Recently, I partnered with K’nex Education’s STEM Explorations to share their Roller Coaster building set. I wanted to share one of my daughters favorite activities with other parents. In my last post, their unboxing video of this set. I wanted to also share how they built the set and how the finished toy looks.
Several years ago, their fascination with K’nex started. When they were around 5 years old they received a box of K’nex while I attended the iRetreat Blogging Conference in Hershey, PA. They were immediately hooked. Their eyes lit up and they wanted more and more K’nex, so for holidays they asked for more K’nex to build exciting new creations. Over the years, they have built many cool creations such as an oscillating fan, a table, phonograph, an egg beater, a grasshopper, scorpion, robots, etc. They just love to build. I love that they are completely engaged and are thinking about how the pieces can come together to create something new. Pictured below is one of their latest K’nex builds. The Big Ball Factory has over 3,000 pieces and is about 4 feet tall.
Their first box of K’NEX didn’t have a motor but as I purchased more sets, many of them included motors that can make the creations operate on their own. I loved that my daughters quickly learned how to implement the motors into new practical designs. Sometimes they build alone, together, or with their dad. As a parent who encourages my kids be artistic and creative, K’NEX isn’t just about fun and play, while kids are creating they are also learning. K’NEX teaches children how to follow instructions , problem solving, and building helps refine their fine motor skills.
K’NEX Education’s STEM Explorations Roller Coaster building set
Purchase K’NEX STEM Explorations: Roller Coaster
Amazon affiliate link: https://goo.gl/kc4xHd
The Real Deal About the set:
- If your child normally uses other popular bricks, K’NEX are different so the building experience is not the same. My kids love all types of building toys. Overall, they love the motorized capabilities of K’NEX, which helps them continue to reinvent pieces that have their own moving parts. They also like that the pieces are flexible so there creations can move around. With other popular bricks they usually make buildings, cars, airplanes, but K’nex offers a different range of creation possibilities.
- Parents please note, some KNEX of pieces are extremely small so they can be easily lost. My kids are encouraged to keep all of their building toys in one room so I don’t have to worry about seeing tiny pieces all over the house. If your child has very young siblings (younger than 3 years old) you may not want to keep this in an area where they have access to it.
- STEM Education K’NEX sets are great for advanced builders or children they love building. However, K’NEX sells sets for younger children, so check the recommended ages on the box. Also keep in mind that K’NEX instructions do not have words on them so your child may need assistance. Because there are no words, you have to be familiar with the pieces and look closely at the instructions.
- If you want to challenge your child, K’NEX building sets are a great choice.
Enter to Win It
(Contest ends November 23, 2016 at 11:59pm)
Mandatory entry: Visit Knex.com and tell me which K’NEX set you like the most.
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That looks so educational and very intriguing, especially to a ki. I would have loved and l’m sure would still love to play with a set like that 🙂
The K-nex looks amazing. I would love to add one of their items to our homeschool rotation. The Kid K’nex Group Set would be the perfect edition for my 3 year old.
I would love the 4 wheel drive truck for my daughter. She’s really in to monster trucks and cars right now and I want to continue teaching her toys have no gender.
Love K’nex! Kids can do so much with them. My kids are older, but my grandbaby would love something like this.
My job partners with some of the schools in my town where STEM projects are done. Thanks for sharing.
So they make Tinker Toys, that’s where I remember them from (as a child)! I’d probably like the 4 wheel drive truck for my nephews.
I’m such a fan of the Knex brand. They speak to my kids creativity and I love that. The K’NEX® Thrill Rides are really dope, my daughter is obsessed with the National Wheel.
The 35 model building set would be awesome.
The 4 wheel drive truck would be so perfect for my kiddos.
My nephew was great at creating a building elaborate structures when he was a small boy. I thought for sure he’d grow up to be an engineer of some kind but twas not to be. I still have some hope for the younger ones so this would be a perfect gift for them.
I think my daughter would really like the 5-in-1 combat crew!
Another knex toy we love is Lincoln logs!!
Cosmic quest looks super nifty!!
This is so neat! I have to check to see if my kid who loves cars and transportation would be into this type of set. This may hold them longer than legos!
The transport chopper is friggin sweeeet!!
They have a lot of really great stuff but I think the 4 wheel drive truck is probably one of the coolest.
The knex truck would make an awesome stocking stuffer!
Woah! The grandfather clock is way cool!! That would be a fun challenge with the kids.
I couldn’t help myself. I got the plane and the truck for stocking stuffers. I’m excited to see what else they imagine up with such a small set.
We have this set too! I was worried about all the little pieces at first, but with a little assistance, my son was able to put it together!