From gears to garrisons

"If I had to leave a child on an island with one toy it would be blocks," Brio President Peter Reynolds told Playthings. Reynolds has good reason for touting blocks, ancestor of all construction and building toys, as the ultimate play experience. Building blocks "enable the child to take control of the play situation" he explains. The construction category has derived massive success from the kind of open-ended play opportunities that blocks, gear grinding monsters and erector trains present. From building, customizing and making changes, to playing with the finished creation, construction toys' only limits may be the scope of our imaginations. In the following pages PLAYTHINGS explores the variety of building products available to those of us not living on a deserted island.

Adults plug construction toys as excellent playthings for youngsters because they encourage spatial skills, personal expression and hand-eye coordination, among other things. Kids like building because they can show off the finished product. But you might not know that eyes, hands and feet are also a major selling point for young kids who play with building sets. Preschool age kids "like to make things that are a who, not a what," says Chris Campbell, vice president of worldwide marketing for K'nex. Enter new "whos" in the construction scene: Kid K'nex by K'nex and Erector Yoocans by Brio. Both sets feature eyes, hands and other body parts, allowing kids to create new friends that are perfect for after-building play. The Bob the Builder Construction set, by Lego, features both Alice and her cat, adding a human (and animal) touch to the landscape.