Alexander Constructor Toys
Christmas is around the corner and I have seen so many posts with questions such as “what are you buying your children” or “mommies I need toy ideas” going around on social media. Usually, by this time of the year, I have my Christmas shopping sorted. I’m a planner, I plan ahead, but let’s face it, this year is not your normal, average year. So, I’m going to make your Christmas shopping a little easier by introducing you to the new Alexander Constructor toy collection.
Alexander Constructor toys are available in 2 series – They have the metal Constructor Series that are aimed at kids over the age of 8 and the Wooden Range series aimed at children from around 4 years old. This is awesome, since if your boys (or girls) are anything like mine, the little one always wants what the older brother has, right?!
So, let me get straight to it!
I am going to kick off with the Junior range, because this range honestly impressed me the most.
The wooden range is a timeless self-assembly toy for children from more or less 4 years old up to I’d say around 8, maybe even 9 years old. Each set consists of high-quality beech wood engineered boards, strong colorful screws and plastic nuts.
What we liked about it:
1. Quality
I LOVED that it is made out of wood! I am just such a sucker for wooden toys – They are timeless and they last! A enjoyed playing with the toy indoors and outdoors and it worked effortlessly! I also love how smooth the cars drove over all of the different surfaces. It has been pushed over rocks, thrown through the air and has even been stood on, but it passed the toddler test with flying colors. This toy was made to last.
2. Developmental Aspect
I always look for toys that are educational and can contribute to A’s development, so naturally I love how the large sized elements and simplified design means that A could experiment with engineering from as early as 3 years old. The toy also works those fine motor skills as A got to screw and unscrew the screws and nuts, place boards onto each other and thread the wheels onto the car. This toy definitely contributes to the development of not only fine motor skills, but also patience and it also stimulates the imagination which is a win-win for us.
3. Easy step-by-step Instructions
The instructions are simple and easy to follow, although a 4-6 year old might need some help from and older sibling or dad if they’d want to build the exact design.
4. Large parts that are equipped for small hands
There’s nothing worse than having a toddler get frustrated and annoyed because a toy was just not made with little hands in mind. I love how this set was equipped with tools suited for small hands, which enabled A to screw or disassemble the structure and start again. The spanners were large enough to easily fit over the screws and A could get a comfortable grip on them, which he loved (because cars and tools are just right up his alley right now).
5. It enhances creativity
The set allows A the opportunity to build what is in the instructions or to let loose and build whatever he desires with the tools that are provided, which is an excellent way to stimulate their imagination and enhance their creativity. I just saw some wooden boards, screws and nuts, but A saw a monster truck, a robot, and an airplane. I love that the toy is not limited to only one thing, but that it can be taken apart, built and re-built. The designs are only as limited as their own imagination.
6. 3-in-one
I also loved how the wooden set comes with 3 different designs to build, each with its own little instruction manual. A could pick which one he wanted to build and when he gets tired of playing with that one design, it can easily be taken apart and he can pick a new design to build. This means that the toy wont easily bore him and get thrown into a toy box when he loses interest, which is a huge win in my books.
7. Bonding Time
A is still small and needed the help of his big brother to put the whole model together. This was the perfect bonding time activity for the both of them, big bro put everything in motion and A was just super excited to give a helping hand. He called his big brother “the car man” and he was the “tool man”, it was adorable to watch!
8. Price
The range is extremely well priced and in my opinion very affordable, which makes it an excellent birthday or Christmas gift for little boys AND girls!
What we noticed:
1. Age
The box indicates that the toy was designed for children 4 years and up, and although I 100% believe that children aged 4 can benefit incredibly from the toy, my honest opinion is that the toy is aimed more for children age 6 years and older, unless you intend for it to be used as a bonding time activity. As mentioned, A could not yet (obviously) follow the instructions in the manual, and smaller children will need a helping hand, except if they are just building their own little thing. A did however enjoy helping to build the model and he loved playing with the design and all the little moving parts!
Other than that, I really do believe that it’s an incredible toy for little boys (and girls) that holds a lot of benefits for those little developing and curious hands and minds.
The older boys
As mentioned earlier, Alexander also have a metal construction series of toy models for the older boys. Each vehicle consists of metal pieces of different shapes and sizes with complementary plastic parts that visually enhance their design.
What we liked about it:
1. Development
The toy helps develop your child’s manual skills, spatial intelligence, technical aptitude and patience.
2. Got him working with his hands and away from electronics
The building of the model kept my teenager’s hands and mind busy for 4 hours! This means 4 hours of him using his hands and his mind, instead of lying on a couch watching Netflix or wasting his time on meaningless online games. I mean, what more could a mother ask for?
3. Father-son-bonding time
In our case it was grandfather-grandson bonding time. My dad builds airplanes so who better to ask for a helping hand than the big man himself. The model kept both my dad and teenager engaged and they had to work together, as a team, to successfully build the model. Definitely a worthy bonding time activity.
What we noticed:
1. Age
Once again the age on the box indicates that the toy was designed for kids aged 8 years and up, but honestly I feel like the toy might be designed for kids aged 10 years and up (with the help of an adult). The pieces are quite small and complex and little hands might find some of the steps a little difficult since their fine motor skills are not that developed yet.
2. Instruction Manual
The instructions in the manual are much more complex than those in the junior guide (naturally so), and are not that easy to follow. Once again the help of an adult will be required to build the model or at least to start the framework for the child to build on.
3. This is not a quick 3 step activity, but rather a weekend or holiday project for father and son. It takes time to build, but the final product is so worth it.
Please Note that this will also depend on the individual child, but this is our own personal experience with the product.
Conclusion:
All-in-all I believe that the product is something that adds value to your child and his/her development, and it’s not just another toy that will be opened, played with and then stored away after a week, never to be touched again. The junior model can be used for years to come as your child will grow and experiment with the different parts and models. The metal series, however, has a large range to pick from, and once built will most likely be used as some kind of collector range that can be played with, but also displayed somewhere in the child’s room.
This toy definitely gets a thumbs up from us.
Alexander Construction toys are available from Takealot (just tap on the link) – https://www.takealot.com/all?_sb=1&_r=1&qsearch=alexander%20constructor&via=suggestions&_si=9e27c0d6ac7a738463aebb2faadfdc48
Love A, Mommy & big Bro
