STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

We were sent these K’Nex sets for the purposes of this post. All images and opinions are our own.

My lad has been a big fan of all kinds of construction toys since he was a small boy. Now aged 10 he still spends his spare time building giant LEGO sets and constructing all kinds of things using the various K’Nex sets he’s got. We were sent three more K’Nex set to play with and review, so here’s what he thought about them.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’Nex is suitable for ages 4+, with smaller sets aimed at younger kids and their little hands; as well as more complicated, more fiddly sets for older children available.

Kid K’Nex Safari Mates

We began by taking a look at the Kid K’Nex Safari Mates. This set costs £10 and contains 21 colourful pieces. It comes with an instruction booklet with instructions on how to build five different safari animals.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

Kid K’Nex can help teach little ones the basic concepts of building and the art of constructing with these durable K’Nex pieces. With this set, your kids can create simple safari characters on their own. This set includes special parts and pieces that are only available in Kid K’Nex sets, such as a swishing tail and foam mane, which really help to bring the characters to life.

We thought this was a great starter set for younger children and at £10, it would make a great gift for an aspiring builder. The set is available from Argos and other retailers.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’NEX Imagine 50 Model Building Set

The K’Nex 50 Model Tub is the most brilliant box of pieces, and just what my son needed to complete his collection. It contains 417 brightly coloured classic pieces and a booklet of 50 easy step-by-step creations to build; from a dragon, a swing ride, a robot and more. You just connect the pieces together using the plastic rods and connectors to see your ideas become a reality.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

He chose to make the dragon, and as the set is aimed at older children, some of the pieces were harder to put together, so we did help him a bit. It was tremendous fun and it took him a good hour to make the dragon. With 50 different makes to choose from, there’s a lot of focused STEM fun to be had in this box.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

The K’Nex Imagine 50 Model Building Set comes in it’s own blue plastic storage box; which is great for taking away on family trips or for storing at home. The box makes it easy to pack away without any hassle.

The set is for ages 5-10 years, but I’m sure my new 10 year old will play with this for another few years at least. This brilliant box is available from Smyths Toys Superstores and other online stores.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set

The last set we put to the test was this K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set. This is ideal for older children and aimed at those aged 8+. It contains 165 pieces and a set of instructions to show you step-by-step how to build one of four different blasters. Included in this building toy are five soft foam darts that can be fired up to 75 feet; a blaster chamber, a quick-fit grip, a preload ring and two dart holders.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

The K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set costs £25 and looks like the most grown up kit of the three we put to the test. My boy had serious fun putting this together. The instructions were easy to follow and he only need a tiny bit of help with the fiddlier pieces.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

It is a great set and well worth the money. Fans of Nerf will enjoy this, my son said it felt like he was building his own Nerf, which was praise indeed. We did have to have a small health and safety chat about not shooting the dog or me; but it was a huge hit and this is definitely a winner! The K’Nex K-Force Battle Bow Building Set is available from The Entertainer and other retailers.

STEM Toy Review: K’Nex creative construction sets

We’ve been fans of K’Nex for a good few years now. He loves building and creating with them and I really like that it’s such a great educational toy, one which helps his dexterity as well as stretched his mind. I’m pleased to see that the range has expanded and that there’s lot of budding builders to choose from.

Six Really Great Books About Geology

One of my son’s latest obsessions is geology. Last week we went to Cornwall for a short break; while we were there he went on a geology walk which fuelled his obsession no end. We already had a few books about rocks and geology on our shelves; but the geology walk meant we needed to visit a bookshop and expand our selection of books about geology a little more. After consulting with the boy, we’ve chosen six of his favourite books about geology.

Six Really Great Books About Geology

Usborne Naturetrails: Rocks and Fossils by Struan Reid – this is an absolutely brilliant book. It’s got bags of full of colour pictures, and easy to understand information all about rocks. There are fantastic facts boxes and short experiments to enhance understanding. The end section contains a field spotters guide listing the main rocks, minerals and fossils to be seen; plus tips and advice on collecting rocks. It’s a great all round book for junior geologists!

Everything: Rocks and Minerals by National Geographic KidsPacked with facts and anecdotes from experts and bursting with colour photographs, learn all about rocks, minerals, fossils, types of rock, tectonics and gems in this informative and fun educational book from National Geographic Kids.

Six Really Great Books About Geology

Rock & Fossil Hunter (DK Eyewitness) by Ben Morgan – this books explains everything you never knew about rocks, fossils, minerals, gems, and shells. There are more than 30 hands-on practical projects to try out at home; start your own rock collection, grow your own gemstones, make a fossil bone, build a sandstone castle, or even create an erupting volcano! Each activity comes with easy step-by-step instructions to help you. This is a great book for learning about the geology of rocks, Earth’s changing landscape, and much more.

My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure by Dr Devin Dennie – For children aged 5+, this guide is the ideal starter companion for any child interested in starting their own rock and mineral collection. This is a fantastic introduction to the world of rocks, gems, and minerals. Children will learn all about where rocks and minerals come from, what a fossil is, and how they can go about starting their own rock collection, as well as how to identify any rocks they find.

Rocks and Minerals Sticker Book by Natural History Museum – For children who love activity books, this is full of fun stuff; with colourful stickers, fantastic facts and fun learning pages, this activity book is a great introduction to 100 rocks and minerals from around the world. Written and designed for younger readers, it contains 100 re-useable stickers. There are lots of bite-size facts about what rocks and minerals look like and where they come from; plus exciting puzzles and games, including a colouring in activity and spot the mineral quiz. You can build your own rock world by adding stickers to a colourful double page landscape. This book is ideal for children who want to know more about rocks and minerals.

The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillian is something a little bit different than the rock spotter books listed above. This double-sided foldout book takes you on a fascinating journey deep underground. One side of the foldout shows the ground beneath the city and the reverse side shows the ground beneath the countryside. The underground scenes include tunnels and pipes, creatures’ burrows, layers of rock and the planet’s molten core. Covering subjects such as geology, archaeology and natural history; this expansive concertina book opens out to an impressive 2.5 metres long; perfect for spreading out on the floor to pore over for hours.

Geology is a fascinating science; whether you’re interested in rocks, minerals, fossils or gems, there’s a really great book on this list that can help you learn more. What’s your favourite book about geology?

If you enjoyed this, you might also like these five books about science or these six books about space.

Six Really Great Books About Geology