Educational Insights Design & Drill Marble Maze, Marble Run STEM Toy, Over 50 Pieces, Ages 5+

We bought two sets for our kids with the hopes they would fall in love with the product. After an hour of play, I found myself alone at the dinner table trying to perfect our constructions. It is not that the product isn't fun, but to make it fully accurate takes a lot of practice.The concept of combining construction elements with a kid-friendly power drill to create mazes is undoubtedly captivating. The set includes 15 track pieces of varying lengths and shapes, enabling young minds to complete 10 different maze challenges. This hands-on approach encourages critical thinking as kids work their way through maze-making scenarios.The Design & Drill Marble Maze successfully introduces STEM learning to children aged 5 and above. It prompts kids to apply principles of science and engineering while solving maze challenges. This aspect of the toy undoubtedly contributes to enhancing their critical thinking skills and exploring new concepts in an engaging manner.A notable advantage of the toy lies in its potential to improve fine motor skills. The process of selecting and placing bolts or maze pieces, aiming the toy drill, and squeezing the trigger requires precision and control. These actions mirror the skills needed for tasks like tying shoelaces or holding a pencil, contributing positively to a child's fine motor development.The set includes a 12" x 10" design board, 15 track pieces of different shapes, a kid-friendly power drill, 20 colorful bolts, a ball, and 10 double-sided maze challenge cards. The inclusion of these components adds value to the play experience, offering a variety of options for creative exploration.However, I did find one area of concern. The toy requires 3 AAA batteries for the power drill, which are not included in the package. While this is a minor inconvenience, it's worth noting for parents who want to ensure the toy is ready for play upon arrival.Educational Insights offers additional benefits by providing free Design & Drill activities developed by teachers. These activities extend the play and learning experience beyond the set itself, adding to the value proposition.In conclusion, the Educational Insights Design & Drill Marble Maze is an engaging option for parents interested in promoting STEM learning. The combination of construction, engineering exploration, and fine motor skill development makes it a well-rounded educational toy. Despite the need for separate AAA batteries and a slight learning curve for young users, the toy offers a meaningful way for children to enhance their critical thinking skills in a hands-on and creative manner.

Bought this as a gift for a family friend who as turning four. He loved it. He didn't initially quiet grasp the track making concept but was having an absolute blast stewing and unscrewing the bits. Fast-forward about 4 months and few playdates where my 7yr old gave him track.making lessons and those two are asking any grown up who will listen to buy them more so they can make a giant track down the play room wall. Thought provoking, cooperative, screen free play. Check, check, check! Money very well spent.

Purchase this for use with Autistic kids.It is actually way too simple for them.They did enjoy the drill but maze itself was too basic to keep their interest.

My 4 year old loves this! The drill is perfect to- he gets to learn “left from “right” when he wants to loosen or tighten the screws, as he builds his marble run. Easy to assembly. Quality pieces and vibrant colors. Perfect for little hands!

Fun concept but limited creativity due to the direction and parts included.

My 5 year old loves to build and loves marble runs. The problem, is that he usually is building with his two big brothers so he doesn't get to do his own designs often. This was an AMAZING gift to fix that! Not only can he design his own marble courses, but he gets to drill them in to build them AND there are also little challenge prompt cards that he can use to try and build a marble run that solves the challenge. He has been playing with it constantly since he opened it a few days ago. I'm extremely happy with this purchase.

Was really excited to do this with the kids, mini version of things we’ve played with at museums. The drill is really weak (which I imagine is to protect the pieces from getting stripped) and fiddly to use. Some of the moving parts don’t seem to work either (namely the turnstile piece). The board is also pretty small compared to the number and style of pieces — it looks as if it’s designed to connect the boards but I can’t see any way to buy just extra boards. Disappointed overall.

I bought 2 of these for my 3 & 5 year old grandsons. They were the 1st things they played with…the 5 year old needed a bit of help…just giving him ideas of what to do with it & he was on his own having a blast. The 3 year old was happy just screwing things on with the drill. I feel this was well worth the money for both boys