Reviews (10)

A really cool toy thing
This was the best the things are all magnets and their are little marbles as joint all the things stick together and dont slide around i think that if u were to buy something that this would be the best thing to buy i give it five stars because it is something that u can make many different things and u wont get bored from it i spent hours making cool designs.
TAILS RULES

Lots of fun and you're creative side will enjoy ...
I first got hooked on the commercial for Super Mag which is another brand similar to Magnetixs. I got stuck on the catchy tune from the Super Mag commercial and over the 4th of July weekend I was playing Legos with my neice and when I was a kid I found Legos a lot of fun but now that I'm older they weren't as much of a thrill. I saw a box of the 35 piece Magnetixs on Sale at a local store so I decided to try them out. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to make a bunch of things but the box claims you can make 100 designs. The next day I went out and bought two 70 piece boxs of Magnetixs and it's still not enough to make anything cool. But like the previous review writers it does make time fly so fast. I probably spent about 3-4 hrs. sticking and clicking pieces together. In my opinion they should give you more rods and less metal balls bcuz I run out of the sticks more than I do with the metals ball or better yet create a box with like 300 pieces or something. The price is a little high for these 20-35-70 piece boxes if you ask me but in a way it's sort of worth it even though you don't have too many pieces to play with.

very godd
i have been playing with this toy for a week now and havent put it down. I feel that this toy is very educational because you can make many science shapes out of it and also it helps with the creative mind. i think that the price is quite high and they need to put more parts into a box like 100 or 200 i feel that there are not many parts because on the box it shows a very tall building but i carnt make that because i have to little parts. Also i think it would be a good idea to show how to make all of the 500 shapes it says on the box. There is another toy that is good that is k'nex that is a creative game but i still think magnetix is better. And another suggestion is that they they could put some extra parts in like wheels and different joints.

This set is great fun!
My daughter (8 years old) requested this set for her birthday, and ended up playing with it exclusively the whole day! Her 5 year old cousin loved it also, and they played quietly for hours. Even the adults took turns building something.

The magnets are super strong, and the "creations" don't fall apart. They are easy to clean up, as they all stick together. The pieces are colorful, but I would like a set with more than four colors. I wish the set had more pieces (she got the 70 pc. set) - buying two sets might be a good idea.

Buy plenty
These are great, but buy plenty. I only got a medium set and we can't build anything really cool with them except for shapes. They're incredibly durable, the magnets really hold together. You need about 500 pieces, I think. Not good for very young kids, as they can be swallowed and the balls will roll away. Lots of fun. Good for stressed out adults. A little like the mini zen gardens for relaxation. People start out thinking they'll just mess with these things for a couple minutes and end up spending half an hour or more sticking them together into some weird thing and grinning about their accomplishments. Turns adults into kiddies again. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Not Well Designed
I bought this toy because my daughter is really into sorting shapes right now. She has several shape sorters that work really well. This one, however, is not well designed. First of all, the lid cannot be fastened to stay down. When your child needs to turn it over to put in the different shapes they all fall out. Secondly, once you have a couple of shapes in the box they block the way for the others to go in. I have always loved Melissa and Doug toys up to this point but I would love to get my money back for this one.

This toy is frustrating, the lid does not stay on!
I bought this for my son and how the lid is made it does not stay on so that you may turn it to put the different shapes in. Also, when putting shapes in, it gets so full that other shapes will not fit in with out a fight. I would highly recommend tupperware's shape sorter before I would ever buy this one.

Challenging Shape Sorter, Great Toy, Manage the Frustration!
My 22 month old daughter plays with this toy, but there are 2 major sources of frustration.

1) The lid doesn't stay on well - whenever you try to put a shape into the side with the lid, the lid flips over. An older child could probably figure out that you have to hold the lid (or just drop the shape neatly into the hole without touching the lid) - but a younger toddler just isn't going to get that. It is very frustrating. Other people have pointed it out as well - perhaps the designers will respond in version 2. It's needlessly frustrating.

2) Some of the shapes are very similar /complicated - it is frustrating for a young toddler. BUT!!!! my daughter is slightly younger than the recommended age, and, it is a learning toy - it isn't supposed to be immediately easy. Just know that for younger toddlers, you should play with them and help them select the right hole.

A bit of guided play is called for while they are learning and it will increase fun/decrease frustration. My daughter has learned some of the shapes on her own, and is getting 'closer' on some of the others, but I frequently play with her and talk to her about the shapes and help her find where they go.

All in all, it is a good toy. We have several Melissa & Doug toys, and have been pleased with them all. They are safe, high quality, and nice looking. And you can never have too many small, brightly colored pieces of wood underfoot. :)

SAFETY IN TOYS
THE WOODEN CABINET FOR THE BLOCKS IS HARD WOOD WITH SHARP CORNERS. IF IT WAS MADE OUT OF DURABLE PLASTIC, WITH CURVED CORNERS ITS WOULD BE SAFER AND JUST AS DURABLE.

