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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: Sept 19 2007 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
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All of these sets look great, but Knex and Fishertechnic are really $$$!
Can somebody who has used these tell me about your experiences with them? Are they really helpful for physical science? or is it just more junk underfoot? Do you need the teacher manual?
My ds will be 8 soon and this is a possible gift.
Thanks,
ck
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: Sept 19 2007 at 9:54pm | IP Logged
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KNEX rock at our house. Our children are always into them...yes they are underfoot at times, but get cleaned up eventually . The building guides come in the kit! Hours and hours of enjoyment for all ages (old enough not to stick in their mouths though) if your kids like to build . Great also for hand-eye coordination.
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Kristie in Canada
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Mary G
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| Posted: Sept 20 2007 at 8:01am | IP Logged
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K'nex has been a favorite around here for years -- it was actually invented by a college student playing with straws/toothpicks/etc in a college cafeteria! You can build so many things and the "kits" can be used for imaginative play rather than just the specific car or ferris wheel or whatever. We have our K'nex dumped into a bin and the kids often build with these while I (or dh) read-aloud ....
Legos are also great for this but have become more and more kit-oriented where pieces are specific to the kit itself so there doesn't seem to be as much cross-over or creativity as I would hope. We played TONS with legos when we were little but then there were just the basic building blocks with a very few specialty pieces. There are ways to use Legos for math projects, etc.
Fischerteckniks are like the old erector sets (with screws, nuts and bolts), and my nephew loves these but mine have never really taken off on these. At 8, your son should be able to handle the building with them, though altho the directions can be a bit vague.
Any of these are good for developing plans-to-product as the directions are completely pictorial and you have to be able to make that leap.
You could try a little set of each and see which one he goes for ... they have inexpensive starter sets that are fun and would give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Have fun!
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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~Rachel~
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| Posted: Sept 21 2007 at 4:33pm | IP Logged
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We have K'Nex and Legos and DS just  Legos. K'Nex have an annoying habit of staying on the floor...
I say try to find someone with the toys so he can try them  (BTW my DS will be 8 on Sunday and will be getting Legos)
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Sept 21 2007 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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My kids love to build. We have had all three (Legos, K'Nex, erector sets) plus several other building sets whose names I don't remember right now. The boys are able to do amazing things with any building type toy that you put in front of them. That being said, I think that you could "make do" with Legos and K'Nex. They really aren't interchangeable IMO. We use K'Nex for making balances, cranes, the framework for vehicles, trebuchets, ... Legos are used for more "solid" construction -- abbeys, forts, battering rams, etc. When we had Fischerteckniks, the boys used them for the same things that they use K'Nex. Now we've "culled" a bit, so we're down to *tons* of legos, some K'Nex, and a couple of rollerscape sets.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Sept 21 2007 at 9:34pm | IP Logged
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Oh, and I absolutely think that these "toys" are worth the money if you can afford them. For years, it was all the kids would get for birthday and Christmas from anyone, so we've got a big collection now. I would not buy lego knock-offs (like mega bloks). They are cheaper, but they do *not* stick together in the same way. The quality isn't nearly as good.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: K’nex vs. Fischertechnik vs. Lego action
