This set allows individuals to build with light, color and shadow. Four jewel-like, transparent, acrylic prisms are housed in a natural hardwood tray with a series of color optical filters and reflective mylar squares. The opportunities for experimenting with color mixing and constructing brilliantly colored architectural and sculptural forms are endless. Imagine the possibilities.

A high-tech version of the Marble Mania Extreme, this 430-piece kit features dual marble tracks, a chamber of sound, a marble twister, a motorized gear and a power lifter that automatically returns marbles to the top of the run. It allows kids to build a bigger and better marble run, and will keep little architects busy creating new working and moving creations. It requires one AA battery. “Our product features several electronic components, such as the sound chamber, the spiral gear and electronic gears. Also, we have a website that gives multiple configurations that can be constructed,” Jaye Ross of The Learning Journey International told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2007.

With this new Mars Mission-theme playset, children can construct an alien ship, complete with detachable spacecraft, and blast aliens and darts into the atmosphere with a few quick pumps of the new air pump system. The set includes two glow-in-the-dark aliens, a mining specialist mini-figure, a sled and an air pump system. Construction possibilities abound with the set’s 434 LEGO pieces. Launch date: August 2007.

This set includes 16 translucent straw pieces and 20 flexible rubber connectors so that kids can create their own fun straw. It is non-toxic and dishwasher safe. Orange, blue and lime sets are available. Chris Mindel, of distributor ThinkGeek, said of this novel construction kit that “the real limitation seems to be how much the builder can suck. I do think there will eventually be scientific limitations; it is much easier to pump liquids through long pipes than to suck liquids through pipes.”  Mindel recommends anything with caffeine and fizz — “the buzz is incredible” — and feels the coolest aspect of the Strawz is their ability to mix drinks: “Because you can have the straw dip into multiple cups, you could mix soda and flavorings.”

Soft & Sturdy™ Giant foam blocks are perfect for building and stacking! These life-size blocks can be used to create structures that children can interact with, and don't produce the noise and dangers associated with traditional wood blocks.

Winner of a Parents’ Choice Award, this three dimensional stacking set teaches children to think ahead as they plan where they will set the next peg to build the next platform. Kids will not only learn about shape, size and color relationships during the building process, but they will also hone their motor and math skills. The set includes 100 Tall Stacker Pegs, a 1,100-hole peg board and 17 Crepe Rubber Shapes all packaged in a quality storage box that comes with a handle for easy transport. Launch date: April 2006.
— This item is a best seller at Juggles in Wakefield, R.I., according to Owner Idanna Smith.

This complete professional construction kit allows children to create foundations from real blueprints with the 12 foundation plans included. Builders can make representations of real skyscrapers or design their own. The 3,200-piece set retails at $299.99. A 1,600-piece set is also available (MSRP: $179.99). Launch date: June 2007.

This box of Clics includes 277 Clics, eight pyramids, 16 axles, four connectors and 24 wheels. It offers building ideas and allows hours of fun as children click and play, build and learn, and create and imagine. Clics contributes to the development of motor skills, logical thinking, spatial understanding, organizational skills, color recognition and sorting capabilities. This product is distributed by Creata International. Launch date: May 1, 2007.

Kids can build the amusement park of their dreams with the Dizzy Fun Land Motorized Gears Set. This colorful and motorized 120-piece set includes a hand-held motor, carousel, Ferris wheel, bumper cars, roller coaster, play figures and enough colorful, spinning gears to make everything come to life. The Gears Set encourages creativity and mechanical reasoning while building motor skills. The motor requires two AA batteries that are not included.
— The "Learning Resources Gear Set" was one of the more popular construction toys in the store of Patty Tepper-Rasmussen of Learning Tree in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Piggy banks were never this much fun. Kids will watch their pennies and nickels grow into fun designs using CoinStruction's connector clips. They just connect two, three or four coins together with the color-coded clips, and sets can be combined for even more building fun. Each set includes color-coded clips needed to build the featured item and step-by-step illustrated directions and guidelines for creating their own designs. The Super Set includes more than 1,300 clips to make the robot, helicopter, dinosaur and submarine.
— "I sell quite a bit of what they call CoinStruction. … It's probably more an educational type toy, and for people who collect quarters," said Cheryl Richmond, owner of Punkin Doodles in Havre, Mont., in spring 2007.
― Owner Nellie Fais of Toy Magic in Bethlehem, Pa., told TDmonthly in spring 2007 that Educational Insights has great customer service. “When I call, they always respond and can deal with any situation,” she said.

The Creative Blocks from Plan Toys are a developmental toy for young and growing minds. Consisting of beautifully crafted natural wooden blocks, this set gives children the opportunity to build objects like a town or a castle. Skills such as problem solving and perception are specifically developed, as only a child's imagination limits the building possibilities. The set consists of 46 pieces that come in packaging that is 9” x 7.4” x 3.6”.
— "We carry good old-fashioned wooden blocks. We carry a couple of different varieties, including the Plan wooden blocks," said Teri Soelter, owner of Teri's Toybox in Edmonds, Wash.
―  “The quality is very good, the prices are moderate, and the toys have learning value,” Marilyn Sipila, owner of Toys Etc. in Poulsbo, Wash., said of Plan Toys in spring 2007.

