A New Generation Of Builders With Magnetic Stick N' Stack

We received complimentary product in order to help facilitate the article below, regardless all photos and opinions are genuine and copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2016.

Momma Told Me: If you imagine it, you can build it.

As a young girl I was considered quite the tom boy. While my cousins were toting around baby dolls in toy strollers, playing 'house', I was often drafting the plans for building block skyscrapers and baking glow-in-the-dark bugs with my Creeper Crawler oven. It wasn't the specific type of activity I craved, it was an opportunity to create or problem solve that I truly loved. From early grade school I found myself spending hours making something from nothing- whether with my mothers' crafting scraps, discarded toilet paper rolls, or rainbow building blocks. If Momma said I couldn't have a dragon, Id' make one- if my father told me I'd have to wait until my birthday for new action figures, I'd make new clothes and personas for the old ones. And I am so glad to say that, even in a few short generations, building is now widely accepted as a gender-less play-time activity.

In fact, building blocks are the most popular toys at the after-school daycare I work with on Thursdays. Regardless of a child's age, gender, or background, each can enjoy the satisfaction of bringing their imagination to life, when playing with building blocks.

Of course, as the times change, so do the toys- yet some of the most awesome toys on the shelf remain those with the simplest of concepts, and the most limitless of possibilities. Enter Magnetic Stick N' Stack tiles by Shape Mags. Quite possibly the coolest building blocks ever (and yes, I'm comparing them to blocks that glow in the dark, light up, or stick together like Velcro) these translucent colored tiles feature carefully placed internal magnets which magically fasten them to one another in an almost never ending configuration of shapes and patterns.

Now, you may have seen similar toys at your child's school, daycare, or even in advanced learning classes- There are a few other brands out there cornering the magnetic block movement. However, Magnetic Stick N' Stack sets are actually more affordable than those 'other' brands, while also being 100% compatible! They're also incredibly durable, and the perfect size for small hands- great for kids as young as age 3+.

And, while we did have several 3 and 4 year-olds on hand to build with these, right out of the box, I have to say the adults and even tweens were also eagerly waiting on their turn as well! So what can you expect if you have littles afoot? Magnetic Stick N' Stack sets are perfect for homes with multi-aged children, or toddlers- children can not only grow with the tiles, but also grow and learn while playing with others as well! Carter is often very reserved, yet extremely articulate in his thought processes- at 5 he built several 3-dimensional structures and even a multi-layer vehicle. His pride was evident, as he'd stop those around him often to exclaim, "Look guys! Look what I made!"

Magnetic Stick N' Stack pieces are a little on the heavy side, compared to other brands, which gives me confident they will outlast other sets and toys. This also means a more deliberate hand is required in advance structure design. Lynnsey, age 6, was keen to spot structural flaws in her magnetic structures and would visibly light up anytime she happened to solve a 'problem.' Many of the younger kids worked on a 'piece by piece' level, while the older kids (10+) would gather a group of pieces for their design prior.

I can't lie- I spent my fair share of time trying to sneak away unused pieces to build with. There was something calming as I was taken back to my own childhood of building fantastical structures. I especially enjoyed the more advanced concepts of weights and balances, or structural support. By the time I got my 'penguin' complete, above, I had several pairs of eyes on me. And that's when it officially became a group toy- suddenly the kids were donating their pieces to make one, giant, structure together. And you can't ask much more from a toy than to foster communication, problem solving, and friendship, while remaining wildly fun.

Magnetic Stick N' Stack sets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I highly suggest investing in a Master or Engineer Builder set to start. While you may not seem too keen to leap into the investment at first, I promise you the wide range of shapes will provide endless entertainment. Once children have had a chance to explore the types of structures they can, and prefer to, make, then you can add on supplemental pieces like a dome set, or building plate. And, did I mention- these don't hurt to step on (that's a building block joke for you!)

If your child is a little less creative, and needs some inspiration- or prefers to recreate and build based on concepts, Magnetic Stick N' Stack also makes some really durable idea books that tuck right away with the blocks. We often started building one concept, then used the foundation of the idea to make something a little more our own. Before long, the kids were going wild creating their own buildings, cars, bridges, animals and more! This is definitely one toy I could have spent hours a day with growing up!

What Daughter Says: I never outgrew building blocks- now kids can grow with a whole new way to build and imagine.