Chicco Magic Blocks Stacking Toy, Little House

We bought this set of magnetic blocks for my son when he was six months old. It's rated for 9m or above, but there is no choking hazard. At that time, he liked to knock the blocks apart when we stacked them together. He also loved (for no explainable reason) the orange stacking platform. (He loved the orange platform so much we brought it on a long plane ride with us, no blocks, just the platform...). It's hard to find blocks in the 9m group, they all tend to be soft material style blocks, which are outrageously price-pointed by the block. So, as a comparison to what's available for the young baby block market, this product is quite interesting and fun. However, if you really want to build up a structure in a building toy sort of way (like an early Duplo, say), this product really isn't it, I'd say look elsewhere. If you want cute blocks to stack in a minor way and animal heads and bodies that you play with in a individual manner, then this toy is great for a Baby and young Toddler.

How the magnetic blocks work: One side of each block has a semi-spherical convex red "dot" that fits into a concave red dot indentation. You can see the convex red dot on the right side of the product photo on the green key and blue door blocks (the two column block behind the daisy block). The corresponding indent part is on the opposite side of the same block. For example, you can see the indent side on the pink little girl body block. So you align the two blocks, and then these two sides will always lightly "click" together: The magnetic strength is fairly weak, you can lift the blocks up in sets of two, but it is a baby toy, they just won't give you strong magnets.

Stacking upwards: The blocks are stacked upwards by fitting each block's raised yellow dot (see the tricycle block in the product photo) into a similarly shaped indent that is in the base of every block. This isn't magnetic at all, and thus this stacking is only stable for about four blocks up (they don't balance snugly in a vertical way), and then your whole structure will fall. That's why I would say these blocks aren't great for real building, in any building sort of way.

The Heads: All of the heads have a light seed-rattle sound when you shake them. My son has always adored this, even now at 17m. The heads sit lightly in the body base (or any block base, in fact) using the same yellow raised dot-indent spot detailed above. They are easily knocked out of place. This always irritates me a bit, but it doesn't bother my son a bit: He likes to play with the heads as little rattles, and the bodies separately, as little specialized teething arm-chewies. He loves to knaw on those little plastic arms, he's able to get them onto the gum spots that are irritating him.

The Blocks: The blocks are exactly what you see in the product picture: Boy Head, Boy body, Girl Head, Girl body, Cat head, Cat body, Double-long rooftop, Chimney roof, Tricycle, Window, Key block where key turns in block with a satisfying click-click (this went on vacation with us this last week in fact), Brick block, Door block, Flower block (obscured by little Boy block in the product photo), and specialized Flower Shape block, specialized Mailbox shaped block.

My main issue with Chicco Magic Blocks is that they don't have a kit that sells a high percentage of blocks that you can stack up in a building toy way, they always sell additional kits that have a high percentage of Heads and Bodies (which are fun in their own way) and/or specialized blocks that don't have joining/stacking features. So other than the Chicco Magic Blocks Savannah Friends set (which we bought and totally like, Monkey, Hippo, Elephant, Lion heads and bodies), we aren't going to expand this set. It's a pity, I wanted a little magnetic building set during that time period....

So, in short, bought at 6m, played with exuberantly in a baby way. At 17m: We like the individual blocks, and sometimes stack them. That orange platform appeals to my son in a way I can't fathom. Overall, I'd say excellent for the 9m age range, there just aren't any cute block-stackers that aren't choking hazards. And for us, I think the toy has a unique sort of longevity in an individual block play sort of way. I'm happy we bought it, but it's not a building toy set, per se.

I am a huge Chicco fan, but this toy was very disappointing. The little hands on the people are an accident waiting to happen....too sharp for little ones. I found the magnet system difficult and I'm an adult! After getting rid of the little arms on the people I gave this toy away I would not recommend this toy.

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