Made in the USA since 1930, the Roy Toy Playsets are made of real wood and are one of the most versatile building sets around. The 16-1/2” canister comes with 140 pieces that include solid pine logs, green roof planks and red gables. The hallmark American invention provides for a simpler and tighter interlocking fit to make buildings more sound and realistic. The set helps promote planning, logical thinking, creativity and self-confidence.
— Tom England, owner of Dancing Bear Toys & Gifts in Frederick, Md., cited the "Roy Toy Cabin set" as a construction toy top-seller in his store.

This intellectual art and hobby construction kit is a toy that even adults can enjoy. It allows builders to attach pieces tightly without adhesives; create flat, solid and spherical shapes; and make colorful figures. There are two forms of basic parts (square block and triangular block) and five forms of joint parts. The Mini Kit Lion includes 175 pieces.

This building toy is designed for cause and effect interaction. Hutz have a special patented Velcro hinge at the corners that allow the construction to resistively deform under lateral loads — simulating building demolition. Children can build them up and knock them down, and it’s good for their motor skills. Hutz construct quickly and easily, and multi-story construction is virtually unlimited. City Hutz feature brick and high-rise patterns, on either side of each panel. The panels are scaled for use with Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels. This product received the Bronze Medal for Best New Toy at INPEX 2006. Launch date: April 2008.

The Baufix Locomotive set includes 80 Baufix components and the necessary tools and visual instructions for three models, including the locomotive. Made in Germany of locally harvested woods from re-forested land, Baufix construction toys are a wonderful way to introduce young children to the magic of building and planning construction projects. Children gain experience in motor functions, logical thinking, creativity and hand-eye coordination. This versatile construction kit can create hundreds of projects, limited only by a child’s imagination.
— “We have Baufix now. It’s absolutely great,” said Tristan Hewitt, manager of Dragon’s Toy Box in Seattle, about construction toy best sellers in his store when surveyed by TDmonthly in spring 2007.
— “I’d say we sell about 10 or 12 a month,” he added.
— Other compatible Baufix construction sets include the Buggy, Motorbike, Plane and Tractor & Trailer.

This open-ended building set introduces kids to the spatial world of angles, color association and unlimited geometric design. With large components, this toddler-safe product offers the same open-ended fun kids find while building with WEDGITS Junior and Deluxe sets. The geometric shapes nest, and each set contains 15 pieces of primary-colored building blocks that can be configured in virtually unlimited configurations. The Starter Set is compatible with all other WEDGITS sets.
— “You can start very young with these,” said Patty Tepper-Rasmussen of Learning Tree in Oklahoma City, Okla. She sells approximately 10 to 12 WEDGITS sets each month. Idanna Smith of Juggles in Wakefield, R.I., named WEDGITS as a top seller in her store.
— “We came up with the starter set to meet the concerns of parents of toddlers regarding choking hazards. The pieces are big, so that all kids in the family can play with them without worrying about the littlest ones,” Rob McKinley, vice-president of sales and marketing for Imagability, told TDmonthly.
— The simple, open-ended play afforded by Wedgits makes it a favorite at toy stores and earned it a TDmonthly Top Seller 2007 award.
— Jillie Beans Toys & More in Westminster, Colo., has carried Wedgits, a consistent best seller, since the store’s opening in 2006. “These are an educational toy and parents love that they start at age 1 and you can continue using the early sets even as the child grows older,” reported Storeowner Valerie Elsea in April 2010.

The Trade Federation is on the march. The Separatist forces battle against the Republic with a droid transport carrier and “hovering” STAP vehicle, complete with a full squad of armed and combat-ready battle droids. The set includes two Battle Droid and three super Battle Droid minifigures. Kids can build their own armies and stage battles against the Clone Troopers Battle Pack. "To commemorate the 30th Anniversary for the Star Wars franchise in 2007, there are nine new LEGO sets representing all six movies," Karen Lynch, account executive at Flashpoint PR LLC, told TDmonthly. " Included in this assortment is the LEGO Droids Battle Pack which contains an army of minifigures to allow fans to create their own armies."
— When asked to name a best-selling construction toy in his store, Sean O’Brien, manager of Blinn’s in Fairfield, Conn., said, “I would have to say LEGOs. They’re having a hard time supplying us — couldn’t keep up with demand. There [might] be a big shortage of LEGO this year, especially the Star Wars product line.”
— Thirteen of 39 retailers agreed with O’Brien in spring 2007 that LEGO is big in the construction toy category.
— Specialty retailers reported to TDmonthly an average sales figure of about 80 units per month for LEGO sets.

