PicassoTilesMarble Run 100 Piece Magnetic Tile Race Track Toy Play Set STEM Building & Learning Educational Magnet Construction Child Brain Development Kit Boys Girls Age 3 4 5 6 7 8+ Years Old Toys

We are two weeks into our homeschool, and this marble run set has been a favorite activity so far with my kids (ages 10, 7, and the 13 year-old even enjoys designing along with her siblings at times). I have really enjoyed watching them learn about engineering and physics along the way as they design the marble run and make adjustments to get the balls all the way to the end. They have to think about how the number of turns, connections the ball rolls over, and height of each level/drops along the way influence the motion of the ball. As their builds get more elaborate, there is also more critical thinking and planning involved--they have to think several steps ahead. Fantastic educational toy! I am really happy with this purchase; my kids have already enjoyed it for hours!Here are a few things to keep in mind with this set:-Picasso Tiles are compatible with Magnatiles, so not only can you use Magnatiles to enhance the build, but your kids can then use the Picasso Tiles included in this set to enhance other magnetic tile building.-Only the magnetic tiles (square pieces with the round holes that connect to the marble track pieces) are magnetic. The marble track pieces--straight track/tube (long & short), turn or slide pieces, etc. are not magnetic, but snap into the magnetic tiles. This is fine from a building perspective, but definitely something to be aware of.-Because of the snapping/clicking way in which the magnetic tiles and marble track pieces connect, I would be careful using this set with the preschool set, as they could not only shorten the life of the pieces by pulling them apart too forcefully, but also would get frustrated more easily while building, because it will be harder for them to connect the pieces. If you plan to play alongside your preschooler, this would work just fine, but don't expect it to be an independent play option for that age group. My 7 & 10 year-old can easily build on their own; I would expect most 6 year-olds to handle it well too.-It is most fun if you already have some Magnatiles or Picasso tiles on hand, as your kids will be able to get more creative in their designs & the design will be more sturdy (less frustration!). We have 70 individual Magnatiles (mix of square & triangle pieces) & also the large Picasso Tiles stabilizer base set--fantastic to use along with this set and with other magnetic tile building! You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/PicassoTiles-Supersized-Stabilizer-Construction-Engineering/dp/B07G33CMC6/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=picasso+tiles+base+set&qid=1599484015&sr=8-6-The "marble" is larger than your standard marble and it is weighted but not as heavy as many standard marbles. My kids have not yet attempted to use a standard marble but I don't know why they wouldn't work. I would imagine the larger ball is less of a chocking hazard, but I don't have little ones around the house anymore.Overall a super fun set for the elementary age group & 4-5 year olds with assistance (middle schoolers will likely join the fun at some point, but probably won't stick with it for too long). I like that the marble track pieces allow for an open-face track or tubes when two identical pieces are used together--my kids like to do a mix of both. Stabilizer bases and extra magnetic tiles will definitely increase the fun and design possibilities and your kids will have tons of fun while learning.

Fantastic toy for kids who love building. It’s fun, creative and educational. Combines magnetic tiles with marble tracks and is it’s compatible with other PicassoTiles set.

So I have bought a huge number of marble runs, made from wood and plastic, some with motors and some without. But this one is the easiest to maintain, quickly put away and much easier for my son with Down syndrome to use and play with. My cat even loves it and tries to get the large balls out before it falls into the tube. We even give the cat points versus my son for everyone the cat gets out of the marble runs for every one that my son gets in. It’s a great game that engages my son into counting and competition lol! The only thing is that the older version of this marble run (we had an older one from my other child) has weighted balls that jiggle when you shake them and as they roll. We definitely like those more, but it doesn’t look like they make them that way anymore. I will buy more balls if they (I also bought a pack of balls they sell separately) go back to the old version! Great toy for kids, especially younger kids due to size of balls and ease of magnets (adults or older kids still need to connect the tubes to the squares) and for the differently abled. I even enjoy it with my kid and cat! Definitely recommend!

The media could not be loaded. My 5 year old nephew spends every Saturday with me and he's the kind of kid who always needs to be doing something, so we have to have stuff for him to do. A lot of stuff. The best toy purchase we ever made was magnetic tiles and specifically this magnetic tile marble run. It's his favorite (truth be told, mine too) and the first thing he wants to do when he gets here. He can literally spend hours playing with them. He needs a little help when it comes to the marble run but that's ok because it's something we can do together.In this video, there are 3 different brands of magnetic tiles mixed in with the Picasso Tiles marble run: Magna-Tiles, B-Mags, and some brand I can't even remember. They all work so well together, it's hard to imagine there could be a brand they aren't compatible with. We find that using the big base tiles helps give everything added stability.The price of the marble run IMO is pretty reasonable for all the pieces you get and the endless fun they will bring. Especially if you get them during Prime days, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday. Great for the budding engineer or architect. You'll be surprised at how many ideas these kids can come up with. We do consult the idea pamphlet that is included but usually add on using our imaginations. That's a skill both kids and adults need. This boy is learning geometry and problem solving skills all from this one toy. And he has no idea he's learning. It's stretching his creative muscle and helping with hand dexterity/motor skills. I see this as a toy that will grow with him. So, yeah, definitely worth the money. Little kids, big kids, and grown-up kids can enjoy these. The more pieces you have, the more possibilities there are but, you don't need a large set to have fun.Only con so far is, a few of the pieces don't want to stay together. We're talking maybe 4-6 pieces out of 100, so not too big a deal. My nephew is rough on them especially when demolishing a structure but we're working on taking them apart carefully. She says with sigh...

Definitely need to buy a separate set of tiles to add to this, but once you have enough you can build some really cool marble runs with it! We make something different every time and it keeps my kids entertained for quite a while. It's hard to put the track into the tile so adult help may be needed. The magnets are the strongest out of any set I've bought.

It's been a year and this toy is still a hit for my 7 year old. He plays with it on a daily basis. I plan on buying more for creative/stem play.