How does this compare with the Magic Forts Kit in terms of number of pieces, durability and versatility of building different structures. The Magic Forts is also much more expensive?
1849185
I am not familiar with the Magic Forts Kit. My 4 year-old [now 5 year-old] twin grandkids LOVE the E-Z Fort. I bought yards of colorful, shiny and textured material on sale and it becomes a "princess castle" covered with pink satin and with black sheets over it, it becomes a "pirate ship". It motivates children to use their imagination. The versatility and ease of construction are great. It is NOT study for climbing or support for anything heavy. The pieces are all interchangeable and stay connected. I bought another set we liked it so much.
1849186
I don't know about Magic Forts, but the EZ Fort has sticks that are thin & somewhat flexible. They would not be strong enough for even a small child to hang on. My grandchildren (ages 6 & 4 )cannot get the sticks into the holes in the connecting balls. However after a fort or house is made, it stays together well. I bought 2 sets for them and they have more than enough to make one 4 ft by 2 ft with peaked roof. ( with left overs). Hope this helps.
2203574
Mindware is better because the plastic is thicker. The pieces will be assembled and disassembled repeatedly, so durability is key. I've had this set for two years now with minimal cracking.
931320
Yes! This is a pricey gift and I did hesitate but then I realized that my 5 year old loves to build things and this toy really promotes imagination and creativity. I pulled out all my old sheets and colorful big silk scarves that I used maybe 10 years ago and no longer do and have all these stacked in a bin for her to use as cloths. She has enjoyed this fort builder from the moment she opened the box. A great plus is that she can build anything: tents, castles, spaceships, forts, ... basically anything that she can imagine. I also love the fact that my couch cushions stay intact as that used to be the old "fort". I know we will get many years worth of fun with this toy so I consider it worth the price. Best of luck in your shopping!
2091896
I know this one is a bit more pricey. I previously purchased a cheaper kit and the glass felt different it wasn't a smooth touch like the original glass. I don't know if it's the same kit but I told myself if I broke it again I would get the I cracked kit. I've had a few friends refer it to me. To me it's a better quality. Honestly I'm sure the $30 kit would work fine but I wanted to try this one out :)
1035720
I do not own this, but I've been considering it. One of the things I've noticed in looking at different kits is that this one comes with way more pieces than the other similar kits out there. It seems (to me) that a kit that costs $45 wouldn't give enough pieces to really do much. And by the time you buy enough kits to equal the number of pieces in this kit, you'd actually spend more. But... I hear ya. It's a pretty big chunk of change.
2183678
I would recommend the 100 piece kit. You can make over 105 electronic projects with it. My son has had his for over a year and still plays with it. He's 11 1/2.It's the favorite toy for his friends when they come over. Hope this helps!
1679038
My son likes both, but the Toobeez stay together much better. EZ-Fort pieces are much slimmer, whereas Toobeez are chunky.
1035148
For the most bang for your buck and enjoyment of snapping the kit together, you can't beat the 1/144 high grades. 1/100 master grades are a bit more challenging to build, but the end product is waaaaaayy more detailed. I personally have more high grades, but both are tons of fun and no paint or glue is necessary! A win win!
495024
My kids (ages 4 & 9) have only played with Magna-Tiles and absolutely LOVE them. It's well worth the investment because they're made very well & you get a variety of colors, shapes & sizes! I looked up Magformers & PowerClix to see how they compare ... looks like they're only small pieces and they're hollow, too. If you don't mind spending more, I highly recommend Magna-Tiles!
1718702
Forbidden Desert goes up to 5 players instead of 4, and is slightly more involved than Forbidden Island though it is not really more complex. One major difference is that in Forbidden Island you know where the artifacts are that you are trying to get. The main challenge is getting the cards (set collection) required to actually get those artifacts, all while the island is sinking. In Forbidden Desert the challenge is in finding the clues that tell you where the parts to the flying machine are, all while the tiles of the game board are moving around and getting covered by sand. Personally, I prefer Forbidden Desert because of this exploration aspect. Your 6yo (I read your review of Forbidden Island) will probably also enjoy putting together the pieces of the flying machine. The players also each pick a different character to play with unique abilities. This adds to the strategy a bit as it will make different players better at different things. For instance the Water Carrier will spend a lot of their time distributing water to the other players. As for whether you should buy FD if you already have FI; that would depend on 1) how much you enjoy playing FI and 2) if FI is starting to feel so so and losing its challenge. FD is similar enough that you will pick it up very quickly but different enough that it will provide new challenge and variety. If you find your family sitting in front of the TV more and playing FI less, don't delay in getting FD. For me, at a price point of less than $20 I would easily get it even if I had the other. I have games that cost 3x the price that I haven't played half as many times as FD. For the cost of about 3 movie tickets, it's one of the best deals in gaming. And as an aside, if you are interested in something with more depth and strategy, take a look at Pandemic by the same designer. It has similarities to both FD and FI.
101220
If you are 100% sure you can build one without problems, then go for it if you are doing it for fun. I considered building mine, but their price point is too good for me to pass up on. Consider that you assume the risk on your build - I've know good builders that mess up, break a pin, fry a board, etc.You can do it 'somewhat' cheaper, but it comes down to the value of your time and the risk of a mistake.
1971340
NO. I highly recomend starting out with somthing smaller and easier. This is a beast to put together! Go MG or even smaller if this is your very first kit. Any pg kit is going to be to massive for a first time. Its like letting a 16 year old drive in nascar for his first time.
86271
We bought the cyclone set years ago and it has been a huge hit for all ages. It includes many curved pieces, blocks and a twist. At some point we also purchased a basic set that we found used. This past Christmas we purchased the musical set. It seemed pricey after getting a lot of pieces in our first set and relatively few in the musical one but it has been a very nice addition. I would recomend getting a larger set first (or at the same time) as the musical set. I have a friend that owns just the musical set and they don't play with it nearly as much. The more parts the more creative structures you can build. We follow the instructions sometimes and combine different configurations. But we have also learned to improvise or substitute pieces and build our own creations entirely. We often take this out to play when we have friends with diffrerent aged children visit because it can be enjoyed on so many different levels. Great for fostering co operation, motor development, patience, sharing, as well as the engineering and physics lessons. I can't say enough about it. It has been a great investment. Go big!
1601744
It is expensive now because it is Retiring - LEGO website is out of stock and this likely will no longer be in production and will become increasingly rare. The price is only going to continue to increase as the supply dries up.
883439
Pretty much just as described on them. The "Structures" set just helps you to create buildings, forms, structures. The "Contraptions" set is just that. You create contraptions that can make the ball roll and make things happen. Basically...the "Structures" are stationary things and the "Contraptions" do things! I would definitely buy the "Contraptions"!!! I believe they would hold your child's attention a lot longer!
1201022
We don't have the glitter-glider castle and don't know how they would work together. We do have Cinderella's castle and a couple of others and my girl likes to put the MagiClip castles around the bigger ones. The Magic Flip playsets are just small rooms that I think would go with any castle; just know that you are getting a very small room that will not hold extra furniture.
2284964
Personally, I would buy as many as your budget allows. My two kids have had these for about 5 years now, and we have collected over 200 pieces. I don't know how old your child is, but kids build larger and more complex structures as they get older!! They still love the magna tiles even at age 7 and 5!!