So-so
I read these reviews before I bought this toy so I knew that the lid didn't stay on and I bought it anyway. Another problem about this is that the shapes don't all fit in the toy easily. You have to shake the toy (and hold the lid) to move the other shapes out of the way for the other ones to fit in properly. I would look for a different shape sorter if I were buying a new one. It IS very durable though. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Son's Favorite Toy
Since receiving this for Christmas, my son has played with this toy every day (and it is May now). There is so many things he can pretend with this toy and when he watches "Liberty Kids" on PBS, the soldiers wear the same type of uniforms so he is learning about the Revoluntary War too. Great attention to detail. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great set, fun for kids & parents alike
This is a fantastic set -- ideal for the youngster who has long interest in the traditional brightly-colored Duplo sets, but is still a bit young to manage standard Lego sets.I got this for my four-year-old, and he was able to assemble the castle shown in the picture above by following the instructions, with very little help.We then had fun playing with it together for a while, and then he tore it down and made up his own castle.With the elements in this set, you can make a wide variety of structures, from wide and flat to very tall towers.We have repeated this build-play-destroy cycle many times since then.

The set has a lot of really neat pieces in it, including a catapult, a portcullis that slides up and down in grooved blocks, a stonework arch, and some small plates with handles that can be used to make a drawbridge or dump a pot.The pot can also be used as a cooking pot, which goes well with the round table.There's also a neat ladder that hooks into a holder so that it's not constantly falling out of place.

My only disappointment with this set is that it's pretty violent for its age range -- all four figures have angry faces, and it includes swords, axes, and a mace.That was unnecessary; kids this age are happy just playing visit-the-castle.But I started play-acting the knights with good attitudes, and my son accepted it despite the mean faces, so this is a minor drawback.

As value goes, this set is hard to beat.The castles you build with it are enormous -- a regular Lego set this size would be $200.And most of these pieces are rare and highly valuable in the Lego aftermarket (just try to find someone selling gray Duplo bricks, for example).

Overall, these new Duplo Knight sets are a real winner -- way more fun than the standard Duplo sets, but big, sturdy, and easy for small hands to use.I highly recommend any of them, but if you're going to get one to start with, make it this one. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great starter Lego for wanna be olderyoung boys
This lego set hit the spot with my 2 1/2 year old who was always playing with my 5 year olds Knights Kingdom set but was frustrated because he couldn't really participate in the building.This set has child like blocks but is a full fledged big boy toy with the whole castle/dragon/knights theme.You really can't go wrong.We are looking forward to the other pieces to be released in 2005 also!

Are you brave enough to face the dragon?
This is part of a fantastic new series by Lego.Together with Knights' Castle (4777)and Knight and Squire (4775) you'll will have four knights for each side and elements enough to build two very good smaller castles or one big one.The quality of the elements and especially the dragon is superb - as usual for Lego.

These are the only toys still on the floor to play with of my 4 year old son's Christmas presents.His 2 year old brother is also part of the game, but most of the time as the evil Destroyer.His 6 year old sister would have liked to see a princess in the set.Afterall knights do kill dragons and do rescue princesses.

Cannot wait to get hold of the next set in the series released in 03-2005.

"Dad, of course the dragon can't close its mouth when it blows fire - it would be too hot and it would get burned"



... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Toy - 6 hours construction time
My daughther is 4 years old and loves to play with the castle.
I have not much to add to what previous reviewers said -I mostly concurr. However I wanted to share my experience with putting the castle together: It took 3 adults 2 hours to put it together. The instructions are done well - it is just a lot of work (a lot of small parts: connectors and decorations). Plan ahead if you're buying it. It is a great toy!.

beautiful!
I grew up with the Playmobil Victorian dollhouse, and only recently did I start collecting other Playmobil sets. I bought this Fairy Tale Castle about a month ago and had the greatest time putting it together. The assembly directions include another building variation that seems to be a little more spacious, if you're planning to fit all the furniture sets in. Unlike the victorian dollhouse, this one is totally sturdy. I've moved it several times with no problem. And the accesory sets are incredible.

I recommend getting this item from Amazon.com while they have free shipping in the States. I have had problems finding toys by this company in every toy store I've been to, and having it shipped directly from Europe is extremely pricey!!

Well worth the money
Playmobils are the best toys, they are sturdy, creative, and keep my girls busy for hours. The Fairy Tale Castle is beautiful, pinks and purple, graceful arches, and stunning cutwork windows. It looks like a castle from the Arabian Knights. The people have delicate decorations on their clothes. The furniture is very realistic and fancy, fit for a castle. We have all the room sets, and a few extras from the other castle, a fairy tale castle needs a Dragon and a Unicorn!

