Tinker Toy 200-piece Plastic Construction Set
by Playskool
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Our Price: $80.58 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $75.00 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Tinker Toy 200-piece Plastic Construction Set
Customer Review: One of the best toys we own
Summary: 5 Stars
My dad got this for my two year-old son last Christmas, and while at the beginning I had to help him build most of the structures, he often wanted to play with his "Tinky Toys." Slowly, though, he started to build his own structures with our help, and I was surprised recently when, just after turning three, he was making his own wheel assemblies and designing airplanes, cars, and cranes on his own.
These are definitely more durable than the wooden ones I played with growing up, but we will probably have to get an extra set, as some sticks are still capable of warping (due to the stress our sons designs put on them) and some of the connector pieces come apart after awhile. A couple of sticks have snapped as well, but I'm sure it's because of our sons use, not necessarily the average kids (he likes to design cranes that are six feet long).
What I really like is that this is a great toy for other kids as well, boys or girls, younger or older. We had a friend's family visit with their two sons (ages 5 and 7) and it was their favorite toy. Then my sister visited with her two kids, ages 7 and 9 (a boy and a girl) and while she had said previously that her kids were never interested in Tinkertoys, they were designing robots, transformers, even animals, and by the end of her visit she said she was going to get a set when she got home. I would highly recommend this toy to anyone, but I would encourage you to not pay more than $30 or so - I think Toys R Us will have it on sale at $25 occasionally at this price.
Customer Review: Nice Toy
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked this set over the other 105-piece set offered here because there are so many more pieces for the money. Once I get it, I notice that this is a different set with somewhat different pieces, and all the pieces are made of plastic, while the other set is made of wood. I don't mean this to be a bad thing, because there are a few ingenious-looking connectors that you can turn to change its angle of connection, and I doubt it can be made in wood the same way. I bought it for my 5 year old son who finds it a little difficult to poke the sticks into the connectors because they fit rather snug, but after a while he got used to it. He isn't used to it not having instruction like Legos, though, so he just looks at the picture on the can with frustration until I build it for him. I then take digital pictures as I dismantle the project so that he can then use them as instructions. He does OK. The set is bright colored and sturdy, and it makes a beautiful and realistic Ferris wheel that stands about 2.5 feet tall, complete with ride chairs that remains vertical as the wheel spins.
Besides not having instructions, my other complaint is that the entire set fills only half of the can if you just dump everything in, and the can is made out of paper (except for its top and bottom). I think they wouldn't have gone broke if they made the whole can in tin, and it would have lasted a lot longer. Overall, I am happy with my purchase, but I may consider buying the other set too.
Customer Review: Soooo much better than wood, but way overpriced on here...
Summary: 5 Stars
I have a few of these sets and love them just as much as my kids do. I too was worried about switching from the original wooden Tinker Toys to these plastic ones a few years ago...but am glad I did.
First off, if you have owned the wooden ones, you know the sticks get worn out after your kids play with them for awhile and they won't stay in the wooden circles/blocks...which leads to a very frustrated kid. These plastic ones don't wear out like the wooden ones do. Also, here is a HUGE plus...you can't chew on them!! Not your kids...dogs! My dogs were always trying to steal a wooden block from my kids to run behind the couch and chew it up...but they have no interest in the plastic ones. I guess if your children chew on them as well it could be a plus also, no wood to splinter them and no lead paint worries.
The sticks are very well built in this set...it is not just a hollow tube, but has reinforcement on the inside of the tube yet still allows air to flow through it. The other pieces are just as well built (trust me, between myself and my husbad stepping on them over and over again...they still look brand new). They are brightly colored and fit together nicely, which means happy kids!
My local toystore stocks these for almost half of what they are selling for on here...so I suggest you try that before ordering these online if you want to save money...could probably get 2 sets for the price of 1 online.
Customer Review: HANG ON TO YOUR TINKER TOYS
Summary: 5 Stars
This week we have revisited our tinker toys. My oldest is 12, my youngest a 6 yr. old girl. My 10 yr. old son was never as in to tinker toys or construction toys as his siblings.
After 12 years, some of the plastic is finally becoming brittle and breaking. That is pretty good, considering it was played with A LOT during that time. We even took them overseas for 18 months! My kids can follow the picture instructions and make those items, or their imaginations let them make all manor of stuff with them. As I said, my middle son wasn't as in to them, he would sometimes get frustrated by the instructions. All kids are different, some kids think spatially and some don't.
For the kids who get into them, they provide a lot of good entertainment. Two days ago, my 3 kids and a friend built a 7 foot tower with them, and we took a picture. Now my daughter is making a sword 'without any instructions, all on my own' and is excited. My 12 year old made the lawnmower for her. THEY LOVE THEM!!!
This has been one of the best Christmas gifts my children ever got. We will hang on to them as long as they last, and then maybe buy a new set, just because they're fun, and good to have around for cousins and company.
Customer Review: The classics never get old.
Summary: 4 Stars
My wife and I got this for our 3 & 5 y.o. boys this Xmas. My brother and I played with the original wooden TTs 35 yrs ago and nostalgia prompted me to get this for my kids. We intentionally bought the plastic kit in the hope that they would be more sturdy. The kit comes with no instructions which sucks. And while neither of my sons initially took to the TTs, after I spent a couple of hours building the (fighter?)plane (by looking at the picture on the can) my oldest finally caught on to the beauty of the toy. BTW, the plane is pretty massive once it's completed and uses almost all of the 200 pcs.
I decided to look online to find building plans but so far I've only found manuals for sale, and I'm not paying for that knowledge. I've built the prop plane and the (fighter?) plane that are pictured on the can but it looks like I'll have to shake out the cob-webs and try to come up with my own plans for other projects. Frankly, I'm playing with it more than my sons are... which would be different if there had been plans with simple projects for small kids to complete.
I recommend the TTs, but know that you're going to have to help the young ones to build the projects in the pictures (and they will ask for them!).