Let me begin by saying that magnetic tiles are the most popular toy we play with in our household.
If there’s just one thing that I would recommend to children and teens, it would be this. No comparison!
They’re never thrown away and have been in our playroom every day since my first baby was 18 months. Because they are so versatile as toys they are loved by all and played with by all three of my daughters each day in a variety of methods (4yo, 2.5yo and 15mo as of the writing time of this blog post). From building play to imaginative play, homeschooling activities, as well as fine motor skills for children.
The collection includes Magnatiles with a 100-piece set as well as 150-piece Playmags (that includes cars) along with an 62-piece set of Connetix tiles.
The three brands are all compatible and can be used in conjunction when building.
Comparison of brands (features)
In terms of size of the magnet while connetix and playmags tiles are alike magnatiles are definitely smaller.
Regarding magnet quality and strength, Playmags and Connetix Pastel 120 are definitely the strongest and the most robust of the three.
The main distinction among Playmags and Connetix is the aesthetics, and whether you like the transparent or lined style.
The most frequent concern about the Connetix tiles’ clarity is that, since they do not have bracing around the edges or in the middle is it weaker maybe?
There isn’t a need it’s due to its unique, beveled shape, which increases their strength.
My Honest Opinion on Playmags and Connetix
I personally prefer indoors when it’s a little more dark or in a shady area I am in love with the look and feel of the translucent Connetix due to the amount of light it lets through.
When we’re exploring shadows and light outside or in a room with sunlight, I am awestruck by the shadows lined by lines that Playmags create . When coupled with Connetix they produce such fascinating compositions that lead to fascinating discussions with my girls who are older.
Playmags has Click-Ins as well as 26 alphabetic letters (13 double-sided pieces) that can be clicked in. But my daughters don’t utilize them frequently as I believed they would when I first bought it, using the triangles, squares, and gates.
It could be due to their age, but when they try the spelling of their names and write words using their letters, they become annoyed because there’s only one of each letter, and sometimes it doesn’t work due to the double sides there are two sides.
Although I like using them as a source to learn about literacy in a real way whenever it happens but in the same way I’m wondering whether I’d prefer more toys that my children actually use.
With an understanding of the commonalities and differences among the many popular brands I’d like to use the time to address a few questions I’ve received in regards to magnetic tiles. This will aid you in making an informed decision when purchasing .
How old is my baby is allowed to be able to play?
My 15mo is capable creating new structures by adding pieces. In essence, since 8 months, she’s been playing their magnetic qualities. They’ve been pulling two pieces apart, then joining them , then repeating and repeat.
Magnetic tiles are definitely the most popular construction material in our house at the moment in which we have a preschooler and two toddlers due to the ease with which they can build and build with.
It comes together and falls apart quickly unlike Lego or duplo which requires greater precision and fine motor abilities.
They are also more likely to stay in good shape opposed to wooden blocks for instance, where even the tiniest movement or a block improperly placed could make a construction collapse.
It’s also not only a toy for construction. My daughters make use of it to play with the effects of light, colour and shadow…
Encouragement of more participation (we only have around sixty) Do we really need to increase the number of games?
According to me, I believe that in order to benefit the most from them, if you’ve got the money you should consider at least 100 pieces (even when you are only one child). More pieces equals more flexibility, greater scope for creativity.
I don’t offer these toys for sale, so it’s not beneficial for me in any way to ask for more. it’s my honest opinion.
Are they safe for children as young as 2 years old? Do the magnets fall off quickly?
My first child was introduced to magnets at the age of 18 months. my second and third born were able to use them because they were crawling at 6 months old and we’ve had no incidents of magnets breaking off.
However, I can only represent those brands: Magnetic tiles Playmags as well as Connetix because they’re the ones we have.
What age will a 2-year-old be able to construct without assistance?
Yes, definitely. However, with any open-ended toy that is available it takes time to acquire the necessary skills and familiarity with the toys and to be able to envision the endless possibilities and possibilities. The kids will begin by creating basic structures , but after some practice and time, they can make elaborate designs. Like I always say that play, especially free-play, is an acquired skill.
What is the age you would recommend for them? 2yo girl?
If you’re only having one child I’d say anything that is 18 months to 18 years old is ideal. There may not be complex structures in the beginning but they will still investigate magnetism in tiles and can enjoy color sorting. That’s what my baby was most excited about when I introduced the tiles to her around 18 months old.
My subsequent children, they were able to use these as early as they were able to crawl. They were familiar with the way they operated at a very early age, and my third-born at 15 months can add and remove individual pieces from existing structures, without destroying the whole structure.
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