Construction / Mechanical Kits

LEGO® is the premiere building toy, preferred by kids and adults (AFOLs) everywhere. We're no exception, we love them too. We happened across some brand new, sealed, retired, Master Builder Academy™ 20214 Adventure Designer sets and we couldn't...

Show a kid the wonderous ways of mechanics with this Discovering STEM Mechanics kit from Engino®. They’ll learn about levers, linkages and structures when they’re building any of the (16) working models, such as a seesaw, double-deck...

Zivko the Robot. Just call it “Zivko” because “the Robot” is it’s last name. Using just a screwdriver and side cutters, you build Zivko from this 107-piece S.T.E.M. kit. Set the mode for “Follow Me” or...

Give a science-minded kid this Engino® Discovering STEM™ Mechanics kit and it’ll give you leverage for weeks. It’ll give them leverage, too, because it’s all about levers, linkages and structures. Kids can kid build (16)...

The UGears Hurdy Gurdy is an instrument quite unlike any other. It comes as a kit with everything needed for assembly. Since the parts fully interlock, no glue is required, so simply follow the instruction manual to remove the pre-cut pieces from their...

Mini Building Blocks are leggo-ish but smaller, and this (1,475)-piece kit is of The Solar System, which is ironic on account of the solar system being so big. All the planets are here—even the one that’s not a planet anymore—in their...

Explore the Moon with Your Very Own Lunar Rover! The Elenco Space Nine Robot Kit is your ticket to intergalactic adventures! This innovative 2-motor robot is designed to navigate rough terrain with ease, just like a real lunar rover. Key...

Back in the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci took time away from his painting and sculpting to oh, you know, invent a few weapons of war. We have (3) of them in the form of pre-cut wooden models that you assemble. You’ll need a bit of glue, and you,...

Experience the power of the Dark Side with the all metal, laser cut Fascination Toys Premium Series Imperial Star Destroyer™. This meticulously detailed model captures the iconic shape and menacing presence of the Empire's most feared warship...

A legendary starship despite its humble origins and deceptively dilapidated exterior, the Millennium Falcon has factored into some of the Rebel Alliance's greatest victories over the Empire. Before Han Solo won it in a game of chance, it was owned by...

Kids love trains—don’t ask us why. We just know certain things. Here, we have a (137)-piece erector-type kit that’s mostly metal, and as colorful as the stories trains have provided for centuries. Your kid can piece it together to make...

Everybody loves a good monorail, and this Thames & Kosmos Robot Rails Monorail System STEM Experiment Kit comes with a robot that zooms around the track! Your kid builds the track and the robot, which uses a motorized gyroscope unit for propulsion...

Here’s an alien and spaceship that don’t hog any space. It’s a (697)-piece Mini Building Blocks Space Alien and Spaceship kit, with pieces that are leggo-ish but smaller. Includes a lil’ green alien, a silver spaceship, some trees...

Space travel enthusiasts like us (and you!) think big, and we love that the folks at Mini Building Blocks make small models of our favorite big-idea things. These (3) kits are fun to assemble—pieces are leggo-ish but smaller—and very...

This erector-type robot kit has (144) mostly metal pieces, and when your kid puts it together with the included tools and instructions, it’ll stand on its own. Looks really cool—kind of simplistic but also shiny and mysterious, with big red...

Bring the future back to the analog world it was created in. This Star Wars The Last Jedi book and model set includes a Styrofoam cut-out model of the Silencer that you can put together, and a cool (32)-page book you can read. It’s got instructions...

Before robots take over completely, it might be a good idea to learn a little about how they work. Start with this Elenco® Joysticks Robotic Arm Kit. After building it, you’ll understand mechanical basics and be able to watch the inner parts...

You won’t find our newest crop of 3D models in Vogue, but we love them anyway. They’re wooden laser-cut models from IncrediBuilds®, and you know the drill—no glue or tools required. All include step-by-step instructions. You pick:...

You thought we were going to say hell. Heck no, this colorful, (117)-piece erector-style helicopter set must have come down from heaven. Has (2) criss-crossing rotor blades on top, (2) rotors at the end of the tail, landing skids and a slim cockpit hat...

