Geomag Magnetic Building Block Starter Kit Review

Reviewed by New_Mama

With an active and curious toddler, I am always on the look out for new ways to keep my child entertained. I was therefore excited to be allocated a new version of the old favourite of ‘blocks’ which like many children, my child thoroughly enjoys playing with. I was allocated Geomags starter set of magnetic building blocks.

The item arrived in simple yet sufficient packaging with no excess waste. The box itself is made of simple carboard (70% recycled) and no plastic or excess packaging is used which is great. The box makes the activity appealing with the bright colours of the blocks (red, yellow and greens) accurately depicted. Designed for children between the ages of 1 to 5 years, the blocks are smooth in texture and easy to handle. Made from recycled plastic, the brand have considered the current trend of parents trying to avoid buying new plastic toys. Hardy in nature I imagine they will also last a long time and can be passed to other friends and family once the children have grown out of them.

The starter kit includes two traditional square blocks, alongside other shapes of 2 triangles and 2 curved edge blocks. The bright colours certainly appeal to young children and the unexpected snap of the magnetic sides leads to much delight. This ‘snap’ of the magnets touching I also found to be very satisfying! I liked how simply the magnets attached to each other and loved the fact that magnets exist on all sides of the shape. This helps prevent the frustration of a young child trying to work out why some sides work and some don’t, and allows for more creativity as blocks and shapes can be added together in anyway. I liked the idea of the magnets as it allows a higher level of construction from standard wooden blocks. An instruction booklet is included and demonstrates different shapes and items that can be built using the included blocks.

To allow your child to build larger designs, further blocks can be purchased in packs of 8 for £18. I personally feel that more blocks are required in order to keep your child, especially the older ones, entertained, and therefore you would need to purchase more beyond this starter kit. In addition to this, the website actually advertises that the box incorrectly includes 8 pieces, whereas the box itself states 6. This inconsistency alongside the images of children playing with large numbers of blocks, when only a small proportion are actually included, was a little frustrating. For me whilst the blocks magnetic design is clever, the high price in comparison to other sets of blocks seems steep. I wondered if the starter set would be better to include at least 12 blocks (of course with a price mark up to reflect this) to more readily make this a good standalone purchase or gift. I think without buying more items, the activity is unlikely to allow sufficient different construction designs for children. So for me, I liked the idea and the pieces themselves, but felt the price and small amount of included pieces in this pack let this item down.

Rating: I would give this product a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

RRP: £16.00

This product can be purchased from The Entertainer here.