Talk to me about Magnatiles.

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Do you need a giant box from the get go? We are thinking of getting Magnatiles for a 3 year old and heard it’s a toy that lasts. Any tips? Like do I just get the 40 piece or the 100 piece? How do you store them? What do wish you knew?

Get a really big box. None branded ones are just as good.

You need a decent number to really be able to build much – I'd go for the 100 piece. We started with a 120 piece set, and that builds a good number of things or one pretty big thing.

Ours (Connetix) came in sturdy cardboard boxes and still live in those boxes, but chucked in a larger box or basket would work fine.

Oh, and if there are younger children around or the three year old still occasionally puts stuff in his mouth – I picked a brand with riveted corners to reduce the chance that a magnet might come out.

Mum of a 4 year old and 1 year old and they are one of our most played with toys. The more the better, and cheap ones are nowhere near as good / playable. We have connetix and store them in a storage cube like the ones you get from IKEA

Following

My 3 year old got a box of 40 for his birthday and he loves building houses and roads with them but he definitely needs more so will be getting some for Christmas!!

They appeal to a huge age range - my 12 year old and his friends will still play with them occasionally. So don't worry too much about getting the amount you might eventually want all in one go. You can buy some more for next birthday and next Christmas....

We have two kind of off-brand sets and you get so much more for your money.

This one comes with 55 tiles, some animals and lights:

Magnetic Tiles Toys with Farm Animals Magnet Tile Building Blocks with 7 Farmyard Animals Character with Lighting Effect Construction Sensory Toys Preschool Gift for Kids Boys Girls 3 4 5 6 7 8 Years+ : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

This one has 100 pieces. It's very wintery and looks great:

Xekel Magnetic Tiles 100 PCS, Magnetic Building Blocks Kids Toys, Frozen Toys for Girls Boys, 3D Learning Toddler Toys for Kid Age 3 4 5 6 7 8 Construction Princess Toys Christmas Birthday Gifts : Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games

Definitely more is better but can build up, 9 year still loves playing with them, great investment.

We have magna-tiles and playmags. The playmag magnets aren't quite as strong, but not so much that it impacts play in the slightest. They're great! Definitely more is better.
Oh, and we keep them in a big trofast box.

Get as many as you can, to build anything cool you need loads! We just store them in a cute box we got from H&M home

We have a mix of Magnatiles and connetix. We’ve built up our collection over time. Started when DS was 3 and now he is 5 it still gets played with most days. I would go with a largish set with various tiles and then build from there with the road, ball run etc if you like. Ours are in a trofast box. I would stick to main brand if you can though. I’ve heard of stories where magnets have come apart on the cheaper models which is then a swallow risk. I do check ours regularly and have yet to have a tile break.

We’ve got magnatiles and magnacubiq. They’re one of the few toys we’ll hang on to in case grandchildren are in our future. Incredibly satisfying to play with!

My son is now 5.5 and he still plays with his daily. I would start with a big a box as you can afford. I also only go for the magnatiles or connetix just because it’s magnets and the named ones are secure and safe!

Oh thanks @ChristmasIsComing2024 , what size do you wish you had got from the outset? It looks like they come in 49, 70, 90 and 100 but for some reason the middle of those sizes are more expensive!?

I found this blog review really helpful OP https://storiesofplay.com/magnetic-tiles-review-magnatiles-vs-playmags-vs-connetix-tiles/

we were given PlayMags and are happy with them.

Go for the 100

We recently got magnatiles and started with the grand prix set and the basic 100. They've provided hours of fun so far but agree with above that you need a decent amount to build fun things!

Buy the proper ones that are decent so actually work.

Huge box of them here and have been played with more than pretty much any other toy, from when kids were 2 until now, when oldest is 8 and still going.

Eventually when they're done with them I will donate them to a local nursery/ charity.

But yes: buy decent quality ones and get lots, because from just a few you can't really build anything fun.

I'd go for 100 standard ones and then a couple of extra sets of 25/30 (glitter ones, transparent ones, extra shapes etc). That should be a good starting point then you can add more later.

They are always on Black Friday offers, so keep an eye out over the next week (particularly on Amazon if you are buying non branded). The more the better - they are great!