PicassoTiles 120-Piece Magnetic Marble Run Building Blocks Set - STEM Educational Construction Toy for Kids Ages 3+ | Boys & Girls Brain Development | Perfect for Classroom, Birthday Gifts & Family Playtime

We are two weeks into our homeschool, and this marble run set has been a favorite activity so far with my kids (ages 10, 7, and the 13 year-old even enjoys designing along with her siblings at times). I have really enjoyed watching them learn about engineering and physics along the way as they design the marble run and make adjustments to get the balls all the way to the end. They have to think about how the number of turns, connections the ball rolls over, and height of each level/drops along the way influence the motion of the ball. As their builds get more elaborate, there is also more critical thinking and planning involved--they have to think several steps ahead. Fantastic educational toy! I am really happy with this purchase; my kids have already enjoyed it for hours!Here are a few things to keep in mind with this set:-Picasso Tiles are compatible with Magnatiles, so not only can you use Magnatiles to enhance the build, but your kids can then use the Picasso Tiles included in this set to enhance other magnetic tile building.-Only the magnetic tiles (square pieces with the round holes that connect to the marble track pieces) are magnetic. The marble track pieces--straight track/tube (long & short), turn or slide pieces, etc. are not magnetic, but snap into the magnetic tiles. This is fine from a building perspective, but definitely something to be aware of.-Because of the snapping/clicking way in which the magnetic tiles and marble track pieces connect, I would be careful using this set with the preschool set, as they could not only shorten the life of the pieces by pulling them apart too forcefully, but also would get frustrated more easily while building, because it will be harder for them to connect the pieces. If you plan to play alongside your preschooler, this would work just fine, but don't expect it to be an independent play option for that age group. My 7 & 10 year-old can easily build on their own; I would expect most 6 year-olds to handle it well too.-It is most fun if you already have some Magnatiles or Picasso tiles on hand, as your kids will be able to get more creative in their designs & the design will be more sturdy (less frustration!). We have 70 individual Magnatiles (mix of square & triangle pieces) & also the large Picasso Tiles stabilizer base set--fantastic to use along with this set and with other magnetic tile building! You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/PicassoTiles-Supersized-Stabilizer-Construction-Engineering/dp/B07G33CMC6/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=picasso+tiles+base+set&qid=1599484015&sr=8-6-The "marble" is larger than your standard marble and it is weighted but not as heavy as many standard marbles. My kids have not yet attempted to use a standard marble but I don't know why they wouldn't work. I would imagine the larger ball is less of a chocking hazard, but I don't have little ones around the house anymore.Overall a super fun set for the elementary age group & 4-5 year olds with assistance (middle schoolers will likely join the fun at some point, but probably won't stick with it for too long). I like that the marble track pieces allow for an open-face track or tubes when two identical pieces are used together--my kids like to do a mix of both. Stabilizer bases and extra magnetic tiles will definitely increase the fun and design possibilities and your kids will have tons of fun while learning.