ALEX Toys BuilderZ 500 Piece Kit

This was a bday gift for my 4 year old, and she loves it! Very inviting, open-ended. It holds her attention even longer than megablocks. My main concerns before purchasing this toy were the ease of use for my four-year-old, and any potential choking hazard for my one-year-old. Ease of use: a challenge for a preschooler’s hands to snap together, but not impossible. Good fine motor practice! Would be an awesome gift for ages 4+ in my opinion. Choking hazard: I attached a picture of how a piece looks inside a choking hazard test tube. It’s technically safe, bc it’s too long to completely fit inside, but I probably wouldn’t let my one year old play with these pieces completely unsupervised. That being said, it’s a really nice option for a household with all ages. It’s so hard to find toys like this that aren’t a safety issue for younger siblings! I think this toy will be a favorite of my kids for years. Very cool concept. Glad I got the big set, it seems worth the investment!

We’ve had Zoob builders for over a decade. They are great for motor skill development. They are also a wonderful way of feeding the imagination. Encouraging self play without a screen and group play when others are around. They also never get old. My “kids” are now in their mid teens and early twenties and still use these blocks. I suggest buying more than one large sets. We have three and have plans to add more accessories. They are a must have item!

I bought this set of ZOOB for my 5-year-old grandson because my 10-year-old grandson got this set a few years ago - he has played with it nearly every day since receiving it and still does. We have never had a broken piece; the pieces all fit nicely into the storage case, which is very sturdy; and the instruction/idea booklets that come with it are creative and for the most part easy to follow. My only complaint (pertaining to the set we've had for years) is that the purple latches on the storage box never stayed attached when the box is open and they are difficult even for me to unlatch from the closed position. I haven't examined the new set to see if this feature has changed but the picture looks the same. This is one of the best building toys I have ever seen.

This item kept going in and out of my cart for about six months, because I was happy to read the stellar reviews, but I kept doubting if this would really hold my kids attention or not. We have Lego's, but they only play with them once in awhile. How would this Zoob set be any different? I finally gave in and decided to give it a try. If my kids didn't like it, surely another family would enjoy them, so I'd give them away. I'm happy to say it has been a huge hit! They have played with them every day since they got them. I have a wide range of ages in my home and even the older ones have enjoyed building some contraptions with their younger siblings. They have made all kinds of things. Boys have made the usual boy things, such as swords, shields, tightrope, steering wheels with gas pedals, and so on. Girls have made crowns, necklaces, various pies/cakes, American Girl doll accessories, and so forth. Of course, they have made most of the ideas that come with the package, but their imagination has taken off to create things I would have never guessed would be possible with this little set. All kinds of imagination goes on with the Zoob set! Unlike Lego's, these pieces are movable and I believe that has been the main reason these are a hit with the kids. One thing I especially appreciate about this set over something like K'Nex would be the size. They are the perfect size for little and big hands, while also not being a choke hazard for small babies and toddlers. I think this is important to note, because although it warns it is a choke hazard for children under three years old, I believe these pieces would be difficult for a baby/toddler to choke on. My kids have swallowed things they weren't suppose to, but never anything the size of these pieces. I believe the gag reflex would happen quickly and it would be spit out. Each piece is approximately 2 1/2" x 3/4" x 5/8". Not every piece is exactly alike, but this is an approximate size for all of them to give you an idea. Of course, each person needs to use their own judgment for their own children. If my kids were to complain about anything, I'd say they wish they had more pieces! If you have a couple children who would be playing with this, I'd say this size set would be sufficient, but any more children than that and you might find yourself buying another set. I am definitely glad I didn't buy a smaller set than this one. I'm now considering the other Zoob sets that have a specific purpose in order to add onto this one. I am surprised this isn't found in local stores, but I'm glad I took a chance with it here on Amazon. Hope this review helps you in your decision. Update: I would still recommend these, but I have since found that the Zoob's which clip on do break off into a small penny-sized piece. So do be aware of that for both choking hazards and durability.

Love, love, love this toy. It is so creative and the longer we have it the more we can build. It seems we learn a new aspect to what we can create every time we get it out. It comes with a guide to help you learn simple structures with several booklets up to really complex things all included but we quickly started building our own items too. So far it has been really durable too. That was a concern when I opened them but my 3 yr old had, with repeated tossing around the room, not broken a single one yet. Great for little minds (and old ones as well)

We bought the 500 zoob for Christmas this year. My boys were introduced to this at my brother's house. What I find really great about it is if your kids love legos but you still have small children around and don't want the chocking hazard zoob is perfect for you. We have ALL played with it, my husband and myself included. Great toy...seriously great. One and only setback that we have had is we bought the 500 zoob and the case connector broke. I am now going to try and see what we can do about it. This is a non-issue with the smaller amounts since the boxes that hold them are different. This is the only reason I put 4 stars for the durability. It is not a reflection on the actual toy.

The Legos, with their vanishingly small pieces, are sitting in a corner at our school since these (and also the K-Nex toy) arrived. Some bright and creative designers put a lot of good thought into this building toy. There's an obvious ball-in-socket way that the pieces attach, but also a half-dozen other ways. Our kids love the sets and have made some elaborate vehicles, animals and other things. Typically they follow plans that come with the sets at first, then get creative on their own. I've just ordered four more sets.

Bought this for my six-year-old grandson. He is an avid and capable Lego builder, so I thought the Zoobs would provide him with countless hours of design/build play. He dove into the set as soon as he saw. The connections were intuitive and he immediately started to explore something to create. Incorporating the large, red disks he decided to build a bicycle. In less than 15 minutes, he pieced together two wheels, a frame, handlebars and a seat. The problem was the connections are firm like Legos. Many of the joints can be moved on multiple axes. This feature allows for greater flexibility of form, but when you try to use the toy you have created, it does not retain its shape when any pressure from your hand is applied. After 30 minutes he turned his attention elsewhere and has had no interest in using the Zoobs since. I may try engaging him with trying to build something from the pamphlet examples that come with the set. He is a quick study and loves following the pictorial directions of Legos. Maybe this will be the thing to spark his interest. But the first (and only) use so far was a massive failure.

I liked that this product came in large quantities. It makes replacing the broken ones a breeze.

I love that this is a free form playing activity. Our son goes to a Montessori Academy and they have this, so naturally he wanted to play with it at home as well. It's wonderful because you can make just about anything with them including bridges that swing, and dinosaurs that move! As a family we've enjoyed using the various instruction guides to build things along with just fun free form building. Highly recommend Zoob and specifically the big box because everyone can join in on the fun without feeling like you don't have enough pieces to build your masterpiece with. :)

Les enfants adorent !!

Fantastic toy which keeps the kids busy for hours. Endless possibilities. Great for creativity.

My 4 yr old and 7 yr old sons were equally excited about receiving the Zoob. Great they could both play and build happily at their different levels, side by side.