This is a sponsored post.
Small children learn many things during playtime. From determining colors, patterns and shapes, to spatial recognition and motor skills, an educational toy can prove to be a pretty powerful tool to teach kids something useful.
Parents, teachers, and guardians are likely to compare and contrast different aspects of several brands before deciding which one to purchase. There are many magnetic toys out there; some of the most popular ones are Magna-tiles and Shape Mags. If you’re trying to choose between these two brands, here are some important factors to consider.
More shapes and colors
More shapes mean more configurations – and more imaginative playtime and learning. You can expect Magna-Tiles to have the basic shapes to build houses and structures, like different kinds of triangles and squares. Their company also offers deluxe sets in clear, frosted, and solid colors in 32 up to 100-piece sets.
Shape Mags has various sets, from 32 to 100 pieces. They also come in different transparent colors, but with more shapes like arches and gates for even more imaginative play. They have deluxe models, too – with windows and door sets and other figures including people and cars.
Both products offer expansion sets of basic shapes and cars to add to existing sets.
Added features
Shape Mags feature stabilizer building plates with enclosed magnets, as well as rivets that strengthen tiles. These enable taller and sturdier constructions. Magna-Tiles don’t appear have stabilizer building plates in their product catalogue. What they do have is an Imagination Book that gives kids and their guardians creative ideas and inspiration for building with their sets.
As for storage, some editions of Shape Mags (like the 30-piece Just 3×3 Squares) come with a bonus storage bag so your kids can keep their magnetic tiles safe and intact.
Safety-tested and award-winning
Both Magna-Tiles and Shape Mags conform to ASTM and all applicable safety standards. They’ve also reaped consumer awards, adding a vote of confidence to their products.
Magna-Tiles earned the the Purdue University Engineering Thinking & Design Toy Award, as well as a 10 Best Educational Products recognition from Dr. Toy. Shape Mags products are winners in the Brain Child category of the Tillywig Toy Awards. They have also earned a Parent Tested Parent Approved award from ptpa.com
Value for money
For many parents and guardians, the bottomline of choosing a toy would be its cost. A 32-piece clear color set from Magna-Tiles costs nearly $50, while Shape Mags’ 32-piece Junior Set costs only half that price. An 8-piece expansion set from Magna-Tiles has an SRP of $24.99. With that same price tag, Shape Mags offers 30-piece squares to extend playtime to even more creative heights. Of course, a lifetime guarantee helps, too (something which Shape Mags offers).
The great news is, these two brands are fully compatible with each other. Should you already have an existing set of either one but are curious to try the other brand, it’s easy enough to mix and match the shapes and colors without worrying about the pieces not fitting each other.
