Mindware KEVA Maker Bot Maze

My 10 year old daughter loves this and it has caught the interest of her 8 year old brother. Who would think that with all their high-tech gadgets and HD TV that some strips of balsa wood and a few large, marble-sized balls would entertain them for hours and be a go-to toy in the house? The instruction manual makes it a challenge to create as it is not a step-by-step creation but rather a "build this" drawing taken from several angles. I love that it challenges her and really puts her mind to work by giving her tools, an end result, but not a process. It is fun to watch the wheels turn, to see her learn from failed attempts, and to ultimately triumph. It is complex enough that it is a challenge, but do-able enough that she does not require our help. My 8 year old gets a little more frustrated when perfection is not achieved immediately, so I tend to sit close by and ask questions as he is building to help him with his self-dialogue and building process. It is not one of those toys you have to do FOR them, nor do they want you to physically help; what's nice about this toy is that its simplicity yields great problem-solving strategies, higher level thinking, and a feeling of true accomplishment when the maze *they* crafted actually works.In a time where toys are flashy and detailed in how to use, it is refreshing to see them get back to basics and have fun with it. For those parents who complain that it was "just a few pieces of wood", I would suggest taking the kit within view of the child and trying to make it yourself. You'd be surprised how quickly the child will want to take over (and how much you won't want them to!). They are conditioned, as are we, for the WOW factor, and this product has it, you just have to work to achieve it.We have ordered other Keva systems due to her liking this one so much. Two thumbs up!

Great toy for my 7 year old granddaughter. She wanted to design the bots and put together the maze. She had played with it at a friends house and was happy when I gave it to her.

Its a good toy. Everything you see requires assembly. So the only complaint is that the elmers glue they provide is not good enough. TIP: bring a HOT GLUE GUN for glueing the items

This is a huge hit with my son. Plays with it for hours. Enjoyed decorating the little robots and making endless mazes for it to go through.

Pay attention to dimensions on this one.I thought it would be a pretty impressive kit, but it is a rather small box with:30 (4.5 inch long) wooden Keva planks8 half planks24 connectors3 plastic balls2 botsA handful of craft supplies for decorating the botsIt's a good little tabletop kit, but doesn't seem well matched to the price point.

Easy to build a maze. It works well with all types of robots and remote control devices. Easy for all ages to set up!

My 7 year old son loves creating his own mazes and he has gets a kick of getting the mice to knock down obstacles as well as trying "trick and confuse" the mice bots by attempting to make openings tight or by putting a lot of obstacles in the way before and after openings in the maze!

My 7 y/o loved this. It was entertaining and allowed him to problem solve and create new layouts for these robotic bugs to navigate.