Tinkertoys are still fun.
Just don't tell their middle-school friends.
A good way to spend an unexpected day off from school, after playing in the snow, warming up in front of the wood stove at granma's house.
It is also fun to watch the different approaches to building with Tinkertoys. Kyle is adamant about using the instructions/plans/blueprints, and often gets frustrated if it doesn't turn out exactly like the picture. Madison likes to just start putting things together to see where it goes. She is very flexible in her design, open to suggestions, and her projects often end up large and elaborate.
Tinkertoys were invented in 1914 by a stonemason after seeing children playing with pencils and empty spools of thread - based on the Pythagorean triangle - huh? More at Wikipedia.
One of the classics, Tinkertoys are in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with 35 other toys, check this out and see how many you have played with over the years, and which ones you wish you still had today.
