Smart Set
| Lower Age: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Upper Age: | 103 |
| Price: | $199.99 |
| Year Added: | 2021 |
| Amazon URL: | https://bit.ly/magformerssmartset144pc |
The building set comes with 128 magnetic shape pieces, 4 sets of attachable magnetic wheels, and 12 die faces that can be inserted into the open, square magnetic shapes.The set also comes with a booklet that contains the schematics to create various structures and shapes, however additional Magformers kits are required to create some of the structures. Adult supervision is recommended for younger users as there is a choking risk associated with the smaller pieces included in this kit.
Magformers Smart Set introduces users to design principles and provides opportunities for them to employ their creative thinking skills. The magnetic pieces must be assembled in a specific conformation, as the poles of the magnets must line up correctly in order for the pieces to stay together. This concept adds a challenge for the user to overcome and enhances their understanding of magnets and magnetic properties. The instruction booklet contains the schematics of structures of varying difficulties, so the user is continuously challenged as they learn and grow with the toy. After the user has built all of the structures recommended in the booklet, they can move on to applying their creativity in the design of original structures and shapes. An additional challenge to the construction and stability of shapes created with the magnetic pieces is that not all of the shapes have the same side lengths. This results in the user having to think about a plethora of factors that could affect the stability of their creation and adjusting their design to account for those factors.
Overall, Smart Set strengthens children’s iterative design skills and critical and creative thinking skills through the construction of magnetic structures.
Framework Categories
Engineering Thinking (EThink)
Processes of Design (POD)
Spatial Reasoning
Moore, T.J., Glancy, A.W., Tank, K.M., Kersten, J.A., Smith, K.A., & Stohlmann, M.S. (2014). A framework for quality K-12 engineering education: Research and development. Journal of Precollege Engineering Education Research, 4(1), 1-13.