instructions are easy to follow, and the patience and care taken in putting it all together are rewarded by feelings of excitement and pride every s...Read more

Each LEGO Friends sets provides a little world all its own, to be assembled, treasured, and enlivened by the imaginations they so actively inspire. The Sunshine Harvest set reminds us that there's nothing quite like a day in the sun, where a balance of work and play yields many rewards. The 233 piece set assembles into a colorful, detailed, rustic setting in which the mini-doll figure Olivia, with her companion dog Charli...Read more

This kit provides the immense satisfaction of assembling 505 pieces into a universe of fierce mini-figures and futuristic weaponry, a world whose astonishing detail and functionality inspires countless hours of imaginative play. Those pieces come tidily packaged in 4 separate bags within the box, making it easy to follow the step-by-step illustrations. The kit's centerpiece is the Gorilla Striker, an impressively fierce r...Read more

This 253-piece building set includes three mini-figures - Zane (the ninja of ice), the powerful General Cryptor, and Min-droid, the miniature Nindroid Warrior - each with his own prowess, weaponry, and array of physical details. The Destructoid, a mobile purveyor of destruction if ever there was one, is the showboat of this set. Its command center - a fully rotatable platform that sits atop tank-like treads and has huge, ...Read more

Kids might think they've stepped directly into a movie when they experience the wild mash-up of mini-figures, places, and out-of-this-world things in this building set. Help Sudds Backwash rebuild his Wild West saloon into a crazily impressive flying machine with twin cannons mounted on the wings and a built-in piano. The flying kebab stand, with Kebab Bob at the helm, is equally impressive, with control levers, jet wheel...Read more