Plink Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I remember hearing about the development of Goldie Blox a while ago, and then forgot all about it until I stumbled across this on Amazon. They have several different kits out, and they all look fantastic!!! Guess what my girls are going to be getting soon? http://www.amazon.com/Goldie-Blox-The-Spinning-Machine/dp/B00BCXU3PQ/ref=sr_1_113?ie=UTF8&qid=1400334533&sr=8-113&keywords=Science+kit+animals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnaj Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thanks for sharing! I completely forgot about these as well. Guess what my girls will be getting in the near future.. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Honestly, it has a lot of negative reviews (and in a lot of the areas I was expecting it to fall flat -- a little expensive and not enough variability to do stuff other than what it sets out for you to do.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnaj Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 That's disappointing to hear! I haven't read the reviews yet, only have heard about the kits. ETA: I think the dunk tank one looks pretty fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I looked at those, but decided to go with a "Roominate" kit. It doesn't look perfect, but more flexible, and I'm hoping it will work with the Polly Pockets they seem to have so many of. I'm hoping to hack in a lighting system with them - at least some old xmas bulbs on a battery pack. Really, though, I don't think the sets hold a candle to Legos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 I guess I don't get the comparison to Lego. The Goldie Blox sets seems designed to teach little kids how they can change the direction of force, which you can get with the Lego Technic kits, but the little kids version of Lego is almost entirely stationary pieces. The newest reviews did seem negative, but the toy still gets a 4 star rating, so I think we'll give it a shot. I'll report back once we have a chance to play with it a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 We have the original set and my girls like it. I was planning on getting more. They are not Legos and they really aren't trying to be. They are teaching how to use simple machines in a way that even a preschooler can figure out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemota Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I have found two of the sets at our local thrift store - While having one set is ok, having two makes all the difference. With only one set, there are barely enough pieces to get very creative with it. For example - with the first set (The Spinning Machine one referred to above) DD6 quickly went through the book, then started exploring on her own. But she kept getting frustrated as there weren't enough pieces to make the design she had in her head. She wanted to make the base a car (the "Parade Float" set wasn't out yet) - and while there were enough wheels, there weren't enough blocks to make proper axles for 4 wheels, only enough for 2. So we made a very wobbly car and then had hardly any parts to put anything on top. On the Goldie Blox website you can look up different designs to make with the kits, but many of them need more parts than what comes in a single kit - how disappointing is that?! You can purchase an "Bits and Blocks Expansion kit" for $10. This would certainly make a difference, although when I tried to pre-order around xmas, they cancelled my order and never sent me an email letting me know when they were in stock. Since then I've found the "Parade Float" set at a thrift shop - having those extra parts has really made DD's creations take off. But having them in hand, I would not have paid full price for them. They're enjoyable, but to pay $40 - $60 just to have enough pieces to be creative is just not worth it. You get a better value from Lego or Magnatiles/Magformers. I know, I know, not the same type of building, but a better creative value nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 The reviews have been so disappointing...When I first heard about GoldieBlox and saw the videos I was so excited, because I was sure it was something my story-loving DD would get into. As an alternative I've had this in my shopping cart for months, the reviews are mostly positive. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D8VISGQ/ref=cm_cd_asin_lnk ETA: I remember looking at the glowing reviews as well, and many/most of them ONLY had reviews for the GoldieBlox sets. Fishy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I guess I don't get the comparison to Lego. I was comparing it to the kit I mentioned. Even though the Roiminate set looks a lot more flexible than Goldieblox, it is still clearly limited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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