Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! Deluxe Building Set, Puzzle, 100 Pieces, Pink

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this product as part of a review program. I have a 3 year old granddaughter who couldn't wait to take the pieces out of the box. She was very excited that the building set included her favorite color: purple! She and her grandpa sat at the table, he reviewed the activity guide then explained to her how the set works. There are so many possible structures to build, but she chose to re-create the one she saw on the front of the box (I, unfortunately, did not get a picture of it.) She was very proud that she made what the girl on the box made. The gears seemed easy for her to hold on to and to put into place, and once assembled the finished product was very sturdy. I like that the box is sturdy enough so that all the pieces can be stored inside. The handle on the box is an added bonus, making it easier for her to carry. The only thing she had some difficulty with was disassembling the bases. They fit together quite snugly and even I had to apply a little pressure to take them apart. Maybe after she uses the set a few more times they will come apart more easily. I can only think of two cons: 1. There is only 1 handle. An extra handle would be helpful in case the original were to get lost. he 2. If you are using this set on a wooden table such as we were, the bases seem to slide around when you are turning the handle. Would it be possible to have some sort of rubber grips on the bottoms of the bases? I've added a picture of the second structure that she built. I see this toy as something that will be played with for many years. Even her grandpa had fun!

This was such a fun toy! I originally thought my 4 year old would be the main user but my 8 year old son is the champ! So many fun ways to build with these. My only thing I want to mention is the box said ages 3+ but it was a bit hard for my 4 year old to do, even with help from me. My 8 year old spent hours making creations. Loved

I have tried this gear set with kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. Each age group as been able to independently discover how the pieces work together, create all different types of structures with the gears, and work together to problem solve when they need to make adjustments to their creations.
There were cheers and smiles all around when I showed each class the set and let them explore. The students are loving this gear set. One of the things I like best about this set is that it provides the students a chance to work together and problem solve to improve their creations. I also love that because there are so many different ways the pieces can work together, the students get the opportunity to practice the skills of creating, celebrating when their creation works, and then take apart what they made to try something new.
I do wish that the product came with more building ideas for the students to help push them past basic building structures and challenge them to combine the gears together in new ways. It would be particularly helpful to have images in the directions of possible structures they could create.