Add THIS to your Christmas list!
With three boys, lots of toys make their way into our home during birthdays and at Christmas. But not all of them end up sticking around. I’m always on the lookout for toys that stand the test of time, provide lots of open-ended play and either unleash the imagination or challenge them mentally. We love playtime around here and guard our time closely to preserve time for open-ended exploration. It’s just one reason why we limit screentime around here and another perk of homeschooling.
Play is so powerful – it is not only relaxing, but it is also a painless way to learn. Unless you are rolling in dough or have unlimited space, parents need to be choosy on what kinds of toys they’ll bring into their home. A toy we recently discovered that totally fits the bill is BionicBlox – now Brackitz. We received some similar blocks last year for Christmas and fell in love with them, so when the opportunity came up to test these out, we jumped at the chance.
The concept is simple. small wooden planks and connectors. We’ve worked with wooden planks, but the connectors added such a fun dimension to their building capacity. To start with the boys sought to copy some of the pictures that came in the bag. It was fun to watch them wrestle with figuring out how to make a structure that wouldn’t fall apart. Each time they pull these out they try something new. Today, Keegan and I were playing again with them. As I put a few together, Keegan thoughtfully watched me and then trotted over, bringing an extra plank. He noticed that my structure lacked stability and devised a solution to remedy that.
Why We LOVE Bracketz:
Promotes problem solving.
Builds and awareness of geometry
Provides opportunity to flex architectural and engineering skills.
Strengthens gross-motor skills.
Promotes creativity.
It’s open-ended so the kids don’t get easily bored.
The connectors are compatible with Citiblocs, Keva or Kapla blocks!
It’s compact and easy to store! {Do I hear a “Hallelujah” out there?}
This small capsule of blocks and connectors takes creativity to a whole new level.
The only problem?
We need more of them. Thankfully, Christmas is right around the corner.
Disclosure: I received this product for free and was compensated for my time reviewing it. All opinions expressed are my own.
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
Oh, I just knew I would be nuts for these when I saw them in your pantry last week! 😉 Another item going up on the Christmas list!!!!!!
Is Keegan going to be a engineer like Evie & Joe?
Sammy would just love these!! I love the bridge in the pictures! I think this will get added to his Christmas list!