Guidecraft IO Blocks® 500 Piece STEM Building Toy Set for Kids - Educational Construction Blocks for Creative Play, Classroom Learning & Home Activities

My daughter, age 6, and I really enjoy these blocks. I received this set free from Tryazon and Guidecraft in exchange for hosting a party and offering an honest review. All opinions and experiences are honest and my own. We had a party and children ages 3-11 used the IO Blocks to build. We used the included Build Cards - which are sturdy, colorful, and two-sided. We also built using our imaginations. This was the kids' favorite part! Some of the provided projects were simply too complicated for this age group. As a parent/homeschool mom, this is actually an awesome feature - these blocks will be great for hands-on thinking and learning until at least age 15. I can see my daughter building structures and using them for STEM projects for many years. They are sturdy, durable and the color is great. They connect well, but provide the opportunity for movement [great if you decide to use them for stop-motion animation projects!]. They could easily be mixed and mingled with other textiles [like playdough] for even more imaginative play and projects.The only current drawback to these building blocks are that they come with a free app that just isn't quite up to par yet. The augmented reality app allows the builder to look up about 20 different build projects and see how they're put together. It is great to be able to see how the pieces of more complicated projects come together, especially if you find yourself stuck. However, right now, not every Build Card is included in the app and that left some of the children upset and frustrated. I think there is a lot of room for the app to grow, but the app is an add-on that is not vital to the enjoyment of these blocks!There are an endless variety of ways to use these blocks for teaching and learning. They are recommended for ages 4 and up and I would agree. I think they're a great investment for any classroom. The children I partied with would agree. They said they would choose these blocks over any others if given the choice! They loved the colors, shapes, and puzzleyness of the blocks.