Kids can build a city-life setting with this soft foam block set. It includes 29 assorted pieces of wood-like foam blocks, colored foam blocks, cars, buses and stoplights, all in an easy-to-carry, reusable plastic container.

ÜberTropolis 101 is a great way to introduce kids to ÜberTropolis building. This basic set comes with 101 Überstix pieces that allow children to build bridges, towers and the Mobius strip. In addition to basic Überstix I-sticks, the set comes with quarks, which allow kids to build towers and other structures taller than they are. Sturdy components result in structures that can hold a child’s weight. ÜberTropolis 101 can be used with other building systems and recyclables. “In designing everything to be accessible, it’s not just about the price point but also being able to add onto it. You can buy a few thousand Popsicle sticks for a few bucks or you can get some McDonald’s straws ― those are free,” CEO Dane Scarborough of Überstix explained.

This is a great build for the Rally Racing fan. Each Speed Rally ProBuilder PredorX Turbo SRA comes in collectible tin packaging for storage and display. Each car includes rubber wheels, a removable spoiler, an opening bonnet (hood) and alternative suspension adjustment. “Each set includes a 125-plus-piece ProBuilder construction, which offers a challenging build and detailed styling,” Carine Sroujian, marketing and communications supervisor for Mega Brands, told TDmonthly. This product received the 2007 Oppenheim Best Toy Award, Gold Seal.

This 34-piece set includes unpainted, quality beech wood blocks in various shapes. The blocks provide freedom of form and freedom of inspiration for play without boundaries and are suitable for both children and adults. They allow the creation of unique and sophisticated shapes, such as that created when the top of the triangle is stacked on top of the square. They may also be used for rehabilitation support. “Tsumiki is high price but with high quality,” President Hidemi Tada of Tadatora Inc. told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2004.

“Kids” can create radio-controlled, rumbling robots and pit up to six of them against each other at a time, thanks to six interchangeable RC frequencies. Working with sturdy, yet flexible interlocking Uberstix components, builders utilize physics, engineering and creative skills to design robots that can trounce their opponents. In the heat of battle, UberBots employ jabs and hooks and even speak preprogrammed Japanese phrases designed to conquer all foes. Knocking down an opponent three times is a win. Then the fighters retire to redesign their Bots and devise another unbeatable strategy for victory. The 621 kit includes two UberBots, 250 Uberstix pieces, two remote controls, two flags, 14 rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries, two chargers and building instructions.
— These Japanese-speaking robotic construction toys received a TDmonthly Top Toy 2007 award for many reasons: the scientific knowledge they invite in construction and redesign, their RC capability to fight multiple robots at one time, the creativity and inventiveness required when reprogramming the UberBots, and the signature, interlocking Überstix parts that make up their distinctive structure. Finally, Überstix are made from recycled plastic and can be combined with other building toys, setting their kits on a higher plane than other construction toys.

This construction set adds a whole new dimension to open-ended building, allowing kids to create and control creatures, critters, sculptures and anything they can imagine. Kids simply snap pieces into the ZOOBMover, which moves forward, backward, left and right. Each set includes the ZOOBMover, a remote control unit, 50 ZOOB pieces, six rubber-tipped feet for traction, an instruction guide and batteries. “ZOOB's five shapes snap together 20 different ways, so kids can build anything that they can imagine. The ZOOBMover lets young builders control their creations and make them move. ZOOB is not sold in the mass market,” CEO Jeff Pinsker of Infinitoy told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.

Designed by a former architect, Q-BA-MAZE (kyoo-ba-maze) is a construction system of interlocking cubes that form pathways for rolling balls. The system uses just three kinds of cubes and is easy to learn, but is also endlessly fascinating because the cubes attach in many different combinations and the action of the balls is so unpredictable. It is part art and part science, and even adults can enjoy it as an interactive desktop sculpture. “We believe in the value of design: product design that inspires creative play for children and adults; packaging design that uses resources efficiently, stands out on the shelf and demonstrates the product in the box; and web design that provides lasting value beyond the box with helpful videos, interactive tools and printer-friendly PDF instructions,” CEO Andrew Comfort told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 1, 2007.
— “We picked up a new toy called Q-Ba-Maze and those have been really, really popular,” Alicia Smith, owner of Juneau’s Imagination Station in Juneau, Alaska, told TDmonthly in May 2008.

This award-winning building block set includes 48 painted hardwood pieces, drawn from architectural styles from around the world. With Russian domes, Roman arches and Middle Eastern towers, children can build their own "global village." The blocks come packed in a sturdy storage crate.
— “This set is bigger, brighter and more vibrant, and includes a greater variety of styles than other building blocks and architectural blocks on the market. Since it includes many architectural styles all in one set, it stimulates a child's imagination while exposing them to different shapes and styles,” Owner Matthew Peake of Top Shelf Holdings told TDmonthly. “We also have gone more up-market in terms of material,” he added about the iggiBig line. “We use rubberwood whenever possible.”