Princess' Dream
The playmobil quality has always been high and the castle is no exception. It takes a good 2 hours to put together (and you must be careful to not invert the directions and build the "building variant" which uses about 95% of the pieces but just isnt as much fun as the normal variant). It only comes with a few people so if you want to do any big "scenes" you will need to buy a few add-ons. Still, my daughter thinks its just about the coolest toy around and has her pirate ship sail up and interact with the fairy castle inhabitants in a variety of ways. Yes we do have too many Playmobil sets at home for any sane parent...but then again if you are seriously considering this item, you probably do too! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fun!!! Fun!!! Fun!!!
This toy is a lot of fun but it brakes easily. I wold suggest that if you are younger you should get someone older to help. But, other than that it is a lot of fun!

Great Gift for 9-11 year old who is tired with Knex and Lego
This is a wonderful construction toy for a child who is tired of Knex and Lego. Designing the track so that the marble stays on is a good lesson in momentum and angles. Probably too difficult for any child under 9. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Mother of three
Admittedly, I would have never bought this toy for my kids, but my 5 year old son received it as a Christmas present and I am astonished that he and his 3 year old brother, AND 8 year old sister actually play with this thing.They look at the pictures and try and make the same figure, and they all three sit and do it together.It also teaches them creativity.It is hilarious what they can come up with.I want to buy another one so each of my sons will have one.It comes in a small case to keep all the pieces together, and to my suprise they haven't lost any yet.I love this thing.My son has a birthday party to attend next week, and I think I will get this as his gift.I hope they come out with even more sets!

Awesome toy for 3-7 year old boys
After having bought other building sets, such as, Lincoln logs, Tinker toys and Legos, that didn't get a lot of play time, I thought I would try this Knex set for Christmas for my four year old.Although this wasn't the first toy he wanted to open, once he did open it and began to play with it, this is the one he cannot put down.Both he and his seven year old brother love playing with it.The seven year old has no problems building the models that are illustrated in the instruction booklet.There are no words, just pictures, perfect for this age.The four year old likes to use his imagination and build his own creations.I actually regret not buying two sets of these for Christmas. My seven year old is already asking for a set for his January birthday.Both of my boys also love video games and this set is one of the few toys they play with when video game time is over.This set has a been a hit this Christmas and I look forward to buying more Knex building sets for my boys. ... Read more

Teacher Review

Kids will spend hours building life-size castles and fortresses withthis sturdy cardboard block set. Included are 32 blocks: six large red "brick"blocks, six medium-size yellow blocks, six small blue blocks, four drawbridges,four arches, and six turrets. This set is terrific for hours of imaginativeplay, and it can be used with other Imagiplay blocks to build large, life-sizestructures. Parents can use the castle structure to spark imaginative pretendplay (who doesn't want to be a prince or princess); they can also encouragemathematical skills by helping kids discover that one large red block is thesame size as two medium yellow blocks or four small blue blocks. Imagiplayblocks also enable children to explore and discover how they can control theirenvironment and manipulate the objects within it. Made from 50 percent recycledcardboard and printed with nontoxic inks, the blocks have a smooth,water-resistant coating so they can be wiped clean. --Lauren Bernard, motherand elementary school teacher ... Read more

Features

• 32 blocks
• Nontoxic inks
• Cardboard construction

Reviews (1)

My kids love these blocks!
My 3 year-old and my 6 year-old love these blocks. They build castles and then knock them down. The blocks hold up fairly well, you just can't jump up and down on them. We've had ours for almost a year and my kids still play with them all the time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great toy for babies and older!
This bag is great, it has everyting that you need to get started. It has several pop-onz animals and many different stacking "blocks" with lots of different shapes and colors. Theres even a car and a teeter todder in there. Babies can also play with the pop-onz because they are all one piece so you don't have to worry about any choking hazards. The linking pieces are easy for little fingers to work with. So they can play with little to no frustation; which is great for me!
With this set the sky is the limit with what your little builder can build. The "people" are too fun and the bold colors are great for teaching your little one colors and animals alike. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Favorite Track Add On
This is our family's favorite!It makes the coolest sounds when the trains pass through it.This is a must have for the geotrax fan! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for imaginative playing
This was a gift for a "mature" three-and-a-half-year-old boy with a very active imagination and a passionate enthusiasm for all things pirate. He loves pirate adventure books and already had many of these stories in his head before receiving this Playmobil set.

The set includes enough accouterments to keep this young child entertained for a relatively long time. Some of the smaller, "precious" pieces of the set have allowed him to grow into a more conscientious toy owner, as he actually takes the time to put away these parts safely.

I look forward to adding to his collection with other Playmobil sets. I hope that his love for the pirate theme lasts a few more years, when I think the more intricate Playmobil Pirate Ship will be better age appropriate. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for the imagination
This toy is great for young children's imaginations and creativity. The story book is short and simple, perhaps by too much, but I guess that leaves more room for imaginary play. The pieces seem to be durable and my five year old has no difficulty putting the pieces together. She really enjoys making new animal creations out of them. The pieces are, however, tough for a just-turned-3 year old to put together. She still enjoys playing with the creations once they have been assembled.
Overall, this toy provides a lot of creative fun for kids. ... Read more