Fun & Educational Learning with Life-Size Structures
The best times I recall as a child were the days spent playing with my friends. The summer’s seemed to last forever. The imagination we applied to all kinds of toys and games just seemed to keep us enthralled for hours. We’d make games out of the simplest of things. Today, I look at a cardboard box as just a functional item – but in those days it could be a million things… it was whatever I wanted it to be, a castle, a home, a hideout, anything.
When it comes to play and learning, children really aren’t that much different today, they still have the same fertile, imaginative minds. And the summer and play times probably seem just as long and fun filled for them as it was for me. What has changed, and improved, is our ability to understand play and learning, which means we’re better able to provide them with amazing equipment to fuel their imagination – to reach even greater levels of fun and enjoyment.
The Funphix construction toy set combines all the elements children love. It not only facilitates play, but encourages a wealth of cognitive and social development skills too. So much so, that as a former education professional myself I had to write about this wonderful and versatile construction set.
Funphix Create and Play Life Size Structures Sets:
Funphix Product Description
The Funphix has 199 interconnecting pieces that lock tightly together, and even more pieces on the deluxe version (296 pieces). The pieces consist of a combination of colorful attractive tubes, connectors, simple but secure locking, kid-friendly screws, as well as a key to lock them in place. It’s a modular design that has extensive possibilities. Along with it also comes three (or five) colorful panels that lock into the tubes too and suddenly there’s even more you can do with the set.
The material is safe, tough and very durable, with a simple method of constructing the pieces that children will enjoy getting involved with – possibly more than playing on the finished construction itself.
With such a large amount of pieces, the varying designs that can be made lend themselves to almost any type of play construction model, from climbing frames to play stalls, slides to sports apparatus, or just great hideouts. And if the children change their minds on what to play? You, along with them, can just build something else.
Downoad the Standard Set instruction manual here.
Download the Deluxe Set instruction manual here.
Design Features:
Robust Design
Tough thermoplastic materials mean a sure connection each time, less fear of pieces splitting, stressing or bending.
Unlimited Play
Interconnecting joins provides unlimited possibilities for building all manner of play projects, themes, and theaters. It’s by no means a static single use toy.
Tactile and Attractive
Colorful, large and tactile elements which attract children of all tastes and abilities to want to get involved.
Durability
The Funphix has been specifically designed to last for years. This is backed by the included 2 year warranty that comes with it, as well as excellent customer service support from the Funphix team.
Expansion
The nature of the design means it’s not a self contained set. You can add as many pieces or packs together as you like to create more expansive and broader play areas and options.
What Is Funphix Used For?
There’s a whole breadth of learning potential with Funphix, it all starts with Fun in mind but can be utilized for so many play areas. Here’s a few I’ve highlighted:
Imaginative Play
Children have a thirst for more than just sit-on rides and single-use games. They need engaging on deeper and more varied levels, building has become such a major part of play now that in fact, we need toys that fill greater requirements, in order to explore much wider play possibilities – like facilitating endless imagination, engagement on a deeper learning level, flexibility to change play as their minds and ideas change. Funphix fills this modern requirement for toys perfectly.
Role Playing
Combine the Funphix with dressing up costumes, or a tea party and you can construct any theater of play you like. Forts and fairy castles, shop front stalls, hideouts and adventures, spaceships, or just a really fun climbing frame or slide.
Exercise Frame
Adventure parks and playgrounds have captured children’s imagination for decades. And now Funphix brings adventure and exercise into your home, garden or education establishment. Create assault courses for children to navigate, obstacles and slides to test their physical skills and in so doing generate a child exercise routine that has endless possibilities.
Here’s a great game I learned that my Daughter loves playing with our Funphix:
Create a child-friendly adventure course with your Funphix, and combine it with some simple physical ability testing.
Decide the route they have to take around the course (they love helping with this part too) and then time them. They’ll quickly want to try to beat their last ‘lap’ on the course. It’s a great way to get your children to burn energy without realizing it…and they love it. For extra fun create a simple reward system for completing the course.
Problem Solving
We all know that children love solving problems, better than we often give them credit for! So feed their thirst for finding solutions by offering challenging things to build. They’ll figure it out one way or another, and sit back and watch the teamwork happen. Help by facilitating the thinking process, help test their theories and designs. The end results are often surprising.
Education
Nurseries, day nurseries, homeschooling and camps. Where space is possibly limited, or where a special ‘Funphix area’ can be provided for just leaving it out. It’s then used indoors and can easily be transferred outdoors depending on where the children are and the activities of the day. You can easily put it away and get it out when needed. It’s designed with complete child safety in mind and with suitable supervision it’s fully compatible in any education institution.
How Do Children Benefit From Funphix?
- Physical Exercise
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Hand-Eye Coordination
- Motor Skills
- Logical Thinking
- Creative Thinking
- Planning and Theory
Why Funphix Stands Out
For me, straight away it was the shear number of pieces, you feel like you’ve got so much for your money straight off the bat.
The children don’t get bored of Funphix, they just keep thinking up new and interesting things to build and play, or return to a few trusted favorites, and it’s a great hit with their friends too. So the product has great longevity to it.
I can tell it’s safe for them to use just from putting it together. It’s strong, and slots perfectly together. You can use each connector hundreds of times and it all fits together like the first time.
It looks attractive too, it’s a safe, simple modern finish, the large tactile pieces are a hit with the children and they love playing around with color combinations too.
If I sound like a fan, it’s because I am. I’ve had nothing but positive playtimes with my children and this set, it’s an easy purchase to obtain that kind of engagement with your children.
About The Author
Michael Chamberlain is a former College Lecturer, he’s also previously worked for educational equipment supply companies and most recently as an Apple IT Consultant in Education, where he advised K12 schools on the implementation and use of Apple Technology to enhance teaching and learning and increase student engagement. Accredited with some of the earliest one-to-one device schools in the country. Now Michael teaches online software and computer skills locally and enjoys writing. With that kind of experience, we think Michael’s very well placed to tell us his views and experiences with Funphix.
