August 2012 Notable Toys — Construction

Teach stacking and sorting with a colorful assortment of big LEGO® DUPLO® bricks as children learn to build basic animals.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

Kids can build models that move with classic K'NEX pieces. Includes 300+ pieces and ideas to build 30 models like a truck, helicopter and dune buggy. Made in U.S.A.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys
— Dalene Lockhart, owner of Toy Town in Casper, Wyo., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that K'Nex was one of her best-selling construction toy brands.

PlayMais is a biodegradable crafting material made from corn and colored with food coloring. It is manufactured in Germany, 100% safe, and biodegradable. PlayMais stimulates children's imagination and creativity, trains fine-motor skills, and develops social group skills. PlayMais can be shaped, squeezed, and cut — and all it takes is a little bit water to create unlimited fun. Children can build in 2 or 3 dimensions, or wherever their imagination takes them. The PlayMais M-Box contains 150 pieces, a sponge, and an instruction booklet. It is a perfect starter box.

PlayMais is a biodegradable crafting material made from corn and colored with food coloring. It is manufactured in Germany, 100% safe, and biodegradable. PlayMais stimulates children's imagination and creativity, trains fine motor skills, and develops social group skills. PlayMais can be shaped, squeezed, cut and all it takes is a little bit water to create unlimited fun. Children can build in 2 or 3 dimensions, or wherever their imagination takes them. The PlayMais XM-Box contains 250 pieces, a sponge, a biodegradable plastic knife, and an instruction booklet. It is a perfect starter box if you want to build more and bigger creations.

PlayMais is a biodegradable crafting material made from corn and colored with food coloring. It is manufactured in Germany, 100% safe, and biodegradable. PlayMais stimulates children's imagination and creativity, trains fine motor skills, and develops social group skills. PlayMais can be shaped, squeezed, cut and all it takes is a little bit water to create unlimited fun. Children can build in 2 or 3 dimensions, or wherever their imagination takes them.

Build 30 Amazing Erector Models. Designs include Dune buggy, lawn mower, crane, speedboat, tractor, forklift, motorcycle with rider. Kids can make their own masterpiece with a 6 Volt Motor (Requires 4 AA batteries not included). Set has 352 Parts and includes instructions and illustrations for 18 models.
— Joe Berardoni Jr., owner of Puns Toys in Bryn Mawr, Pa., told TDmonthly that Erector sets are one of their top selling hobby items.

This 85-piece set contains 72 easy-to-handle building blocks in a variety of brightly colored, interlocking geometric shapes, 8 wheels to construct buildings and vehicles with and 5 figurines. A convenient handled carrying case stores all the blocks neatly away when not in use.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiostiy Zone in Ashburn, Va.,  told TDmonthly in a May 2015 survey that this was a best-selling construction toy at their store.

With a simple click, wheels, cockpits, wings and panels attach to the magnetic bars. 48 magnetic pieces provide building variation and fun that reaches the finish. 18 medium bars, four long bars, two cockpits, four pairs of wheels, ten metal balls, two ramps, two containers, and four panels. Giant, non-swallowable 1.8 inch diameter metal balls.

The nanoblock ‘Miniature Collection’ includes a wide range of musical instruments. Form a miniature band with the Drum Set and Electric Guitar or perform a piccolo concerto on the Grand Piano or violin. nanoblocks are all about the creative construction process with rewarding sculptural results – the perfect three-dimensional puzzle. The miniature blocks connect securely to create extremely detailed objects of varying size and complexity. Challenging three-dimensional puzzle with amazingly small sized building blocks.

With over 90 different attachments the Nexus offers maximum play value. With attachments like wheels, a scoop, hands, feet, wings, springs and more, the possibilities for creations are endless. Build a flying Martian, a hovering robot, or objects that fly, drive, and spin. The Nexus includes 4 flexible OGOBILD balls for hours of fun, and increased variety.

How can kids move a ball into a target with 2 high walls from 2 feet away? Build a ramp? A catapult? A trampoline? A zip-line? There are no right answers and we provide no solutions--it's up to kids to use ZOOB pieces (and other materials that they choose) to build contraptions that solve the challenges. The ZOOB Challenge features 175 ZOOB pieces, string, wheels, a ball, rubber bands, a foam play pad, and 25 challenges based on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) skills-skills that educators have targeted as essential to helping the US compete successfully in the 21st century.

Colorful blocks with unconventional basic shapes. Learn matching shapes, sequencing and stacking. Develops hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, and trial & error skills. Made in Thailand from environmentally friendly rubberwood. Strictly using Non-Toxic Paint; Dyes and Lacquers. Formaldehyde Free Glue. Packaging is made from at least 70% recycled paper.

Contents: 61 colored domino blocks, 6 pieces of untreated wood, 1 ball, 1 building block clamp, 1 arched clamp with little bell. Endless building fun with abundant options for experimenting. Helps kids learn cause and effect.

100 piece GLOW IN THE DARK building block set. The building fun doesn't have to stop when the lights go off. Safe and non-toxic glow paint adds a new dimension to block building. Set includes 70 glow blocks and 30 natural color blocks. Building guide included.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Go green with a new and innovative approach to building. Don’t toss out newspapers: recycle them to build incredible geometric sculptures. Tape the included tubes to both ends of a sheet of newspaper. Roll up the newspaper and secure with tape to make a connecting paper rod. Includes durable plastic connectors that fit into the rods. Follow the step-by-step instructions in the guide to make a triangular pyramid, a square anti-prism or design kids can design their own creations in the classroom, gymnasium or playground. Includes guide. 36 connectors, 200 rod-tubes.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

The attractive colors and grinning conductor on this train set are sure to impress. Train cars connect via magnets. Toot, toot, the locomotive arrives at the station with its three wagons transporting an interesting load: two small stacking games and a drum with a little bell. The conductor and load are removable. Material: PEFC certified beech wood. Non toxic, water based stain. Made in Germany.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys
— Wooden trains and block sets were mention by two retailers surveyed by TDmonthly in February 2013 as best selling wooden toys.

With a boost, crashing and fast-paced action come to Wall Tracks sets. The booster launches cars up the ramp for anti-gravity thrills. The track works with multiple cars for mid-air madness. And the poster adds a background for the adventure and action. The set and poster can be hung with the included safe-for-walls Command strips from 3M. This set gives new meaning to climbing the walls. Includes 1 car. Not for use with some Hot Wheels vehicles.
— As of 5/10/2012 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 16 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: Difficult to put together; safety button makes it confusing to turn on; the car that comes with the set has difficulty going through the tracks without flipping.