MindWare Imagination Magnets - Imaginative play with magentic shapes - 42 wooden blocks 50 full-color puzzle cards

My son is now just over 3 1/2 and really enjoys this puzzle set. He is able to follow the designs on the cards (up to the medium-complexity designs) and reproduce them exactly. He also plays with the pieces to make his own designs, although to a lesser extent.I shopped quite a bit before purchasing this puzzle, so I know there are a lot of different brands/models to compare. After having this a few months, here are a few pros and cons of this particular toy:PROS:1. Carrying case. It's nice to have a case to corral the pieces. The case closes easily even when full (not a lot of re-positioning of contents needed) and seems to be good quality.2. Magnetic. I like that the pieces will stay in place on the magnetic boards that line the inside of the carrying case. so far the magnets appear to be well glued to the pieces and none have come apart.3. Designs cards. A variety of designs are included, ranging from very simple (5-6 pieces) to quite complex (using most or all the puzzle pieces). A sufficient number are included to keep a child interested and challenged for a while.CONS:1. Carrying case. The case is heavy and a bit large for children to carry (and it would definitely hurt if dropped on a toe). The handle is made of rope, which I think was a poor choice given the weight of the case. I try not to let my son carry it around.2. Magnetic. All magnets pose some danger if swallowed, and some of the smaller round pieces have made their way into my younger son's mouth (and removed immediately of course -- this is why I always supervise closely). This hasn't kept me from using the toy, but it is a potential concern.3. Design cards. The cards are small, about the size of UNO playing cards. Therefore, you can't use them as actual templates, you can only use them as visual guides. This is a plus in the sense of being more challenging, and in fact my son has shown increasing skill at following the designs. However, his first exposure with pattern play was with placemat-size pattern cards at daycare (the kind you play on top of), and I think those are better for a child's first exposure to this kind of puzzle.Overall I'd purchase this again, but I am still interested in finding one with placemat-sized template cards. Also, you may get a better value by purchasing puzzle pieces and cards without a carrying case, and without the magnetic feature, which is nice but not necessarily critical.

My middle son got this a year ago for Christmas. He loved it then and he still loves it now. The only thing he doesn't love about it? Trying to keep it away from his brother and sister! My kids (then 2, 4, and 8) all adored this. They played with the shape cards a bit, but they quickly got bored of that and started creating their own designs. It's been a year now and my kids are now 5 months, 3 years, 5 years, and 9 years and they still can't get enough of it. They don't just play in the provided board either. They take their designs to the fridge too. They've gone on to make fantastic stories about each of their creations and inventions.What I love most about this toy is the endless amount of creativity that can go into it. You can copy the shapes, modify them to make new designs, or make new designs all your own! There really is no limit to the possibilities (unless you run out of pieces!) It's a huge hit, and with the littlest in the house not even having grown into them yet, I'm thinking we'll have use for these for a while to come. On top of that, the pieces have held up to a lot of abuse. The box is in pretty good condition for all it's been through as well. My kids can be rough on things they love well. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still holding on to these for some far off day when the grand kids come over!However, I had to take a point off of the durability because of the cards. They're not terribly sturdy. We had a couple of them meet a horrible end at the hands of my 2 year old experimenting with what they could take. After that we kept them separate from the rest of the set and lost them in a move, but the kids will play without the cards, so I'm not too heartbroken over the whole thing.Now, here's when we get to the part of the review everyone wants to hear. Not only would I buy these again, but when my littlest is a little older I'm planning to purchase some more. We've lost a couple of the magnets on the way and though it's only a couple (and I'm sure they'll turn up when we start to plan our next move) it would be nice to have a full set. On top of that having extra pieces would only increase the possibilities for creative play. This would also give us an opportunity to get a new set of cards, which would allow for the original purpose of the toy, but I think I might look into getting them laminated this time, just so they hold up a bit better.

Grandkids loved them

These shapes are GREAT for young minds to enviosion pictures. The included cards have great color-coded examples that children can recreate, or they can use the shapes to create ideas of their own. I am looking into purchasing the expansion set of shapes for even more possibilitites. The cards are graduated, so that there are easier to harder items to create. Both my 3 and 8 year olds can enjoy the toy together, and IT IS NOT ELECTRONIC - so there are no sounds, noise, beeps, or batteries needed.One thing that might be nice is a box, or bag to keep the cards in, but a rubber band takes care of that nicely. the magnets are strong, the pieces are real wood, the container is heavy duty and holds all the pieces so nothing gets lost.A definitely great toy, with cool design, and sensible price.