Fractiles Large Version

Gift for my 7 year old son Christmas 2013. Some observations:1) A great toy for creative play. Comes with a board and a bunch of magnetic pieces. The "board" is basically a coated piece of sheet metal (rounded edges) about 12 inch square. The kit comes with 3 different shapes and colors, that are combined to make patterns and shapes etc...My 7 and 5 year old boys really enjoy using this, and making neat shapes. The box this comes with is also covered in patterns that can be copied by the kids - making a lot of options to be copied onto the board.2) Shapes "stick" very well to board. A little too well, in fact. My kids have a hard time getting the pieces to move or pick them up once stuck down, because the magnetic tug is pretty strong. I suppose this is both good and bad3) In order to make the patterns and shapes look correct, the pieces need to be carefully assembled. For adults or very adept kids, this is not really an issue. For younger kids - its can be difficult for them to properly assemble the more challening shapes. My kids might be too young for this type of thing, but I hate to limit them and they enjoy trying,4) My only real issue with this set is the price. Essentially - all this is is a piece of carboard packaging (equivalent of an old vinyl record case), a 12" x 12" piece of powder coated sheet metal, and a variety of very thin magnetic shapes cut from a larger sheet. The folks selling this are probably making a kiling, since I doubt it would cost more than $5-$7 to make this thing. I paid much more than this for mine.Please don't misinterpret - my kids really like it, and its a good alternative to video games and stuffed animals as a toy. My only lament was that after getting it, and seeing what it was, I wish they would set the price a bit lower so I could feel I got full "value" from the product. Otherwise - its a good investment.

I cannot agree that Fractiles is too challenging for a 5-year-old. My 5-year-old granddaughter had absolutely no problem assembling the shapes, either creatively nor following the provided designs. Nor did she have difficulty with placing the shapes adjacent to each other. The pieces I had expected to be metal; they are vinyl like promotional magnets one gets in the mail. Yes, the board has heft, and perhaps it could be just a bit lighter, but I like that it is not a piece of junk and lays solid. It is not too heavy for a 5-year-old to deal with, and since it has weight, one handles it differently than if it were a featherweight. If this game is too challenging for the child to whom it is given, then the child will find his or her way to it when ready. It's good to stretch. In the meantime he or she can place pieces creatively whether they touch or not. It is an advantage that pieces do not slide nor the design become disturbed by bumping or tipping the board. The designs and vivid colors are beautiful and eye-catching. As with any toy, one has to give consideration to the interests of the child. In this case, this was an appropriate choice for interest and ability, and my 5-year-old granddaughter was happy with it as well as my daughter, and I felt gratified. This is an open-ended activity with unlimited possibilities. This essentially could be played with for a lifetime. I put the pieces into two 2.5x2.5" plastic containers and one 2.5"x4" that I had had in the house. Altoid boxes would work, too.

We got this for our 6 year old and it is really fun for all of us to do together. I hope they make other sets in the future-we would buy them all! It's fun to copy the patterns or make up your own design.

Love this!! It is such a great educational game for kids. I bought this for my 8 year old daughter after she became interested in wooden patterns at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. This set is excellent. It has a metal backplate and break apart vinyl pieces which have a magnetic underside. This is a great gift for travel, as kids can have so much fun, without requiring bigger space than a lap or tray table. Additionally, the inner sleeve of the package shows fabulous patterns that the kids can follow to make great designs. This is also a great birthday gift!!

Got this for a Christmas gift for a very craft oriented 7 year old granddaughter. She loved it and her 9 year old sister did as well. I love that it is magnetic so the pieces stay in place so no accidental bumps to knock everything out of place. I think it will get used a lot.

Bought for my granddaughter's 7th bd. She loved it. Her Aunt also had fun creating a design with it. I would have given it a 5, but felt the magnetic board was a bit too heavy. I don't think it needs to be that heavy. However, it is built to last! I know they make a travel far tile, and my guess is it is lighter weight and smaller. So if you plan to have a spot on a table to keep this, it's a great toy for those creative minds and can be very entertaining for quiet play.

This is a “forever” toy. You won’t find it at garage sales for $5. I have used a set in my 5th grade classroom as an incentive during free time. When I retired, I took it home with (almost) all the pieces and my grandchildren, aged 10 to 2 love it. I just bought a set for my five year old grandson’s birthday. Great toy! 👍🏼

the fractiles were a perfect activity for my advanced five year old grandson. he loves design and the pieces were easily manipulated into imaginative forms.thanks