Building With Brackitz
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We have been looking at different building blocks for our kids for a while now. Everything we have seen is either geared for a lower age group and were merely stacking blocks to build structures or were too complicated with many small pieces and complex directions. Then, I was contacted by Brackitz to check out their product. (Disclosure: Yes, I was contacted by Brackitz and given a set for review purposes. However, that never sways my opinions. They are all my own.)
The Brackitz set we received has wood stacking planks like other similar building toys, but adds an important component that makes all the difference – the connectors. These 4 sided connectors allow for more diverse building opportunities.
Instead of being limited to structures or buildings, my kids can create airplanes, rockets and geometric shapes.
Last week, we used Brackitz to learn about bridges and building structure. After talking about structure and strength and observing some local bridges, my seven year old son built his own bridge with Bracktiz. He made it to be very strong. He tested it with a load of books. It passed.
Next, we played around with design. I told him to make another bridge but with fewer planks. He carefully examined his bridge and came up with a plan that he thought would use less materials, but still be strong enough to hold the books. The bridge held, but he could see some weak parts of his design.
We did the same kind of strength test with a taller structure. My son tested his creation with the books and looked for weaknesses in the design. He, then, made corrections. What a great lesson!
Since writing this post, Brackitz has grown and expanded to include some new awesome building sets!
More engineering posts from The Homeschool Scientist
- 100 Engineering Projects For Kids
- Some call it tearing stuff apart, we call it Reverse Engineering
- A fun engineering project using gumdrops and toothpicks
