Guidecraft Educator Review/Giveaway: PowerClix

Each month, the Guidecraft Educators will share our honest feelings
about a Guidecraft product(s) and how these products would fare in an
early childhood classroom. This month's selection is from a long-awaited new line by Guidecraft - Powerclix. 
 
From Guidecraft:  PowerClix TM, the 3D Building System from Guidecraft, lets you explore and build endless models with the easy click ‘n connect system. Super-strong magnetic force creates a quick connect for fast, simple and powerful 3D modeling. Build bridges, skyscrapers, animals and more. Colorful translucent plastics and unique geometric shapes and extender rods allow for open-ended, creativity-inspiring constructions. The PowerClix TM Activity Guide gives young builders step-by-step instructions on how to create a variety of models while teaching them the basics of science, construction and engineering. Ages 5+


The new PowerClix building system is currently available in 4 different sized kits - 18 pieces, 36 pieces, 52 pieces and 68 pieces.  The product provided to Guidecraft Educators for review was the 52 piece system.  

My thoughts: 

• Without having had the opportunity to share them with children due to summer vacation, I would imagine that the 52 piece set would be ideal for a group of 2-3 children.  Any more children would most likely result in an argument over the pieces.  However, this is an ideal toy for cooperative play and I'm very much excited about introducing them in my classroom this year! 
• The PowerClix building system could be used in a variety of educational ways, in addition to creative arts expression!  The use of magnetics as a building system allows the opportunity for doors to open on the science end - how do you think the pieces stick together?  What is a magnet?  What does a magnet do?, etc.  
• The activity guide provided gives children lots of visuals for models to replicate until they seem to get the hang of using the PowerClix.  I personally plan to laminate the pages in this guide and place them with the toy on the manipulatives shelf.  I also think that I will be encouraging children to build structures of their own and then create additional pages to add to the guide that shows the childrens' creations and challenges other children to try building these AND new structures!
• What I loved the absolute most about the toy was the simplicity involved in clean up.  You can pretty much pick up one piece and use that one piece to pick up all the others... that is the force of magnetism!  Amazing and super-simple clean up!!!

My only complaint about the PowerClix was my own difficulty in opening the packaging!  I'm not sure if I was having issues or if others experienced the same difficulty, but I had to use scissors and literally cut the packaging into pieces to get out the PowerClix!  Could have just been me, but I'm not sure!


Overall, as our Guidecraft contact promised, this product was DEFINITELY worth the wait!  So can't wait to break these out in the classroom this year!

So... what do other 'Guidecraft Educators' have to say about the PowerClix 52 pc Building System?

Maureen at Simply Stacie
Andrea at MommyPR
Deborah at Teach Preschool
Carrie from Huppie Mama
Jody from Mommy Moment
Candace at Mamanista!
Lisa from Planet Weidknecht
Vanessa from Pre-K Pages

The Giveaway

Guidecraft is generously offering ONE lucky reader of the Guidecraft Educators a chance to win one of these PowerClix sets!!! To enter, head on over to Simply Stacie for details!

Or... if you just can't wait to win one and NEED them now, they can be purchased online at: 

PowerClix:  Guidecraft.com or Amazon.com

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