Recently, we visited the Funkey Monkey store in Greenvale, on Long Island. Why? What did the Funkey Monkey have there that was so appealing? It was a new toy being launched and we were asked to check it out. It’s the Nanoblocks.
Construction toy: Nanoblocks
The new toy is called nanoblock. Think building blocks, but TINY. Hence the word NANO in the name! The Ohio Art Company, which is the manufacturer of the iconic Etch a Sketch®, are working with Kawada Company to bring nanoblock® to us here int he U.S.A. It’s popular in Japan, and recently named the Best Construction Toy of the Year by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. With such success in Japan, they are now are available in the United States at stores like Toys-R-Us.
Smallest building block system
It’s the world’s smallest building block system and my kids LOVE IT. If we could have stayed at the store for hours building with them, it would have been perfectly fine for them. Normally, older kids would be the demographic. Children who won’t put them in their mouths, as the pieces are TINY. However, my kids are good with little pieces, even my 3-year-old.
He surprised the girls at the display. None of them thought he would be able to work the blocks with his fingers. However, he’s exceptionally advanced with his fine motor skills. If you’ve got children 5 or younger, I’d suggest waiting a few years to purchase nanoblocks®.
Two series are available for sale, including six “mini series” and three in the “Sites to See” collection. The mini series features various animals:
- koala
- panda
- frog
- penguin
- giraffe
- and more.
The “Sites to See” collection has:
- Space Shuttle
- Taj Mahal
- Eiffel Tower
- and more
Definitely a cute new toy for kids
Such a cute new toy for the kids. My daughter has been using the miniature set she received for free, as we were the first ones to check out the nanoblock display today. The miniature kit is a giraffe, but she’s been building all kinds of other things with it since we got home.
What she’s made so far:
- a chair
- some kind of tower
- a building
- dog
- car
- and the giraffe
Little Miss does all the building on her own. Each mini kit comes with instructions, showing pictures, so even if your child can’t read, it’s all good! Just follow the pictures and TA-DA…..
