Magnetic Rods, Balls and Panels — 58 Pieces

Parent guides: Easy Science Experiments for Kids at Home: Step by Step, by Age · Games That Build Your Child’s Skills, by Age: 1, 18 Months, 2, 3, 4–5 and 6+

1. Build a frame from rods and balls first — that is the skeleton.
2. Look at the empty triangles and squares in the frame.
3. Press the matching coloured panel into each gap.
4. Keep building outwards, panelling as you go.
5. Take the panels out to turn the model back into an open frame.

• The difference between a frame and a surface, learned physically
• Matching a panel shape to the gap it fills
• Three-dimensional design with a finished appearance
• Understanding that structure comes first and skin comes second

• Build the frame one day and panel it the next
• Panel only half a model and compare the two halves
• Build a closed box and work out how to make a door