Budding Architect Must-Have

When I bring my two year old along to drop her kindergartner of a big sister off at school, there’s always drama when we have to leave the classroom. It’s not in the form of anguish from my child being ditched for six hours, but rather my baby throwing a fit when I attempt to separate her from the “big kid” toys. Nine times out of ten, the toys she can’t bear to relinquish are the Magna-Tiles from Valtech! Co. When I think back to my childhood (/present day) fascination with magnets, I can hardly blame her. This ingenious product makes magnetic powers accessible and fun for little kids. Not only are the tiles pretty, but they are easy to use and satisfying — much more than the average set of blocks. Even my (stubborn) toddler can build a 3-D hut. The pieces come in a variety of shapes, so as kids grow, so can their building plans. I’ve seen some pretty elaborate structures with multiple floors and spires. According to the Valtech! company website, these lovely little tiles promote “patterning,” “shape recognition,” “3 dimensional thinking,” building skills,” “fine motor skills,” and “magnetic principles.” Umm, not a lot to argue with there. Guess I’ll just have to get to school 20 minutes early!

Bonus!  Now through August 31st, Babble readers will receive 15% off Magna-tiles from the company website (http://www.magnatiles.com/).  Simply enter the promo code “Babble” at checkout. Thanks Valtech!