K'Nex has done an amazing job with their educational sets, and we have been using them as a supplement to our family homeschool program. The K'NEX Education - Intro to Structures: Bridges set is an excellent way to teach how different types of bridges are built. As we take family car trips, my kids always notice the bridges we cross over. We have some really neat ones in Maryland, like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the Bay-Bridge Tunnel, and various smaller bridges all around the area. This set helped my kids learn how all of them work.
First, the set comes in a nice red plastic tray with a tight fitting lid, so all of the parts stay together. It stacks easily with other K'Nex education sets in the series. There are 7 types of bridges, with a few variants, for a total of 14 structures you can build. Each of the 7 types has an explanatory paragraph to describe the technology.
The first bridge is a simple beam bridge. There is a second variant, a long-span beam bridge, useful so you can observe how it flexes under a load. The beam bridge is then improve as a truss, with examples of a Warren Truss, Howe Truss, Baltimore Truss, and K-Truss. The neat thing is that the trust could be attached at the end, so the children could see the weakness of the bridge before the truss and the strength once attached.
The kit also covers the cantilevel bridge (a special type of truss) and the bascule bridge (movable bridge). The arch bridge was particularly fun, with three variants, the arch under, arch over, and arch through. Finally, the kit ends with three modern bridges, a suspension bridge, a single-tower cable-stayed, and a double-tower cable stayed.
My only negative on the kit is that the instructions are not like lego instructions with many steps. Many instructions are nothing but a single picture, and it can be hard to see how all of the pieces fit. I built the bridges with an 8 year old, 6 year old, and 5 year old. Only the 8 year old fully understood the instructions without help, but my 5 year old could do it with a little assistance. For instance, bridges are symmetrical, so I would build the left while my 5 year old copied me and built the right. A few pieces required a bit more finger strength than the 5 year old could must, but the 6 and 8 year olds were fine.
Once built, my kids had fun experimenting with different toy cars (not included of course) to see how the bridge could hold them. These are functional bridges that really demonstrate the concepts well. There is also a teacher's guide on CD with additional information and activities.
This set is quite a good buy for the money - lots of education and fun all in one box. Plus most of the parts are made in the USA, something that can't be said for a lot of toys today. A recommended buy!
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Frequently bought together
$33.18
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Top rated similar items
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
Build, Investigate, Evaluate!
Sprocket Gears! Spur Gears! Rack & Pinion! And More! The K''NEX Education Gears set is designed to introduce students to the scientific concepts associated with gears. Students are provided with the opportunity to acquire skills using a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to information and concepts as they build, investigate, discuss, and evaluate scientific principles in action.
Supports STEM Curriculms
K’NEX Education sets facilitate hands-on exploration of objects, real world models, math concepts, and scientific phenomena. The sets also empower students to demonstrate their imagination and creativity.
Exploring Education!
Complies with National Standards
K’NEX Education develops curriculum supported sets for use in preschools and elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.
- ITEEA
- NSES
- NCTM
- NGSS
- Common Standards
Reviews with images
Instruction booklet could be a LOT better!
Instructions are tricky to follow. There are color inaccuracies, lack of guidance on what size pieces to pick while there’s similar pieces of differing lengths etc. Compared to a Lego instruction booklet, this leaves a lot to be desired.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2019
Style: GearsVerified Purchase
I got this set for my homeschooled 10 year old daughter who was learning physics this year for science. The designs included were very relevant to her lessons and are regular objects which made it more interesting for her. At first she had some issues with getting the pieces to fit together, but once she figured it out there were no issues. Each design took about 30-45 minutes to put together and directions were easy to follow. She got a kick out of the fact all the cranks really work. This turned out to be much better than I anticipated which makes me very happy. It's a product that can last since she'll happily rebuild the 7 suggested designs and she's working on coming up with some of her own. I'm happy the quality if good and the case it comes in will help keep all the pieces together so my younger daughter can use them when she's ready.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Amber Lapadula
Excellent hands-on learning
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2024Style: GearsVerified Purchase
Amber Lapadula
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2024
It was one of my son's favourite Christmas gifts and has helped him advance in his science and technology learning. It comes with all the parts you need to build seven different working machines.
Included is a guide to building a fan, an egg beater, a chainsaw, an exercise bike, a car window, a blender, and a record player. In addition to this, children can use their imaginative skills to come up with their own building projects and make their own inventions.
It helps kids get familiar with the different kinds of gears and how they work. This playful way of learning helps children gain much more insight than they would get from mere book learning or classroom learning, as they are self motivated to investigate, gain skills, and understand scientific and technological concepts.
As a homeschool teacher, I am using this set to teach my children about simple machines, movement, force, and speed in a hands-on way.
Images in this review
christian garfias
justo lo que esperaba
Reviewed in Mexico on July 28, 2020Style: Wheels, Axles & Inclined PlanesVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Came in time and was exactly as advertised
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2020Style: Wheels, Axles & Inclined PlanesVerified Purchase