Modelmakers, this is one serious model. It’s the Aero Clock®, a fully functioning, STEM-educational DIY wooden wall clock that’s as much a puzzle as it is a model, with precise engineering that reveals the inner workings of a weighted...

Snap Circuits™ has added Brics, their name for little plastic building blocks that are, luckily, compatible with Lego, those other little, inerlocking plastic building blocks you have. This award-winning 225-piece Bric Essentials set has sheets and...

With this Engino® 50-in-1 Inventor® Kit, a clever kid can build (50) motorized models—of a chopper, windmill, UTV, forklift, snowmobile and dog, to name a few—using the included and online 3D-rendered instructions. This kit has won so...

Wood or wooden you like to never see another pun on wood or wooden? Too bad--we’re not even trying to quit. Meanwhile, you can try this wooden wiggling fish. Made from laser-cut pieces that you peg or glue together, it will measure about...

Sounds like doughnuts made of steel, but it’s much more interesting, especially for a science- minded kid. This STEM Inventor® 12-in-1 Industrial Models kit from Engino® includes parts for (3) models that kids can make with the printed...

Make a whole bunch of fun and instructive Lego® machines/chain reaction models like marble runs and mousetraps involving ramps, buckets, funnels balances and much more. Comes with (33) Lego® elements, (6) Lego® balls, a dozen paper props, and...

This 79-piece Roller Coaster construction kit features (40) challenges with (4) degrees of difficulty, and has, the manufacturer says, “more than 100,000 unique building possibilities,” which ought to tie up the little buggers for a while...

We’re all out of crystal balls, but can we interest you in a UGears® Date Navigator kit? It’s a 21-piece interactive, kinetic, wooden puzzle that has labels for the year, month, date and day of the week. A kid can build it in about 20...

Who’s Metal Model From Metal Earth®, the people who make shiny metal 3D models, now comes the Doctor Who® T.A.R.D.I.S.™, Star Wars® Imperial Star Destroyer™, an Ghost Busters® Ecto I™ metal models. All punch-outs...

We love this thing, but we’re not sure we would have gone with Waterslide Marble Run as the name. Looks like a marble run to us. We guess if you run the marble straight into the tub, then sure, it’s a waterslide—and let the fun begin!...

From the awesome Thames & Kosmos, this Gecko Run Marble Run Starter Set is kind of like a hott wheelz track, but for marbles, and way more innovative. Your kid uses the more than (60) total parts to intuitively build countless combinations of unique...

The five words every kid wants to hear: “Build your own space robot.” It’s robots, it’s space, it’s their own, and it’s not only permission, it’s a direct order. We have several kits from House of Marbles in the...

From Thames & Kosmos, this (212)-piece Wind Bots STEM Experiment Kit comes with a (52)-page, full-color manual that allows kids to build (6) different fantastical wind-powered machines, including a big-wheel tricycle, fan boat, flying machine and...

For the steady-handed model-maker. These mini-models from Metal Earth® premium series and are demanding and beautiful. Use tweezers to punch out the little pieces from the laser-cut shiny steel sheets, and assemble them using the tabs and slots--no...

Step right up, folks!  This isn't just any Ferris Wheel – it's your ticket to a whirlwind adventure in forces and motion! We've even thrown in 5 mini thrill-seekers to ride the waves of knowledge. And guess what? Our secret weapon to power the...

This excellent STEM Explorers™ Geomakers™ 3D building challenge kit/puzzle from Learning Resources® reminds us of tinkerer’s toys from days past. Allows kids to connect (58) pieces in many configurations, learning about 2D and 3D...

Even the squeamish can build these jumbo kits from Heebie Jeebies because they’re skeletons—no guts—and they’re made of wood. No glue required, and sandpaper and instructions are included. Each kit, which...

Even the squeamish can build these jumbo kits from Heebie Jeebies because they’re skeletons—no guts—and they’re made of wood. No glue required, and sandpaper and instructions are included. Each kit, which...

When is a rose not a rose? When it’s a colorful plastic brick-building flower kit! Each 3” dia. ball contains one of six different brick flowers for you to assemble and enjoy forever and ever as these flowers won’t wilt. And the neat...