In fact, they’re great for teaching hand-eye coordination and shape recognition. If you’re wondering if you should splurge on the OG or go with one of the popular alternatives like Picasso Tiles or Magformers, read on! Are Magnetic Tiles Good For Kids?įrom geometry to engineering and beyond, these magnetic play tiles are STEM-learning powerhouses that even toddlers can benefit from.
Toy makers have been iterating on the theme for a while now and there are dozens of variations to choose from. Magna-Tiles are considered by many to be the best magnetic tiles for toddlers, but they’re certainly not the only game in town. And long before that, they lived in the creative mind of a Japanese math professor who had a vision for making learning about math and geometry fun for kids. in 1997, they had already made their way into the hands of kids in Japan - under a different name. This article was edited by Catherine Kast and Christine Cyr Clisset.Magna-Tiles is the undisputed OG magnetic toy tile creator. Or I might just hold on to them for my grandchildren. We’ve accumulated over 300 tiles this way-probably enough to satisfy my four kids until we’re ready to pass along our trove. When they go on sale for less than $1 per tile, it’s a buy. So I’ve tracked Magna-Tile prices like a commodities broker tracks pork bellies.
And the truth is, a 32-piece set doesn’t have nearly the play possibilities of a 100-piece set-or more. A 32-piece set typically costs around $50. Then they’d turn back to Magna-Tiles.Īnd here I must admit the one barrier to Magna-Tiles: They’re kind of expensive. Behind my grateful smile was the thought: “Why didn’t they just buy more Magna-Tiles?” Invariably, the new toy would captivate my kids only until they’d exhausted the dopamine rush. There have been numerous occasions when a well-meaning gifter has given my kids whatever flashy, spinny, noisy toy was new on store shelves. She says they’re among the very few toys she plans to keep after her kids grow up, to pass down to the next generation. “I even leave a handful of them in the car so she can snap them together on long drives.” Deputy editor Christine Cyr Clisset’s two daughters have played with them from ages 2 through 9. “They’re one of the few toys we own that I feel like my 3-year-old plays with independently for long periods of time,” says senior editor Catherine Kast. They’ve been a stalwart in our kids gift guides since we first published those articles. I’m far from the only parent who knows the magic of Magna-Tiles. She sat down and started building with them while chatting and drinking wine. We once had friends over for dinner, and one of them was an architect. I spent an afternoon, probably procrastinating from work or chores, painstakingly creating an icosahedron, a shape I never knew existed. Magna-Tiles have a gravitational pull on grown-ups, even. Maybe the abstract shapes give kids the freedom to imagine. Maybe it’s the way the magnetic edges attach easily but not too firmly, so you have to be gentle and precise with them, ask for help, and work together. Maybe it’s the ASMR-worthy clickety-clack the pieces make when snapping together. As my kids have gotten bigger, I’ve seen them build Magna-Tile ziggurats, mazes, marble courses, stuffie skating rinks, and multitiered castles.Īs I’ve observed, there’s something about Magna-Tiles that makes kids slow down, experiment, cooperate, and persevere. A 6-year-old might gingerly stack piece atop piece until they’re standing on their tippy-toes-and the whole thing comes crashing down with an outrageous clatter. How squares turn into a bed or an oven or a house. You’ll see how six equilateral triangles become a pizza or a cake.
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