Mega Brands MagNext
Approx. price: £4.99–49.99
Age range: 6+
Website: www.megabrands.com
MagNext is a deceptively simple magnetic construction system, available in a range of sets starting at around £4.99. The system comprises plastic shapes with built-in magnets and shiny metal spheres that anchor construction points.
Instructions are included with each set for different shapes, but the real fun lies in experimenting with your own constructions, seeing how many different objects you can build.
Construction quality is excellent. There is a pleasingly weighty feel to the pieces and those plastic pieces won’t snap when someone accidentally steps on them. Inevitably with such a product, some pieces will go missing from time to time, but this doesn’t really matter with the larger sets as there are plenty of pieces on hand.
We looked at a 115-piece set, which includes enough pieces for some fairly ambitious builds. Starting with the basic cubes and pyramids you will soon start combining different shapes into more elaborate forms – and the solidity of the magnetic attraction means your structures won’t fall apart at the slightest knock.
If you have children below the target age range you should not be too concerned as different ages can enjoy the set at their own level. In our tests four-year-olds were utterly absorbed building simple cubes, while six-year-olds tackled trickier shapes and an 11-year-old pushed the set to its limit with some very imaginative builds.
The key point is that this toy absorbs children for a long time. They are learning about three-dimensional shapes, problem solving and spatial awareness as well as working on fine motor skills, but as far as they are concerned they are just having fun.
Adults find the tactile qualities of the pieces irresistible as well and a desire quickly develops to come up with something new – attaching shapes to each other and spinning them around is a particular crowd-pleaser.
Longevity proved to be excellent in our tests, with the MagNext box reached for again and again, and with various sets available (including the Magna Case, which offers a great platform for spinning and attaching different shapes), this could easily become a long-term favourite.
A simple concept it may be, but it is also a brilliant toy that offers real value for money.
Durability: 5/5
Longevity: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Score: 95%
Conclusion: Endless combinations promise endless fun with this superb construction toy.
