MAGNA-TILESClassic 100-Piece Magnetic Construction Set, The ORIGINAL Magnetic Building Brand

These are very fun and probably beat Legos for kids under 9 or 10. You can snap together large and interesting structures in minutes.They are quote expensive relative to the knockoffs, especially when you buy a second set. But seems worth it for the peace of mind. They're durable, stick together and don't put off chemical odors. Not much anyway.

You can see my review from a few years ago below. My boys are now 14, 13 and 10 and the magna tiles are the only toys still being played with in the toy room on a consistent basis. Not one tile has ever broken and again, we are talking about 10 years worth of daily use! What other toy is played with daily for 10 years and still looks as good as new. As I mentioned before, I am also an elementary principal. I now have 20 classes of kindergarten and first grade students and this is still the favorite indoor recess toy. I buy a few new sets a year because every teacher wants a couple of sets for recess. Again, not one broken tile and many of our sets are ten years old. Don't think they are too expensive. Instead think about all the toys you spent $30 - $40 on that were played with for a few weeks or months and then tossed aside. That won't happen with these. These will be played with often and then passed down to your grandkids.My review from 10 years ago - Yes, Magna tiles are pricey but well worth it. We have three boys ages 5, 4, and 1. They all love playing with the magna tiles and build some pretty amazing structures. We purchased one set of 100 for Christmas and then realized we really needed another set. With two sets, there are plenty to go around and everyone has fun building. I would recommend the clear ones. Kids like to build houses and barns they can put their animals and cars into and still see them. I am also an elementary principal and we bought several sets for indoor recess and for our latchkey program and they are used on a daily basis and have been for about 6 months. They are holding up great and again, the kids love them. I see kids from age 5 - 11 playing with them at school. At home, my husband and I enjoy them as much as the kids.

So, how do I begin.... I suppose with some declarations1. I am not in any way connected to this company, although I'd like to be2. I have no incentive for writing this review other than to spread good information based on my experience with these blocksSo, my addiction with these blocks started about 2 years ago, when my son turned 1. Given, at that time he was unable to play with the two sets we had bought form a major big box retailer. The sets happened to be 25% off at that time of year and I jumped on two boxes and stored them for a bit. When my son turned 2 the blocks started being played with. Every since its been a uphill battle to not buy more pieces consistently. At this time we have 3 sets in use, approximately 300 pieces and I have two more boxes (100 pieces each) for my sons upcoming birthday, which will put us over 500 pieces. So why are these blocks so important to our lives you ask? Why invest so much money on these blocks? Please allow me to answer in a multi-tiered fashion.Cost:These blocks are not expensive, not for when you think about the cost associate with one dinner for a family of 3. Go to your RedLibster or go to AliveGarden one night and tell me how much you spend. Oh.. you spent a 100 bucks on some pasta and breadsticks great... you could have had a toy your child/children would play with for 10 years and hand down to their kids one day or an item you could have easily sold on online auction sites for at least half of what you initially spent. We all know it, 'if u want something good u pay a little more'.. so lets not be delusional about the cost of these being too much. In comparison to other toys... they are but a fraction of the cost, based on the possibilities....(see below)Possibilities:These things are almost entirely unlimited in regards to what they will allow someone to produce. When my son first started playing with them he would make 'floors' for his trucks to drive over, then it was simple enclosure unites, then enclosure units with roofs, then villages with roads and buildings, then airports and firehouses, etc... hence the reason we need more blocks. I am having a hard time keeping up with his very creative mind.Why:These blocks for 100 bucks, or whatever u spend on them, trumps any other 'setting' toy you can buy, such as a TTT setting to run trains on which gets old after a while, although the tracks allow for imagination. Even with train tracks though you can only run trains on them. These pieces allow for you to, as described above, build whatever. My son has built house for his 'stuffed animals'... heck... we even built some for his dinosaurs and for him on one occasion.Perks:So easy to store and for the analytical/OCD type person who loves to clean up after their kids, these blocks are ideal. A few minutes and they are exactly as neat as they were when they first arrived in their original packaging. Not many toys can offer that... not to mention these avoid the infamous 'middle of the night' stepping on a (little block) and screaming murder.So.. I am here to simply praise Valtech for their exceptional product. These blocks are sturdy, safe and break proof (or so they appear to be). I am a very hands on father and I spend countless hours with my son playing games (he is an only child, that turns 3 this coming week). I've found great joy in playing with him with these blocks and watching his brain develop in a number of fashions.. below are some of the learning benefits I believe these blocks offer:1. Patience in understanding how long it takes to build something up2. Mechanical Dexterity3. Resiliency in rebuilding things that fall4. Geometry/Shapes recognition5. Mathematics/Counting6. Physis; Forces; Magnetism/Leverage7. Teambuilding8. Creative play9. Pre-approach10....(more I'm sure to come as my child grows)I DID NOT receive any sort of discount on this product. I do not receive any perks for writing this review other than knowing that I possibly helped lead you to buy these blocks for your child or children to play with. That in of itself would be rewarding enough or me and make me happy for having taken the time to review these blocks.We have since started branching out with these blocks:-Plays with them in the shower-Bringing them to grandmas house-Bringing them into the sandpit (Mr. Crabbie)My son calls these things 'sticky blocks' and they are one of his favorite toys. We really have played with them for at least a half an hour to 3 hours for the last 6 months straight. I'd say, its a bit much, (the playing that is), however, I know with my son we are going to play..it is very rewarding to know I am doing my job as a parent and able to find some 'enjoyment' myself in watching his little brain expand before my eyes... These are the epitome of the type of item you buy to enrich your kids life. I took a while to buy a STEM toy/product in that I wanted to buy the right one... this one.. on the 4th purchase continues to reaffirm my belief that there is no better toy available out there.Cons: NoneAdditional information: Magnetic Strength is goodSuggestions: Buy Base that avoids using 4 'big squares', buy a carrying case, take pictures of each of your designsQuestions? I'm happy to provide additional thoughts should you have any questions.Enjoy.. and remember... You cant say 100 bucks is allot of money for a toy, if you are eating out each night, drink, smoke, etc...

We have Magnatiles for our grandkids to play with when we watch them each one day a week. They are now 5, 4 and 3, and never seem to tire of these at all. They build great houses and garages for the Paw Patrol pup figures and vehicles, and even for stuffed animals, have done mazes on the base plates (more about them in a second), and the little guy even likes to write out his letters on the floor using squares and triangles. I started with the 100-piece Magnatile set after reading a bunch of reviews. These are the pricier choice, but I believe the quality is worth it. It's been over a year and we haven't had a single problem with any tiles. I also got a set of two 12x12" baseplates from ShapeMags, because Magnatiles does not offer baseplates, and find that their quality is also excellent. We find the baseplates invaluable to aid stability when building large and tall constructions. They also make it easier to move the constructions, if necessary, once built. Since that initial set, I have added another large set, two sets of the Magnatiles Rectangles, the "House" set, and the set of two car bases. All were great. Kudos to Magnatiles for making tiles in almost all the rainbow colors (there's only one blue, so no "blue and indigo" is possible). The kids are obsessed with rainbows and enjoy using the color tiles in purposeful patterns. Really pretty! I totally recommend these as a wonderfully creative toy that the kids will play with for years. Adults like them, too! I can see another 100-piece set in our near future! (We have lots more pictures of the bigger constructions but I had trouble finding ones without the kids in them!)