Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! Mega Builds, STEM Gears Building Set, 235 Pieces, Ages 4+

I am really impressed with this set. Not all toys have to be educational, but if they are it's best if they are also fun, or they won't get used. As a former mechanical engineer and teacher, I can say this is a fabulous toy that is great fun, and has educational value that will capture the imagination of any young engineer. I remember making huge, complicated, gear-driven windmill machines out of LEGO gears as a kid, and as soon as I saw this set I had to give it a try. The gears here are bigger and chunkier than the LEGO ones, so they are aimed at a younger audience. Our three-year-old (nearly four) niece needs a bit of help right now, but children from four to about fifty-two will love this. The bright colours and packaging make this look like a toddler's toy, but it's really better suited to older children. I'm sure the company's marketing people know more than I do, but I can't help thinking that some of the toy's target audience might be put off. There are loads of gears in the box, a couple of chains which also double as caterpillar tracks, wheels, and blocks to hold it all together. You can buy extra bits too, although if you manage to empty this box, whatever you have built will be enormous! I want to try the set with the dozer blade and wrecking ball though... The original price when I received this set for review was nearly £90, which I thought was a bit high. It's now dropped to £62.99 on Amazon, which is more reasonable, with an RRP of £66. That still seems a lot, but in terms of 'hours per pound', it really isn't. There is a LOT of play potential in this box. The quality of the parts is high, they fit together well and are robust enough to survive an ex-RAF fitter. That says everything! There is a guide manual in the box, which give information on the correct way to match and mesh the gears, and how to assemble the wheels & tyres. It's not a build manual - whatever you make is entirely dependent on your imagination. The Learning Resources website does have downloadable ideas for most of the sets if you need inspiration. Excellent starter set, totally recommended.

This toy is a lot of fun and it gets so many different skills at play. It really is a toy to help children develop skills as well as their dexterity. Gears are so versatile and so much can be built using them. This toy takes advantage of that and allows children to create crazy contraptions with moving parts all thanks to simple, colourful gears. They come in different sizes and all complement one another to create large, fun toys you can then play with. There are no ‘pre-made’ builds for children to try to replicate but the instructions do explain a bit on how to use each of the elements included to their maximum potential. The sky is the limit, really. Children (and adults, because it really is fun) will be able to create their very own contraptions and test them as you go along (or at the end) and see if they work. The best thing about this toy is the replayability. There really is no limit to how much you can do. There is always something new to try, something new to build. Despite being a bit of an expensive toy, I personally feel it is worth it. It is, in essence, an educational toy. As you use it and build things, you’re constantly thinking: will this work? How do I make that over there move smoothly? So right away, you’re using your logical skills to try engineer a working structure. The thing, it’s so much fun, you forget you’re learning. Definitely targeted for children but this is something parents and kids could easily do together too and have a lot of fun together. Definitely recommended.

Truly a MEGA build set which has 235 large and chunky pieces for little hands. Our little one wasnt totally enamoured by this when she first saw it. As a six year old, she thought perhaps the colours and the chunky pieces - when she is now use to Lego - would be a bit simplistic. However, when we opened it and started to lay out the fully working gears, levers, wheels, et al she realised how different this construction set is to anything she has so far. It is a fully functional, free-play, kinetic set that can endlessly be remodelled into a working piece of art that can alter from a robot, a car or a machine. You can follow the guide included to engineer a construction, or our little one can reengineer her own creation allowing her to problem solve and think outside the box in order for the gears and levers to fully function. An excellent set. Ine I would recommend snapping up is its priced around £40. 5 stars

this is a gears construction toy set for kids from age 4, it’s a super big and heavy set, there are 235 pieces in total, it’s designed for kids, by constructing the gears and learn how they work together, also develop their creativity to build anything with these colourful gears although this toy set is designed for kids, as an adult i still found it’s interesting to play, honestly it’s a bit difficult for my 5 years old kid to understand why the gears will move together, but she’s able to add gear one by one and make they move in a row, this is a good play set which encourage parent to play with kids and teach them how mechanical things work with gears overall all the pieces are made of good quality material, smooth edges, no sharp corners, safe to play; and they stayed very well after assembled, work together smoothly i’m very satisfied with this product, would recommend

This set has kept my kids entertained for hours. The gears snap together well and allow for a lot of creativity — from simple builds to more complex moving designs. It’s a fun way for them to explore STEM concepts while practicing fine motor skills. Some of the smaller gears can be a little tricky for younger kids to snap in, but overall it’s durable, colorful, and makes a fantastic gift.

I as an adult love the idea of this toy, great colour variety, so many opportunities to be innovative and imaginative. My son however is a follow the instruction, needs an example so i'm sure they have videos on what you can build. It was a no go for my son BUT if you have a builder/creator mindset kiddo these are perfect.

Men Enkelsohn ( viereinhalb Jahre) ist total begeistert, er erfindet wirklich gigantische Bauwerke, seiner Kreativität sind keine Grenzen gesetzt. Und das absolut Beste an dem Bausatz ist, dass er jeden Konstruktionsschritt sofort austesten kann und bei einer Fehlfunktion auf die Fehlersuche geht und so lang tüftelt, bis alles einwandfrei funktioniert.

Auch viele Möglichkeiten hier was zu basteln.

bought it for my classroom to examine gears of different sizes. not many varying sizes, and it took some figuring to figure out how to connect bigger gears to smaller gears -- not entirely intuitive for students. Kids still had lots of fun, product is durable, but lots of small pieces to loose.