Q-Ba-Maze

Q-BA-MAZE

Receives the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval

stock photo from Mind Ware Thanks Mind Ware for sending me the free sample for this review.

 I received this great game this week from Mind Ware Its a Marble run that you build from different cubes. You can make animals, shapes, sculptures just about anything you can think of really. Its a great way to get your kids minds thinking and figuring how to get there marble to go down the run. Configurations are unlimited, it allows for unpredictable action the steel balls can travel down various routes. It’s a great at showing probability, physics and art, all in one fun toy !
Q-BA-MAZE contains small steal balls so they are not rated for kids under 3 year of age. You can  Find them hear on there site http://www.mindware.com/p/Q-BA-MAZE-20-Starter-Box-Cool-Colors/36199  they have three different sets a Big box set and two different starter sets In warm and cool colors. I received two of the starter sets one in warm colors and one in cool colors. They run $34.95 and $24.95 depending on what Kit you get.



My girls playing with the moose



FedEx showed up at our door with this box a few days a go Me and the girls had to open it right away they are always excited when a new product arrives to review.  The box is cool looking and the girls were immediately excited just by the picture on the front.  It was raining and I decided it was good of time to start a review. We dumped out all the pieces I started with the cool colors set first just because I like blue. The Instructions were how to make a marble run that was in the shape of a moose. Ok How hard can this be its made for kids right... So once I figured out that the directions are broke down into each layer it was really easy to put together. You start with the base and build Up. The moose turned out great I gave the girls each a few marbles and they let them run again and again and again and again.  While the girls were testing out the moose I broke out the warm colors kit to see what shape the directions would have me make. It was a Heart Ok I admit it the heart did not come out looking like a heart but I had fun trying. For some reason it was a bit more complicated to make but I am determined to master it, even though it did not turn out quite right the girls had a blast dropping in the marbles to see which way they would go. Next I piled the cubes up in the floor and let the girls have some free play just to see what they would come up with. They began to build a tower but had trouble knowing which pieces to use My eldest is only 4 so she needed help. I had to show her which piece to use and that the different openings would allow the marble to go in the direction of the opening she caught on quick and we soon had a tower built, it was a tad crooked but the marbles still ran down quite well. the marble run possibilities with Q-BA-MAZE is endless I cant waite to see what my husband comes up with. 

our Heart that looks more like a monster

The Only down side to the Q-BA-MAZE  is if you play on a smooth surface the marbles role every where when they come out at the bottom. To solve this problem I pulled out a Big cookie sheet and set the moose or what ever we had built in the middle so that when the marbles came out at the bottom they would have something to contain them. I have a slight fear of sucking one of the steel marbles up in my vacuum.

Its four days later and The Q-BA-MAZE is still a huge Hit me and the girls spend hours making shapes for there marbles to run down. This is definitely a toy that is going to last in our house for a long time.

Mind Ware Makes a wide variety of amazingly cool Toys to get your kids thinking



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