Santa brought this for my 5.5 year old daughter. She and her 3.5 year old brother have been playing with Magnatiles for 3 years almost daily, so Santa thought this would be a good next toy for building. When we first started playing with it, it wasn't clear how to put it together. Simple instructions about types of exits and attaching front vs. side come in the box with a description of making a small base to start. My daughter seemed a bit disappointed. I went online to see how to help her. While there weren't "lessons" that were spelled out (which would be nice), there were building plans for lots of different shapes on the Q-Ba-Maze website. Here's the link: http://www.q-ba-maze.com/plans.php
I printed the shortest, simplest plans and it didn't take my daughter long to figure out how to read the plans and tell me how to assemble. It basically identifies what color and what exit type to put in which column and row. To me, it helped when we figured out that each side connection made a half row and each top-to-bottom connection made a full row. Additionally, when you are modifying an existing structure and want to add something in the middle, it's best to take off the cubes above that so that other parts don't fall apart while you are lifting (since it's really all attached).
After we built a few structures, my 3.5 year old son started taking segments of structures we had already built and then pieced them together. Both kids need a bit of help making a base and general structure but then they keep adding in fun and unique ways. They have spent hours and hours playing with this toy the last few days. They do experiments by putting a different number of marbles in at once or by putting the marbles different places. My 3 year old got a duplicate toy and wants more of the Q-Ba-Maze to replace it.
This is a great STEM toy. While it's not intuitively obvious how to put the cubes together, my kids are having fun with it and learning a lot of lessons about construction (in a different way than they do with something like Magnatiles). They are still learning how to support, how to put together when everything isn't squared off like Magnatiles. I can see them learning in steps and I have actively been pointing out what I learn while playing with them.
If you want something simple and are just looking for a toy, this probably isn't the best choice for you. Magnatiles (can you tell I love magnatiles) or another type of marble run would be easier and simpler. If you are looking to help your child with STEM lessons and you are willing to sit down and figure it out with them, this is a great option! While I do think this toy would be better for some if some of the things we have learned (and will learn) were available in "lessons," I like that it's a toy that you have to actively work to figure out. We learn so much more when we have to figure things out through trial and error.
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From the manufacturer
Q-BA-Maze 2.0: Big Box
Q-BA-Maze is a unique system of colorful cubes that interlock to form a marble run. The big difference? You can create marble maze sculptures in any form such as animals, robots, towers, and geometric shapes. Configurations are unlimited, allowing for unpredictable action when the steel marbles travel different routes. Follow the plans provided in each set, get inspired by our plans section below, or create your own!
Developed by an architect, Q-BA-Maze inspires creative play as you experiment with motion, stability, physics and art. Think in 3-D while you design and build with colors and cantilevers. It’s both right-brain and left-brain, part art and part science.
Reviews with images
A lot of work and frustration.
Way too much work! You cannot stack the towers evenly. And all of the different direction combinations for the marbles to go actually creates a problem when trying to design something that would stand up. Eventually they just end up crumbling. I bought this to supplement our traditional marble run as seen in the photo on the right. That is way easier to put together.
Top reviews from other countries
Tristan
Great product - lots of fun!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2017Marcia
Mazes are limited only by the builder's imagination!
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2014cc68
Just the thing to stretch the mind while being great fun
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2018