9 Great New Playsets

Building kits that make for great afternoon projects

by Brett Singer

Farm Tub Town Blocks Price: $54.49 Mega Bloks make for mega (albeit oddly spelled) fun. This particular set has lots of little cows, sheep, and piggies to populate the kids' farm creations. Buy now »	Marble Run Price: $22.49 Now THIS is cool. Kids can create complex constructions with this 55-piece set, then send marbles hurtling down the tubes to prove just how ingeniously they built. Buy now »	Skyrail Rollercoaster with Elevator Price: $59.99 Nothing beats a homemade rollercoaster. And this kit adds to the awesomeness with a motorized elevator. Proof that what goes up (marbles) must come down, really fast. Buy now »
Jumbo Blocks Learner Set Price: $119.99 These are indeed jumbo blocks. As in the size of a child's arm. With this 48-piece set, kids can build a fort they can actually climb into. Buy now »	Playstix Set Price: $24.99 Like Lincoln Logs, but even more versatile, this 150-piece Playstix set will occupy kids for hours. Buy now »	Gummy Blocks Price: $29.99 They may be called Gummy Blocks, but don't eat them! (Seriously. Don't eat them.) This 19-piece set of flexible building blocks is easy for young hands to manipulate. Buy now »
Erector 15 Model Set Price: $34.99 You know it, you love it, it's never gone out of style. And once a kid is old enough to work with those little nuts and bolts (this is a 252-piece set), the possibilities are endless. Buy now »	Uberstix Pirate Ship & UberFo Price: $19.99 Uberstix teach kids about recycling while they play. To make the models, young builders use handy items like plastic bags or soda bottles along with the supplied kit. Very cool. Buy now »	Magnatiles Deluxe Price: $64.49 One of the most popular new building sets, Magnatiles, with its brightly colored magnetic squares and triangles, is a unique twist on the classics. This is a 48-piece set. Buy now »