K’NEX 52 Model Building Set Review – GREAT Gift Idea

Disclosure: I received the below product as part of the K’NEX Mom Ambassador Team. All opinions are my own.

Chances are if you’re at all familiar with the K’NEX brand then  you’ve see their awesome value tubs building sets for kids. Well let me tell you – this 618 pc. set is even better and can build a LOT of different designs at once! I LOVE these model sets not only because they come in a fabulous storage container (which is a huge plus for a zillion little pieces and kids!) but because it really allows kids to have a wide variety of pieces and parts to get creative with. This K’NEX 52 Model Building set features 52 different designs – that’s one model per week! My kids love to build their creations but it’s not always as easy for them to tear it apart when they’re done! We found that we could build quite a few designs during the month before rearranging the pieces into a new design!

My 5 year old especially loved this set because not only could he build his own designs easily but the directions included plenty of simple designs to follow. He spent several hours with me at the table just on the first day creating all sorts of fun things we’re featuring in this post! This model set is geared for ages 7+ but my boys share everything so just make sure your sets are age appropriate if they come with small pieces! The great thing is that the direction booklet is pretty huge so it’s very simple to follow the instructions. However it only features some of the 52 models so you do have to go online to print out or see directions for the full 52 models that are available with these pieces!

While I got started building as many designs out of the instruction booklet as I could my son opted to create his own SUPER SONIC SPEEDY car which I was pretty proud of him for! (it actually rolled!) K’NEX pieces come in a very wide variety of sizes and styles that easily snap together (and don’t fall apart!). It’s much more multi-leveled than just placing a few bricks together so for kids to be able to coordinate pieces to build moving cars and creatures is a fantastic way for them to use their head!

We live in a very Dutch cultural area so we decided right away to build this windmill since we have one of the country’s only functioning windmills from Holland working downtown! Especially after our recent school field trip where the kids got to go up into the top of the windmill and see how it works. The pieces move as you can see! The awesome thing about K’NEX pieces is they don’t fall apart when kids are playing with them. You really have to intentionally sit on a creation (by accident of course!) or purposefully remove pieces to tear it down. It is nice because there is very little frustration at designs coming apart when built properly! The windmill was a cool lesson to pair up with our field trip because after we built the “instructions” for it my older son continued to create some of the pieces of the flour mill that he saw inside of our local windmill.

Some of the designs are very very simple like this butterfly, and others are quite in depth and take a little while to build. It’s really perfect for various age levels and abilities.

This big K’NEX dinosaur was one of my boys favorites! (and mine too!) Just make sure you clear off a big enough spot to display him because he’s pretty sizeable!! If you are looking for a great starter building set or classroom gift I love recommending these variety tubs. Not only do they come with the storage tub but it meets kids on so many different levels. Those who can easily follow directions to build things from the instruction booklet, those who just want to create their own design, and even using it as a therapy tool to help with fine motor and coordination skills. You can find this and other great building sets on KNEX.com, Amazon, and your local mass retailer!

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