For my children, I prefer simple toys that require the imagination. Blocks of all shapes and sizes are perfect toys in my household. I fondly remember spending hours building brick block creations with my younger brother as a child. My daughter already loves playing with her larger brick blocks. My son also already enjoys grasping blocks in his hands and helping knock down the creations that his big sister makes. Thus, when Christy Komnick, one of the owners of The School Shop, recently offered me the chance to review the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.
About Laser Pegs
Laser Pegs is The Original Lighted Construction Set that combines two things kids love: light and building. The goal of the company is to encourage children around the globe to become the innovators of tomorrow, believing that interaction with the building toy sparks imagination and empowers creativity. Each kit comes with a range of models to assemble out of Laser Pegs and clear or colorful construction pieces. The sets provide a safe way to foster imagination and promote creativity while keeping kids engaged. All the parts are easy to rearrange and swap, and the unique design of the Laser Pegs bricks is compatible with other major brand construction toys so that little builders can bring light into other creations.
Laser Pegs was honored among construction toys and educational toys with the Oppenheim Toy Platinum Award, Dr. Toy’s Best 100, Dr. Toy’s Top 10 Tech, and Parenting Magazine’s Toy of the Year. Laser Pegs are 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly. Each power base can be used with a Laser Pegs AC Adapter or batteries. Each LED has an expected life of 11 years. Each product has a 90 day warranty.
Price
The Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit currently retails for $21.99. Compared to other similar brick building sets, Laser Pegs are comparatively priced. The light-up laser pegs and power base, however, add a value to the set not found in other brands. I consider Laser Pegs reasonably priced, especially compared with other bricking building kits on the market.
Performance
Recommended for children ages 5 and older, the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit comes with 60 tinted bricks, two laser pegs, and one power base. The set also comes with an instruction manual for building the executive jet. Manuals for five additional planes are available for download for free from the Laser Pegs website. So far, I have built the executive jet with my daughter. My biggest complaint about similar brick blocks from my childhood was that the instructions were sometimes difficult to follow. With Laser Pegs, however, I had absolutely no problems following the picture instructions. Even with my preschooler daughter “helping” me, I was able to assemble the jet quickly and with ease. The extra manuals are likewise easy to download and easy to follow. I therefore rate the instructions of the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit extremely highly.
Although my daughter is still a bit too young to play with Laser Pegs by herself, she does like playing with the brick blocks with a little help from mommy and daddy. She can put the pieces together by herself, and she can pull the larger pieces apart on her own. She cannot follow the instructions yet, which I expected because she is only three years old. I therefore agree with the recommended minimum age. Laser Pegs also warns that the small parts can pose a choking hazard and advises against children under the age of 3 playing with the toy. I am thus extra careful with the small brick pieces because of my infant son, who puts everything and anything in his mouth. I thus recommend the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit for slightly older children. But, once reaching the minimum age and skill level, Laser Pegs offer endless fun for years to come.
My favorite part of the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit is the unique light-up components. Kids love playing with lights. My preschooler daughter loves turning the laser pegs, which switch between always on and flashing, on and off as she and I build the executive jet and other creations. My infant son also finds the lights absolutely fascinating, watching with intense interest as his big sister plays. The exclusive Zippy Do power base means that young builders can light up the planes and jets of the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit for even more fun, night or day. I have never seen another brick building kit with lighted components, so I rate the uniqueness of Laser Pegs extremely highly.
In addition to the light-up pieces, I also really like the colorful translucent brick pieces of the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit. I remember playing with mostly solid colored bricks as a kid. However, I had one small set that came with some translucent blue pieces. I cannot tell you much more about my childhood brick kits, but I still vividly remember the translucent pieces. The neon pink, purple, green, yellow, orange, and blue bricks of Laser Pegs reminds me of my favorite childhood building set, especially the tinted see-through colors. My daughter also really seems to like the brightly colored pieces, which are not typically found in large numbers in other similar brick construction kits.
Finally, I greatly appreciate that the bricks in the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit and other Laser Pegs sets are 100% compatible with other major brick construction sets. For kids who have already amassed sizeable collections of brick building kits, Laser Pegs make a new and unique addition. Young builders can light up even more creations by adding in the light-up laser pegs and tinted bricks. I thus rate the compatibility and versatility of Laser Pegs extremely highly.
Final Verdict
If your child already loves creating with brick construction sets, the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit is a must-have addition. With a retail price of $21.99, the set is comparatively priced to other kits with a similar number of pieces. However, unlike most other brick kits, Laser Pegs combines with fun of lights with the joy of creating. The light-up components are unique, offering an engineering extra to the toy. I also appreciate that the translucent tinted bricks of Laser Pegs are compatible with other major brick construction sets. I highly recommend the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit to any kid who loves construction toys.
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
Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 1 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 2 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 3 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 4 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 5 © 2015 Heather Johnson
Playing with the Laser Pegs 6 in 1 Zippy Do Planes Kit 6 © 2015 Heather Johnson
