K’Nex 4 Wheel Drive Truck Building Set Review
K’Nex 4 Wheel Drive
Truck Building Set
Reviewed by Jane Hopkins MBE
– Sturdy truck with working lights and 4 wheel steering.
– Colourful step-by-step instructions to build 3 different models.
– Combine with K’NEX Transport Chopper for an awesome combo build!
From the Manufacturer
Use Classic K’Nex pieces to build the 4 Wheel Drive Truck with lights. Build the 4 wheel drive truck with 313 pieces and all wheel steering to handle the toughest terrain or build the alternate pick up truck or dune buggy.
Product Description
Children can spend hours of fun playing with this K’NEX Classics 4-Wheel Drive Truck Play Set. This K’NEX truck features 313 K’NEX pieces that can be put together to form a 4-wheel truck with working lights and steering. Made from durable plastic, K’NEX building sets are designed to be used again and again. After building the 4-wheel truck, this set can be disassembled and used to build the alternate pick-up truck or dune buggy for even more fun. Kids can build and rebuild their favourite vehicles over and over again. Combine with K’NEX Transport Chopper Building Set for an awesome combo build! The K’NEX 4 Wheel Drive Truck Building Set is recommended for builders ages 7 and up.
The product description of the K’Nex 4 Wheel Drive Truck Building Set suggests it’ll give children hours of fun, this sounded like magic to me. Like many parents, I too have to contend with the lure of electronic gadgetry; Nintendo, and Apple products are the nemesis in our house so to find something cool, constructive that promises hours of fun, well I was in there.
My son is 9 and enjoys playing with Mario Kart more than anything (sigh) so when his cousin (age 19) came to visit I got the K’Nex out for them. I have to say the 19 year old had a whale of a time, this is clearly one of those big boy toys, I mean do men ever grow tired of these boy toys? But together they spent great family time putting this together.
It was so refreshing to see my son and his cousin sharing the experience of building this, rather than bombing around the Super Mario virtual race track. It took maybe an hour to finish it, and in that time they were both fully engrossed, my son would delight in running over to show me step-by-step his progress, much to the annoyance of his cousin! Since finishing it, on his own my 9 year old has enjoyed taking it apart and rebuilding it, he’s also started to ‘customise’ it with some old K’Nex kit he had passed down. That’s what is great about K’Nex – it’s all interchangeable so you could potentially build a beast of a machine!
The product is excellent quality and hugely educational. It is an innovative design and is challenging enough to make the kids feel proud when they’re done, and being a 4×4 really does give the young builder an insight into the way such a vehicle is put together; showing the 4-wheel steering and suspension system.
Although my son, being 9 is right in the middle of the suggested age range, in my opinion adult assistance is required because, especially for a first time build there are some tricky elements. But having said that, had it of been easy, I think the experience would have been over with sooner, but posing a challenge kept the enjoyment level high. Having the help with this one means the next one will be easier. There are lots of small pieces so I wouldn’t recommend small children playing, or allowing a puppy in the room while playing (yes, personal experience has taught us this much!)
I would give it a 4/5, losing one point because although it is sturdy, when playing with the 4×4 as a regular toy afterwards, pieces would fall off easily. It would be absolutely perfect if it was play proof for post-construction play. However one might argue that’s the part of the fun too…
We loved this and have already got more in the range firmly down on Santa’s list.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £19.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
