Honestly, I kind of have a love-hate relationship with the TinkerToy set made “especially for girls.” I love that the set is made up of pink, purple, and other girly colors so my daughter’s more likely to play with it (yes, it does make a difference…*sigh*), and that it teaches her to visualize something she wants to create and then figure out how to do it.
It’s one of the toys that truly makes her think and experiment in order to discover what works and what doesn’t. She’s not just going through the motions like she might in a video game, even an educational one. I’m a sucker for a toy that teaches her to use her imagination.
That said, sometimes the plastic pieces can be more challenging to put together than the wooden sets were when I played with them, so I don’t know that I’d recommend them for young three-year-olds. The set is listed as suitable for kids three and up, but the younger ones may have a hard time getting the pieces to connect or take apart again. Closer to four may be better, and kids five and older should be able to manage with very little trouble.
We bought the set when my daughter was just turning three and she quickly became frustrated with it. These days, she loves it, and she’s been known to tape some of the pieces to other things to turn them into something new, too. She will be five in a few months.
I think that if your daughter’s into everything pink and purple, these are a good bet. However, if she doesn’t care, the classic wooden sets are probably still easier, especially for younger children.
Photo credit: Toys R Us
