3 Best Plank Building Toys for Kids and Adults

Blocks aren't just for kids anymore. In fact, some blocks aren't even called "blocks" anymore - they're called "planks," and an entire world of very entertaining and fun building play has opened up thanks to these relatively new plank building toy sets.

The idea is simple but compelling. Push "blocks" to the next level by instead making high quality wooden "planks" that are precisely cut and sanded, feel great to the touch, and where each piece weighs almost exactly same. Thanks to the quality workmanship of these plank sets, playing with such simple but high quality planks feels very special, as if you're working with an architectural modeling materials - which explains why these toys are so popular with architects and engineers!

I recommend at least considering toys made by the following 3 brands if you're in the market for building sets which are well made and which stimulate creative and imaginative play.

Kapla Planks are the original plank toys, made in France, out of pine wood. Kapla Sets tend to be the priciest. The packaging for Kapla planks is truly beautiful, as they come in simple wooden boxes which can be used to store the planks.

Keva Planks are a more moderately priced rival to Kapla planks, made of maple wood. My survey of the marketplace at the time of writing shows that Keva planks tend to be less expensive than Kapla planks. Keva planks are the same size as Kapla planks, and could thus be used as a lower cost complement to a  collection of Kapla planks, or as an alternative.

Citiblocs are similar to Keva and Kapla plank systems, but go off on an interesting, somewhat different direction. The biggest difference is that their sets consist of  planks (or "blocs") of different sizes. These differences might make for some welcome variation in structures and play. The other big difference is that many Citibloc sets come in different color themes which really are quite beautiful. Like the Keva and Kapla sets, Citiblocs are well made wooden toys. They also seem to be the least expensive option.

I have played with all three and they're all great. You can really feel the quality with which these building sets are made, as they have a great tactile quality to them and feel wonderful to the touch. Overall, these sets are a welcome alternative to the world of cheaply made (and often over priced) plastic toy sets which dominate today's toy market.

GoldieBlox: Too Cold. For Now.

This is my second post that’s critical of GoldieBlox so I just want to say right out of the gate that I'm not on some sort of crusade against GoldieBlox. Honest. It’s just that this is a new blog and I’m still finding sources for toy-related news to comment on. It just happens that GoldieBlox is getting a lot of media attention, which naturally has caught my eye. In fact, as a father of two daughters, I'm very interested in GoldieBlox and support what they're trying to do.

Jezebel has just posted a piece on GoldieBlox makes a few good points. They are: 

 - GoldieBlox don’t have a lot of replayability i.e. kids play with it a couple times, get bored, and then move on to other toys which have got more going on. 

- As a company GoldieBlox are doing a much better job at marketing their toys than they are at producing engaging and fun toys.

- GoldieBlox are expensive for what you get.

One could just make the third point - that GoldieBlox are expensive for what you get - and leave it at that, because obviously replayability and the marketing being flashier than the real product wouldn’t matter much if GB sets were dirt cheap. But the first two points do help explain why GB aren’t a great value for the money.

My youngest daughter got the above GoldieBlox set from one of her grandmothers for Christmas, so I can speak from experience here. And our experience more or less is in line with the criticisms made in the article.

The box the toy comes in is beautifully printed with bright appealing colors (and not pink!). The toy comes with a nicely made story book that gets your kid in the mood for playing. The toy pieces themselves are well made. It’s definitely not a piece of crap toy set.

But this basic set just doesn’t haven’t much going on.

First off, the approx. $30 price tag isn't insignificant to my retired mother living on a fixed income. The toy was a significant part of her Christmas present budget for both of her granddaughters. $30 is a lot for anybody!

From there, things have played out in much the same way as the Jezebel article describes. My daughter played with it a few times and moved on. She's come back to it a few times, but just hasn't been captured by it the way she has by her Playmobil or her Keva planks. She specifically mentioned that she needs more "goldieblox" in order to get any good play going. Maybe we'll get her some for her birthday, we'll see.

My $.02  is that it’s hard to promise the world - that is, challenging the conventions of toy marketing and toy design - and then deliver. And the louder and more successful the marketing of that innovative product that you’re trying to sell, the more you better deliver on the promise.

Long story short, GoldieBlox has been very successful in marketing, and in a way that’s been both a blessing for them as well as a curse. But it doesn’t have to be a fatal problem. With the success they’ve managed so far, all the have to do is keep improving their product and I think their customers will love the company and become fans. There’s obviously an audience for this kind of toy. It’s a very engaged and vocal market. Make them something they love and they will turn around and buy more, as well as also providing all sorts of great word of mouth advertising. Keep at it, GoldieBlox, and you'll get it "Just Right."