4KookieKids Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 (edited) We've gotten my oldest legos for every bday and xmas for the last four years (his request). While he's very pleased with legos and plays with them daily, this means that he doesn't really have very many other age appropriate toys anymore, and I think sometimes he'd like to do *something* that's not legos. We do have zoobs and magformers (with gears) and a spielgaben that he still enjoys playing with. He's almost 7 (but able to build fairly complex things -- his can easily do lego sets for older kids of around 1000 pieces) and I'm thinking about his next birthday. I don't mind things that use electronics, but I don't want video games. He loves, loves, loves to build and is always coming up with his own lego inventions. What do you all suggest? I've looked at snap circuits, little bits, lego mindstorms ev3 (but I'd really rather do something non-lego at this point), erector sets, and k'nex machines. But I can't really find too many suggestions outside of those. Is that bc those really are the best and there's not much else on the market? Or is google just failing me lately? Please note that we don't have smart phones, so all the cool toys I see that involve controlling it from your smart phone are a no-go. TIA!! :) Edited July 9, 2016 by deanna1ynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loesje22000 Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 K'nex ask different building skills then Lego in DD's opinion. She got K'nex for many birthdays :) Something 'total' different would be 'board games' in my opinion. Not the easy children games, but things like settlers of Catan, or Carcassonne. But we are heavy into board games :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 (edited) Something 'total' different would be 'board games' in my opinion. Not the easy children games, but things like settlers of Catan, or Carcassonne. But we are heavy into board games :) We actually do have lots of board games and I am a real game lover myself! But I'm looking for something that he can do and/or play with during our afternoon time when everyone has to do something relatively quiet and alone. Edited July 9, 2016 by deanna1ynne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanalouwho Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I got my Lego-lover a set of k'nex and they are a hit. I'm thinking for Xmas I might get him one of those stop motion kits so he can learn to make his own Lego movies. Sent from my HTCD200LVW using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 I know you said you have Zoobs...Have you tried this kit? My Lego lover had a lot of fun trying to solve the challenges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Knex kits & extras. We liked bridge building challenges with them. The kits like roller coaster were cool but a pain. Snap circuits are awesome & totally different than lego, I highly recommend them. Do you have magna tiles? Those are cool too. The ev3 kits are awesome, but yours is probably too young to do those alone still. Wait a few years. Then find a robotics club:). Start saving now for high school level robotics How about Playmobil? Not building toys, but we used them with blocks & built all sorts of elaborate historical towns, lol. Ds is a history buff though. Super cool & detailed. Ds got lego & or playmobil for every holiday until 13:) Now he gets other building & electronics stuff, lol- robotics, Arduino, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 How about Gears? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 9, 2016 Share Posted July 9, 2016 Hexbugs toy soldiers playdough lite brite art kits (Djeco) from Timberdoodle logic games meant to be played alone like Solitaire Chess Geo Puzzles basketball, soccer ball, tennis ball make a kit with supplies to go with the Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction book power tools, kits to build things kits to paint (birdhouse, etc.) My MIL finds them at Joanns teach him to cook videos of cooking, history, history channel series digital camera pull-up bar and other exercise equipment puppets Wii (we have the old kind) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 I know you said you have Zoobs...Have you tried this kit? My Lego lover had a lot of fun trying to solve the challenges. I haven't yet! That looks fun! Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 logic games meant to be played alone like Solitaire Chess just wanted to say that my guy loves Solitaire Chess! My mom got it for him last year (i'd never even heard of it!), and I thought he'd hate it, but he really liked it. Originally, my plan was to get him a real chess set for his bday, but then I realized that he doesn't really have many other toys anymore. So I think we'll just get chess for the family and get him something else for his bday. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 (edited) Does anyone have experience with this Code Master game?https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014993TCI/ref=gl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3LPB125BB1KKM&coliid=I27OOTMSAFCJRN Edited July 10, 2016 by deanna1ynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Zometools! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 (edited) Zometools! Can you tell if these are different from the ones in this picture that we already have? https://www.spielgaben.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/V4-2and8.jpg?b2e2a1 ETA Upon closer inspection, it looks like the zometools may have more holes around the middle (mine have eight) of each ball, but it's hard to tell, because the zometool balls are *all* holes, but many of those holes seem like they won't fit the rods (unless the rods have a variety of shapes on the end). Edited July 10, 2016 by deanna1ynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Does anyone have experience with this one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014993TCI/ref=gl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3LPB125BB1KKM&coliid=I27OOTMSAFCJRN We got it. It's a little clunky. I see why it ought to work, but it's a little clunky. Maybe it would be better later? Could just be us. Ds has enough SN, that sometimes it's just him or a timing thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaxy Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Keva planks! My 7yo makes amazing structures with these. He also is into Lego and Snap Circuits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 K'nex ask different building skills then Lego in DD's opinion. She got K'nex for many birthdays :) Something 'total' different would be 'board games' in my opinion. Not the easy children games, but things like settlers of Catan, or Carcassonne. But we are heavy into board games :) My son is heavily into board games too. Or card games. Two recent favorites are Rat-a-tat-cat and Sushi Go. For board games -- Life, Labryinth, Dominion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Another vote for snap circuits, we have the glow in the dark and a regular set, kids love it. And Keva planks are really neat too. We got the cheaper set in Amazon (not the Keva brand which are pricey!). Have enjoyed them for years, have had no issues with quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 My lego fanatics also liked the Quadrilla marble run sets and Kapla/Keva blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wathe Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Another vote for Kapla. My 8yo is similarly enamoured with LEGO. We've had Kapla planks since he was 4. They get daily play. The shape of the plank lends itself to very complex constructions and creativity. Benjamin Crouzier has some phenomenal youtube videos of Kapla creations. We also had a small set of Keva pine. The quality of these was much inferior to the Kapla brand - Several of our Kevas were warped and not quite even lengths. For this toy (like LEGO) precision matters. The kids call them the "megablocks kaplas". We got rid of them. I don't have any experience with Keva maple, I expect they are better quality (certainly they are more expensive than the keva pine). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 The zone tools rods have different shapes, which correspond to different mathematical arrangements. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 (edited) Does anyone have experience with "educational" k'nex vs "normal" k'nex? We bought this sethttps://www.amazon.com/KNEX-70-Model-Building-Set/dp/B00HROBJXY/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1468691254&sr=1-3&keywords=k%27nex But it came and it just doesn't seem like very much (we thought the box would look... full. Like it does in the pic. The box is less than a quarter full, however....) so were considering getting a second set before his bday rolls around. I just wondered how this kind of building set compares to something like these:http://www.educatorsoutlet.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18 Edited July 16, 2016 by deanna1ynne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpie Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Rokenbok. They are pricey but my builders love making stuff with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 We did Erector/meccano sets pretty intensely for a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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