Baby no. 4, Peter George Clare arrived on the 4th march 2003 weighing 6lb 140z. He is absolutely gor...
Baby no. 4, Peter George Clare arrived on the 4th march 2003 weighing 6lb 140z. He is absolutely gorgeous but very time consuming so I won`t be writing again for quite a while.
Member since:24.03.2001
Reviews:93
Members who trust:108
This is a toy for kids and adults alike, and dads especially love it, well my hubby does anyway. There are lots of different sized sets available, and they cost between £3.00 and £100. Before you buy though, it is a good idea to invest in a big plastic toolbox for storage, as you can be sure that once you`ve bought one set it won`t be long before you want more.
K`nex are lots of different coloured plastic pieces that are joined together to make models. They work on the same sort of basis as lego, but k`nex is much more versatile. Each of the larger sets comprises of 7 different coloured rods, varying in length from 1½cm to 19 cm. There are also many different sized pieces called connectors, as well as tyres, hub caps and pulleys.
All these pieces either just slot into each other or snap together. All the parts are colour coded and each piece has it`s own colour, this makes following the instruction diagrams relatively simple. Although once you get onto the larger models they can get a bit confusing.
Don`t be deceived into thinking, that because the pieces are so small they won`t take up a lot of room, because there is no limit to how big you make your models once your imagination starts running away. My husband once spent 3 days trying to find out how big he could build a ferris wheel, and once it was finished it was half the length of my big rug and about 6ft high.
Each set comes with it`s own instruction booklet. These aren`t written instructions though, but picture diagrams, so when you get onto the more complex models, you really need an eye for detail.
There is a vast range of models you can build, including cars, planes, tractors, helicopters, bikes, boats and many, many more. The basic set includes some simple flat models that even my 4yr old can do, but apart from these, most children won`t be able to follow the diagrams until the age of 7 or 8.
The larger sets include motors or rubber band power, which is when the models become really interesting. There is also a new robot set out now that has programmed chip units, lights, sound and a remote control as well as lots of other special features. Guess what`s going to be on the christmas list this year!
The really small sets only use about twenty pieces, and these build simple models such as dinosaurs, spiders and little cars and trucks. There is also a set that builds little men to sit inside your bigger models.
There are no hard and fast rules to k`nex, you can either follow the instructions, or just use your imagination and make it up as you go along.
If you want to see some creations made by other kids, then check out these 2 websites. 1. www.knex.com 2. www.knex.co.uk
Here you`ll find screensavers and notepaper to download, also a gallery of photos posted in by kids of stuff they have built themselves. If you think you can do better, then there`s the option to post your own photos. You can also check out all the sets that are available to buy, including prices, what the sets contain, and where you can buy them.
There is a photo here of a tiger, built entirely using k`nex. It took 28,000 pieces to build it, and is 1.25 metres high. Personally, I haven`t got the patience to build something that big.
If that`s still not enough, then you can join the k`nex club at the second site I`ve listed. It costs £6.99 inc. p&p, and you can get an application form by e-mailing the site.
With this you get a k`nex funfax, divider pages and personal page, a bronze club badge, k`nex notepaper, membership card, sticker sheet, pen, special edition instructions and a personal copy of the latest k`nex brochure. You will also receive 4 editions of the k`nex club magazine each year. If you`re a true k`nex addict, then you can also buy watches, mousemats, bags, wallets, caps and t-shirts in the shop, all imprinted with the k`nex logo.
Even if you haven`t got kids, go buy a set now. You will have great fun.
Sets are available from Argos, Index and most toy shops and supermarkets.
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Apr 29th, 2001
(Feb 5th, 2002)
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