Geomag is distributed in the UK by Flair and the concept was the invention of a Magnetic’s engineer in 1998 and was first manufactured in Italy before it moved to Switzerland in 2003. It is the brand leader in magnetic construction toys and is bounds ahead of cheaper versions in terms of both high quality and design.
The basis of the toy is an ingenious magnetic construction system involving rods and balls. The Swiss made nickel plated spheres are used in conjunction with plastic rods which have magnets at each end (north & south). When the sphere comes close to the rod they are attracted to each other. The process is repeated on the other ends of the rod and your resulting design can be as simple or as complex as you like. The two basic elements can actually result in a massive number of classic geometric shapes and structures such as spheres, cubes, dodecahedrons, octahedrons, flowers, bridges, spirals, pyramids, chains, towers, models of cars and animals, and much more. For the more adventurous amongst you, and with a little practice, as many as 14 rods can be attached to one sphere. Magnetic models are easily built and taken apart and the resulting structures can be quite beautiful and you can make them as original and complicated as you so desire.
The Geomag range is available in Kids and Pro versions, with the Geomag kids range having slightly longer rods than the pro. The Kids range comes in subcategories of Color (with different coloured rods to help make the design your own), Panels (with shaped coloured panels for use in-between rods), Wheels (to build cars), World (to build castles or houses) and Glow which include glow in the dark pieces and this one is a very new one to be added to the range and creates a light & dark variation. The Pro range also is similar with a Color option, Panels (this time with silver bars and coloured panels) and Metals which have blue metal bars for a more ‘technical’ look.
The use of polycarbonate panels in your design gives the structure greater rigidity as well as adding a new dimension and colour to your model. The panels can be triangles, squares, pentagons for example and they allow you to make more compact designs. Shapes are also prevented from deforming by the action of the strong magnets and they also allow more complex designs to be built with fewer rods being used so your rods go further. Each pack has a number of designs included as examples to work from.
Geomag conforms to all applicable safety guidelines including EU CE mark and US CFR and ASTM F963 plus a whole list of product certifications.
The kits are entertaining as they are challenging and as you learn the secrets of Geomag building and how the magnets react with each other you will be able to build bigger and more convoluted structures. Try and construct a simple triple helix (have a loom on YouTube for ideas), or even build a super model and let your Geomag constructions be the envy of all your friends!
From an educational viewpoint they are also very useful. You can begin to understand the science behind the structures – which ones are more stable than others for example? Indeed they were recommended as a great educational gift in the Scientific American science magazine which shows how highly they are regarded.
Choose one of these brilliant and very clever magnetic construction kits from Geomag. They also make great executive toys!
