I’ve got a little builder in my house. His name is Jackson and he’s five. He started with large blocks then branched out into Legos and all sorts of other types of construction sets. He’s pretty good at it too. I was a little worried when he wanted to make the step to sets with tiny little pieces but he surprised us by being able to construct sets that were designed for children much older. We love that he’ll play with construction sets for hours, quietly on his own.
Rather than just stick to a single type of construction set, Jackson likes to try different ones. The latest, and a bit more challenging, is Zometool where art, science and play come together in one special toy. Consisting of struts and balls which connect to one another, this building set is at once both complex and simplistic. The building concept is simple however the 3D structures that can be constructed are limited only to the imagination. Zometool isn’t just for kids. In fact, Zometool has been used by mathematicians and research scientists. The Jonas Salk Institue has even used Zometool in it’s research for a cure for AIDS. Designed for kids ages 6 and up, Zometool is available in several different kits:
- System Kit: Creator 1
- Project Kit: The Buckyball
- Project Kit: Ice Crystals and Stars
- Pyramid Power
- Crazy Bubbles
- Bubble Bundle
Winner of several prestigious awards including Dr. Toy Best Picks and Creative Child Awards Top Toy of the Year in it’s category, Zometool makes a fun gift the whole family will enjoy. Zometool sets range in price from $10 to $62 making them an affordable option this holiday season.
We checked out the Ice Crystals and Stars Set. I gave Jackson the directions, showed him quickly how Zometool works and left him to construct. The design and the way the pieces fit together is a bit more complex than anything Jackson has played with before. Without my help he started to get a bit frustrated trying to make one of the designs. I helped him complete it (picture above) and he was happy. Even when he got frustrated, he didn’t want to quit. In fact, even when we were almost finished with the design and we realized we had been using the wrong sized pieces and had to start over he didn’t give up.
I’ll be honest though, he had a lot more fun building freestyle with this set. I think he built a pretty cool “spaceship”:
Zometool would make an excellent gift this holiday season as a departure from electronic gadgets giving kids and fun activity rather than screen time. Zometool kits are made in Colorado and have been inducted into the Made in the USA Hall of Fame. You can find all six gift-ready sets at www.zometool.com or museum gift stores like the Denver Art Museum.
A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated in any other way. See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.
Jon R says
I used to love these when I was younger, don’t remember if they are the same kind but I would create all kinds of stuff. I forgot all about these, would be a nice gift for my nephew since he likes creating things!