I love simple toys and toys that grow with a child. I recently partnered with The School Shop to review the educational toys and games at the store.
Christy Komnick, one of the owners of The School Shop, offered me the opportunity to review a KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set a few weeks ago.
Having seen the simple but innovative building toy in several children’s museums, I eagerly accepted the offer. I received one KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set to test and review with my preschooler daughter and infant son.
About KEVA Contraptions
Young thinkers can design unbelievable ball track structures via the simple stacking planks that require no glue or connectors of KEVA Contraptions. The 50 Plank Set helps kids start constructing with two balls and an instruction book detailing how to build a “Shooting Gallery,” “Turbine,” “Step Curve,” and more.
KEVA Contraptions has been awarded the Major Fun Award and the Parenting for High Potential Recommended Award.
MindWare is the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of KEVA products. The company is a creator, manufacturer, and distributor of Brainy Toys for people of all ages.
The diverse product line includes games, puzzles, brainteasers, arts and crafts activities, mysteries, mazes, and more, including KEVA Contraptions. Founder Jeanne Voigt started MindWare in 1990 with a small retail store in the Uptown area of Minneapolis.
Over the years, the company has been dedicated to providing children with high-quality educational products.
Price
The KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set currently retails for $19.95. The set comes with 50 high precision KEVA planks, two KEVA balls, and a full color guide book loaded with ideas. For more building fun, the additional KEVA Contraptions 200 Plank Set costs $49.95. Purchasing both sets together reduces the total price to $59.95. Compared to other wood block sets with a similar number of pieces, the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set is priced reasonably. Most wooden planks sets are priced similarly, although a few cost considerably more. For such a versatile toy that will last a child for years, I consider the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set reasonably priced.
Performance
Although recommended for children ages 7 and older, the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set and other KEVA planks appeal to kids of all ages from preschoolers to adults. Because of the small balls that pose a choking hazard, children under 3 years old should not play with the toy unsupervised.
My preschooler daughter already loves playing with the wooden planks. She thinks the toy is fun, and, when I inquired her thoughts, she said that the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set was her “favorites.”
My infant son also likes picking up the wooden planks and banging two together. I also enjoy constructing structures with my daughter. Thus, although recommended for children 7 years old and up, I think that KEVA planks appeal to a huge range of ages, making the toy extremely versatile and long-lasting.
KEVA planks are a fairly unique building toy. By having every piece exactly the same, builders do not spend time searching for a particular connector, maintaining an inventory of parts, or struggling to have enough of the correct pieces.
The KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set starts immediately with building and fun. Simply dump the planks out of the box and let the innovation grow!
My daughter loves building various designs and structures with her KEVA planks. She builds houses, roads, towers, and much more with the simple wooden toy. Her only limitation is her imagination!
My husband also enjoys building creations with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set with our daughter. He likes that he can start with one of the ideas in the guide book and then use his imagination to expand the creation into something more. He even described the toy as “challenging,” meaning adults can have just as much fun constructing with the wooden planks as children.
KEVA produces two types of planks: pine and maple. All sets not labeled as KEVA Maple are made from pine. Pine planks are the exact dimensions as maple and create the same structures. Like the majority of toys in the USA, pine KEVA planks are imported. Pine KEVA planks are more affordable than maple planks.
All maple planks are made from top-grade rock maple in Maine. Maple KEVA is the standard for museums and schools because the planks are tough enough to withstand heavy use, while pine KEVA works well for home use. I received the pine planks.
My pine planks still look brand new despite an infant who sometimes attempts to gnaw on the wood and a rough preschooler with her toys. I highly rate the wood quality in the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set. I am sure my kids will enjoy this simple wooden toy for years.
I can come up with only two negatives for the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set. First, my daughter already wants even more planks so that she can build bigger and bigger creations. KEVA planks are simple but addicting, so I can see myself buying more sets so my kids can create and innovate together for years. Second, the balls are not made for small children. The small size poses a choking hazard for my infant son. And my daughter keeps trying to squeeze the thin plastic, which dents the balls. I can let her play with the planks independently but not the balls. Otherwise, I cannot find any significant negatives for the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set.
Final Verdict
If you enjoy simple wooden toys, I recommend checking out the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set from MindWare. At only $19.95, the set includes 50 KEVA planks and two KEVA balls.
Although recommended for children ages seven and older, the wood construction set appeals to younger children, adults, and all ages. The quality of the wooden planks is high, and I cannot find any significant faults with this building toy. I highly recommend the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set to children of all ages who enjoy building, creating, and innovating!
The School Shop carries a full line of classroom decoratives, teacher materials, supplies, and resources, as well as educational toys, games, puzzles, and crafts. For more information, visit The School Shop website or follow The School Shop on Facebook.
Image Credits
KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set © 2015 Heather Johnson
Inside the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set Box © 2015 Heather Johnson
KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set Pieces 1 © 2015 Heather Johnson
KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set Pieces 2 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 1 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 3 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 4 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 5 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 6 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the KEVA Contraptions 50 Plank Set 7 © 2015 Heather Johnson
