I’m a full month late in posting this review, darn it. I don’t know what it is about the 4th quarter of the year always slipping by in the blink of an eye, but I suspect it has something to do with all those little kid cold germs and all the preparation for the holidays. Anyway. I’ve been remiss in sharing this, and I apologize for that.
My son and husband were lucky enough to sample a 400-piece K’Nex building set, courtesy of K’Nex and Team Mom We aren’t new to K’Nex. When Pablo was paired up with his full-time aide, Barb, she introduced him to the magic of K’Nex. Kids with autism often like to sit and work on something obsessively and with meticulous concentration, and K’Nex is perfect for this. They’re designed to work with the typical building sets you probably already have (the ones that rhyme with Eggo) but they are a thousand times better than those other building sets – you can make the most amazing things, and the design that allows the the itty bitty pieces to fit together is just…genius.
Here’s my boy checking out the big tub of K’Nex.
Um…just so you know, 400 pieces of K’Nex is not a lot. Many of the pieces are miniscule – smaller than a raisin – so don’t expect to buy this tub and have it appear anywhere near FULL when you open it. Have you ever opened a bag of potato chips and realized the bag was only about a third full? Well, the K’Nex tub is about one tenth full when you buy it. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll realize that you need a whole bunch more of these, and you’ll run right out to your nearest retailer to stock up. I think the K’Nex people are counting on that – fill up that tub, consumer! Or, use the extra room as a garage for your spiffy K’Nex truck.
Really, nothing makes my engineer husband happier than sitting down with the boy and building stuff. They sat like this for HOURS. Hours, I tell you. They made a few things shown in the big instruction booklet, but had even more fun making their own creations.
Huge thanks to K’Nex and Team Mom for letting us try these out. You can find this same product at Target, Walmart, and Toys ‘R Us for around $20.99.
LaLaGirl is the mother of a teenager and two young sets of twins. She's happily married, loves living in Colorado, and writes almost daily about married life, raising multiples, and parenting a child with autism.
Interested in having your product reviewed here? Let's talk.
You are so right about kids with Autism liking these. My 10 year old daughter loves KNex of any kind. I bought her a set when we were on a trip that she found boring, and it occupied her for the rest of our time away from home.
Great review! My son is a huge fan of K’NEX & is currently working on the Loopin Lightning roller coaster. What I love is that K’NEX (other than some pieces and the containers) are made in the US.