Today I’m sharing our experience of KNex For Younger Kids. If you have followed me for a while, you’ll already know I’m a self confessed big kid. Some of the toys the kids are sent to review get me REALLY excited. These new K’Nex sets are two such items! Read on to find out my thoughts on K’Nex for younger kids, the K’NEX K-Force Battle Bow Building Set and also the Kid K’nex Budding Builders Building Set.
Table of Contents
What is KNex For Younger Kids?
These sets are similar to traditional K’nex, but the pieces are bigger, and not as bendy. This makes them easier for smaller hands to work with.
Kid K’nex Budding Builders Building Set
The Kid K’nex Budding Builders Building Set is suitable for children aged 5+ and has an RRP of £34.99. It includes over 100 colourful parts and pieces, plus loads of building ideas. You can create everything from a helicopter to a robot puppy!
Syd is almost 9 now, so managed to build a couple of things from this set with ease.
I explained how the instructions worked and she set to work creating a Hang Glider for her favourite teddy. She loved that the instructions were almost 1:1 ratio, so she could lie the model on top to make sure her model was accurate.
I think the above photo shows just how happy she was with her creation.
Other K’Nex for younger kids models we made
The Kid K’nex Budding Builders Building Set has instructions for several different models. We made a pretty cool aeroplane. This was one of the harder models to create, and did require my input. The end result was epic though – especially the propeller, which actually spins!
Is It Easy Enough For Younger Kids?
As I’ve mentioned, Syd is almost 9 now, so I haven’t got a young child of my own to test this on. However, I am pretty sure most 5 year olds would need guidance to make the models. So I’d only buy the Kid K’nex Budding Builders building set if you’re willing to sit down and help them to create.
The pieces are all colour coded, so it’s easy to find the right parts. However, some of them are tricky to connect together and require a bit of strength.
The end results are well worth the effort though. I especially like how so many of the models have moving parts… Spinning wheels and propellers, etc.
Is Kid K’nex Budding Builders Autism Friendly?
Sam’s almost 10 now, and Autistic. While he can’t follow the instructions to create the models himself, he has loved playing with the finished items.
I created the below “car” off the top of my head, with the pieces left over after Syd made her Hang Glider. I think Sam approved…
My Thoughts On The Kid K’nex Budding Builders Set
Personally, I absolutely loved this set. Firstly, I thought it was great for encouraging kids to be creative. Next, I found the instructions surprisingly easy to follow. Finally, I loved that this toy involves zero electronics. So all things considered, I’d definitely recommend it.
K’Nex Battle Bow Building Set
The K’Nex Battle Bow Building Set has an RRP of £20. It is suitable for those aged 8+ and has over 160 pieces! You get 5 bullets, so can have several shots on target, before collecting your ammunition.
This set was much more complicated to build than the kids K’nex set was. The box showed a pretty slick, colour coordinating toy, but the actual pieces were different colours, so you could identify them easier.
It took me around 90 minutes to successfully build the K’Nex Battle Bow Building Set. Once built, the bow feels sturdy and the firing mechanism works really well.
Syd was on hand to help test the finished toy! I was really impressed with the build quality, but disappointed the instructions for the 2 additional models weren’t included in the box. You can download those online here.
All told, I highly rate both of these K’Nex sets, and I’ll definitely be purchasing more moving forwards. So all things considered, I’d say K’Nex for younger kids is a great idea!
