This review has been a long time in the making. We actually received our review set of Toobeez from one of my favorite online stores last spring. We played with them out for about a week, and then we found out that we were going to be moving and would be putting our house on the market. Of course, to get our home show-worthy, we had to spend a lot of time decluttering. We packed up 30 boxes of stuff from our house (most of it belonging to our children) and rented a storage unit to house all of it. As cool as they are, the Toobeez were not a part of the staging. It wasn't until about 3 weeks ago that I was finally able to get the Toobeez back out for my kids. We've had fun playing with them, though. And, you can still purchaseToobeez from Creative Kid Stuff along with tons of other awesome quality kids toys, just in time for the holidays! Click on Read more for my review of Toobeez.
First, what are Toobeez? Very simply, they are a building system that you can use to build forts, castles, playhouses - really anything you can imagine. I've seen them described as giant Tinker Toys which I believe is a great description. Each set includes 32 tubes of varying lengths, 20 yellow connector spheres, 4 slide on curtains and a giant bag to hold all the pieces. As a toy, Toobeez are designed to "encourage the development of spatial and perceptual motor skills in younger children and more advanced logic problem-solving skills in order children." I confess to not being much of a builder myself. When I build structures with my kids, I tend to build pretty basic structures. However, I do try to provide lots of different building materials for my kids to experiment with, and Toobeez are a nice addition to our growing collection of building sets.
Review is based on a four-star scale:
Fun Factor *** - I think that Toobeez are really an incredible concept. Does this mean that they are perfect for my 1 1/2-year old and my almost 4-year old? As a building set, not really, as the pieces are just too big and too difficult for them to construct with independently. We've had a lot of fun with the simple structures that I've built, and every time we go outside to play they ask if I can build them another house. As they get older and can really start building structures on their own, I think Toobeez are going to be a lot more fun for them. Meanwhile, mom and dad will have all the fun building!
Materials and Durability **1/2 - We have been using our Toobeez outside on our driveway, and I have to admit, I'm not guessing they are going to handle being stepped on and dragged around for long. There are little clips on the inside of the tubes, and a few have broken off when Isaac has stepped on the tubes. Granted, he should probably step over the tubes, but try explaining that to an active 1 1/2-year old. However, if your children are old enough to understand the concept of playing gently with toys, you should be ok. Once assembled, the tubes are quite sturdy and were able to withstand the weight of a queen-size blanket. It's just making sure your kids don't step on them that is the issue.
Price **1/2 - Toobeez are not inexpensive. At around $129 for a set, these would definitely be considered the "big" present from Santa. If you've priced other fort building sets, you'll see a significant increase in price for Toobeez. That's because Toobeez are different. They are solid tubes, and when assembled create a very solid structure. The other sets I've seen remind me much more of Tinker Toys in the fact that they have long skinny rods, as opposed to the thicker more sturdy tubes of the Toobeez. You're paying for a much sturdier product.
Overall Rating *** - Toobeez really are an innovative toy. I wish that my kids were a little bit older, but I'm looking forward to watching them begin building structures with their Toobeez someday. For now, I'll don the hard hat and construct the "houses" instead. While browsing through the Lego store with my friend the other day, she remarked that you are either a Lego kid or you're not, there's no in between, and I'd have to agree. If you have a builder at your house, I'm sure that you'll look at Toobeez and say, "Wow, my kid would love those!" And, my guess is that they will!
You can buy Toobeez at Creative Kid Stuff online. Creative Kid Stuff has been around since 1982, and is known for their hands-on, DO-Touch award winning toy stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, as well as one in West Des Moines, Iowa! Luckily, if you don't live in one of these areas, you can still experience the fantastic customer service that is just one of the reasons to shop Creative Kid Stuff. I got to experience their great customer service first hand last winter when I shopped for an accessory for a toy we already owned. Creative Kid Stuff emailed me before they shipped out the product to confirm that I had ordered the correct item and had my toy to me in just three short days! I really felt like I was getting a very personal experience even though it was all online.
Right now, you can get free shipping on all orders over $100, free gift wrapping, and 25% off one item (limit one per family) by using the discount code "25fcat" at Creative Kid Stuff. They have a huge selection of Playmobil toys, and I'm headed over to start shopping for Christmas right now! (OK, maybe tonight after the kiddos go to bed, but I'm definitely taking advantage of this sale!) Take a minute to browse the selection at Creative Kid Stuff and if you happen to be lucky enough to live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area or Des Moines, then my suggestion is to check out one of their brick and mortar locations in person!
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