Educational Insights PlayBrix Pirate Adventure

I purchased this playbrix set for my pretend-play loving preschooler. She loves it. The blocks are very sturdy cardboard boxes (my other child, a toddler has tested their sturdiness by standing on them and they have survived so far). The way you fold them creates a reinforcing cardboard X in the middle of the box, which is nice. It will most likely keep them from getting crushed too easily. There are enough block boxes in the set to make a 4 year old sized half a ship (which my daughter built against the couch) or a full ship with shorter "walls". The pyramid shaped blocks don't make much sense in the pirate set... They seem like they would be more appropriate with the castle set. The printing on the bricks is good quality, bright and clear with a sturdy glossy finish. It would have been nice if each shape of block had more than one image, however. For example, all of the square blocks have a picture of a spider on one side. That is one infested pirate ship! More variety in the images would have been appreciated. The accessories also feel like an afterthought, they are mostly printed on cardstock (which is fine) but they are all one sided. It would have been nice to see the ship's steering wheel on both sides, for instance. It also feels like they missed an opportunity to make the telescope a 3d tube instead of just a cutout. Overall it's a nice set, and I think both of my children will get quite a lot of enjoyment from it. Very clever what they have managed to create with cardboard. It does take up quite a bit of space, but that's what makes it fun for the kids.

My boys absolutely love building and creating with their PlayBrix Pirate Adventure set! The fun began even before the building adventure. I didn't expect them to enjoy folding the cardboard pieces into blocks so much. They actually raced to see who could complete more faster. I'm deeply impressed with how sturdy the blocks are. They survived being a seat, a step stool and even a bed frame (Yes, my kids built a bed with the blocks and lay on it with their pillows and blankets). I'm also amazed by how many different things my kids were able to create with the blocks. My favorite is a multi-story parking garage with imaginative elevators. My kids stored all their favorite toy cars inside the garage, which actually helped get their play space more organized! The pyramid pieces don't seem to fit in this set, but my boys love them nonetheless, and turned them into storage tents for their secret treasures. What a versatile toy that encourages creative and imaginative play!

I love the idea of good old fashioned play. No electronics, no batteries just kids and their imagination! That is why I loved the idea of this pirate playbrix, it gives kids the opportunity to use their imagination and play good old pretend style.One thing I didn't like is how long it took to put the boxes together, as much as my 5yr old wanted to help me, he wasn't able to do it.Another thing is once their all assembled it does take up quite a significant amount of room so bear that in mind if you have minimal storage.

I love the idea of this toy! I'm all for old school imagination/creative play to get the kids away from the screens! While they got a little impatient with daddy for taking so long to fold the boxes before they could start playing, they had fun making their stuffed animals walk the plank! The boxes are sturdy and colors bright, but did take awhile to put together, and not easy for the littler kids to help with. Once they were folded though, their imaginations did the rest! I will say the accessories seemed an after thought. They aren't as sturdy as the boxes and I don't think they will last as long with heavy play.

The cardboard blocks were fairly easy for me to build and really sturdy. It took about a half hour and Im glad i didn’t try it with my kids.The blocks are meant for open ended play to build their own structure. The girls were thrown off with the lack of directions to build the perfect ship but quickly jumped into creating their own. It has already gone through a few versions throughout the day as their game changed.I wish they were easier to unfold of came w a box to store them. I’m going to need a big plastic bin.

Love the idea of this activity. There are so many ways you can build with the blocks. It was quite a bit of folding to put them all together but it was worth it. The blocks are pretty sturdy and my son really loved playing with the blocks. I just wish there were a few more blocks to be able to make the ship a little taller. Over all the quality is good and it’s a fun toy set. Great for imaginative play.

As soon as my kids saw the packaging to this they went crazy! They just love it. It does take a little while to put it all together but it's pretty easy (and I am definitely someone who gets frustrated following instructions for this sort of thing). My kids are pretty rough so I was concerned if the PlayBrix would hold up but they definitely have. They are sturdy and so colorful. We have used it inside as well as outside when the weather is nice. While it is a pretty good size, I did not find it too big where it would be difficult to find a place for it. I just stack it in the corner of my boys' room. Very fun!