Clipo - 50pc Bucket product reviews

My daughter got a set of this for her 2nd birthday. It was brightly coloured and really durable. But the pieces were quite stiff and it was hard for her to use. The pieces became a source of frustration for her as she would have to direct one of us to make what she wanted to create.

She would usually use the pieces in other ways, as coins for a shopping game etc. Once she got more strength in her hands and wrists she found it easier to put the pieces together and build things. Though she still needs help pulling them apart. I think once she is a bit older she will get more use out of it, though by then she might be into lego.

Personally, I have always enjoyed any form of construction toy set... be it Lego, K'nex, Magnetix, Mecanno... you name it... if it comes in little units that you build into larger structures, I'm all for it. So to discover this stuff was a bit of a godsend to me. My oldest boy is right into his construction toys too, and though this stuff is a bit too 'young' for him, he still enjoys building things for his baby brother to demolish, and that will help the youngun get an early start on such toys too.

The blocks are basic, which is to be expected, but there are some fun little extras hiding in the bucket, including people-parts and some multi-face pivot bits, which can be combined in a wide number of ways if the mind behind the hands is creative enough. I was also impressed at how the bucket lid had been moulded with the locking knobs so could be included as part of the kit too, providing a base to build upon, a roof to put on top, or just another big piece to add to the -whatever- they are constructing. I just wish they had extended that feature to the busket itself, as that would have been just brilliant really... a 1-step castle skeleton for example. (But it works really well as a mould for sandcastles, so not a total loss there. )

The colours are bright to attract the younger ones, and I hope to one day see some more colours too, such as purples, lighter blues, and maybe, if there is enough market demand (-hint hint-) glow-in-the-dark blocks! Now *THAT* would be simply brilliant! (No pun intended.)

Overall, a great way to get your littlest ones into the whole construction toy genre. The price is pretty fair for what you get, but a bit more variety in the blocks would be great... a comment I heard a lot during the focus group meetings.

I love the different colours and shapes of the clipo set, and the fact that the container has the "clipo stumps" on the lid that can be used as a base.
Even though I enjoyed the clipo I find they are very stiff to clip in to each other, and so does my 2 year old daughter. She finds it very frustrating, so I do not agree with the 18mths+ age range.
I think it would help if you were able to clip them together in anyway possible, not just straight up and down.
I also found it hard to keep the clipo together on the ends of the blocks rather than on top of the blocks, they just don't seem to sit right.