Magna-Tiles Jungle Animals Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Emily B
We LOVE Magna-tiles in our house and I’m sure we’re not alone! We’ve had a classic set for two years already and it’s easily the most played with toy we’ve had; it’s even a hit with the grandparents. We were so excited to receive the 25pc jungle animal set as we’d been eyeing it up for some time.
Aimed at ages three years plus, Magna-tiles are a US toy brand that seeks to pique curiosity through ‘meaningful play’. They encourage child-lead, open play, whilst bringing educational and developmental benefits such as gross motor skills. With a range of bright colours and a growing number of sets available, what isn’t to love? They were founded in 1997 and claim to be the original magnetic construction toy.
One of three biome themes, the jungle set consists of an assortment of tiles and five magnetic animals – a sloth, crocodile, hippo, leopard (or is it a cheetah?), and a tiger. The animals’ heads either spin or their jaws open to make them interactive. They’re really very cute! As they’re magnetic they are able to climb or hang from the habitat that you create for them. Due to the positioning of the magnets on the tiles they attach to the sides of the tiles.
In terms of tiles, this set includes 4 equilateral triangles, 4 isosceles triangles, a square rotating platform, 10 standard squares, and a set of steps. In keeping with the jungle theme the tiles are appropriately coloured in various browns and shades of green. They are either plain or have one of many prints: paw print, leaf print, bamboo or wood, various animal print, and vines. The variety is really lovely and certainly adds to the depth of the theme.
To begin with we copied the construction shown in the image on the box for inspiration. We didn’t feel that the set alone has enough pieces to really get creative and wouldn’t recommend buying this set alone. But when we added it to our existing, classic set the options were endless! We built a huge multi-level house for the animals which my three year old was thrilled with. They are also compatible with a number of other brands so this set would make a wonderful addition but do check compatibility before purchasing.
The quality of the tiles is excellent; compared to other magnetic construction toys we have been gifted personally, they are far more robust in terms of play quality, but also feel safer. Given the potential dangers of magnets for small children this is important to us and none of our tiles have ever shown any sign of coming apart and exposing the small magnets within.
Magna-tiles are definitely at the more costly end of magnetic construction toys with cheaper alternatives available but the quality speaks for itself. This would make such a lovely Christmas present for children aged three upwards, whether gifting for your own child or buying a present for someone else. This set has an RRP £40 but is currently on sale for only £30 – don’t miss out! Order yours at Argos.co.uk!
RRP: £40
Rating: 5/5
Jungle Animals 25-Piece Set