Comparison Lego 4x4 X-Treme Off-Roader 42099 vs Lego Mindstorms EV3 31313

Age recommendations are quite conditional, but it is still not recommended to deviate from them. So construction toys for older children may contain small parts that a curious little child might swallow. At the same time, sets for little ones are easy to assemble and uninteresting for adult children. And an age-inappropriate construction set may turn out to be too complex and inconvenient, upsetting or even frightening the baby.

Note that the age category to some extent characterizes the maximum age at which the designer can be useful. For example, a set for 1+ and 2+ is unlikely to attract an 8-year-old or even a 7-year-old primary school student, while a complex design for 14+, 16+ and even 18+ often turns out to be interesting even for adults over 30 and even over 40. However, even within the same age category, much depends on the characteristics of a particular set, in particular, on the type of game. And there are design options for any age. In addition to those listed above, there are also 3+, 4+, 5+, 6+, 9+, 10+, 11+, 12+.

This item allows you to evaluate the general features of games and activities with the designer.

Most often, the type of game is indicated by the general theme to which the set is dedicated. In this regard, the following options are most popular: air transport and equipment, water transport, military equipment, in the animal world, railway, buildings (shops, gas stations, residential buildings, etc.), space, Minecraft, land transport and equipment. /cartoon characters, police and bandits, fire service, princesses, plants (flowers, trees), entertainment complexes, robotics, knights, pirates, weapons, rescue service, construction, science fiction, fantasy. Sets that have a specific theme, but are not related to this list, are usuall...y classified as a "plot set".

Also, the type of game can be indicated by the technical features of the constructor itself. There are few options here: mazes with balls (marble run), soft modules, sets of parts, as well as scientific and educational kits.

In most cases, the features of a particular type of game are already clear from the name, and you should not dwell on them further. However, technical features, as well as some thematic options, are still worth considering more closely:

— Sets of parts. There are two types of constructors in this category. The first is kits without thematic specialization, consisting of universal parts and allowing you to assemble a wide variety of designs (usually even standard instructions provide 10-20 assembly options, and the actual possibilities are limited only by the child’s imagination). The second type is single parts or sets of several parts, sold separately, but not representing a full-fledged designer; they are bought either to replace lost parts from the set, or to supplement the set with some new features (for example, to introduce a new character).

— Scientific and educational. Designers of this type can also be called "educational": while entertaining the child, they at the same time give him knowledge of the basics of mechanics, electrical engineering or even cybernetics / programming. A classic example of such a constructor is a kit for assembling working electronic circuits.

— Maze with balls (marble run). A set for assembling a track along which the balls roll. The track itself is an inclined chute, which can be supplemented with jumps, obstacles, forks and other specific elements. The size of such a constructor can be different — from the simplest gutter for 1 – 2 elements to a set of several dozen parts that can be connected in a new way each time, building routes of different shapes. Sets are available for several parallel chutes, allowing for "competitions".

— Soft modules. Constructors, the details of which are made of a soft material (usually EVA polymer). Such details, usually, have a rather large size: from some sets you can assemble a whole “fortress” inside which a child can fit. Also note that during assembly, soft modules are not fastened together, but are placed one on top of the other, like building bricks (although other assembly options may occur). Constructors of this type are designed mainly for the smallest; here it is worth noting that the soft material makes the parts as safe as possible and minimizes the risk of injury.

— minecraft. Constructors dedicated to the popular computer game Minecraft. Objects and characters in such a game are made up of rectangular blocks and have a characteristic angular shape, which makes it easy to release them as constructors.

– Transport (air, land, water). These types of games are indicated for sets that are not related to a narrower topic. For example, an ordinary civilian aircraft will be classified as air transport, and a similar aircraft in military coloring will be classified as military equipment.

— Weapon. This kind of constructors allows you to collect copies of firearms — similar in size to the original, and often also capable of firing special safe "bullets" (usually a spring mechanism is used for this).

— Entertainment complexes. Sets of this theme reproduce playgrounds, attractions, water parks, etc.

— Fantasy. Science fiction in the broad sense of the word, where technique and technology play an important role. Constructors from this series can be dedicated both to "technology in general" and to a specific work; one of the most popular options is Star Wars.

— Fantasy. Sets on the theme of "sword and magic" — as opposed to traditional "technical" fiction. Relatively rarely associated with certain works, but often have their own original mini-plots (sometimes uniting a whole series of constructors).

— Knights and Pirates. Regarding this option, it is worth noting that the knights in such designers look more or less historically authentic; warriors from fairy tales and fantastic stories are found in sets from the fantasy category.

— Cartoon characters. The term "cartoons" in this case is conditional — such constructors can also be dedicated to cinema (typical examples are "Harry Potter", superheroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or even "adult" works like the series "The Stranger Things").

— Construction. This type of game is indicated for designers who reproduce construction sites or construction equipment. If we are talking about a “young builder's kit”, from which a building model is assembled, such a kit belongs to the “buildings” category.

The total number of parts included in the delivery of the designer. At the same time, the calculation, usually, also takes into account the details that make up individual characters (torso, arms, legs, head, etc.) — despite the fact that the figures are most often delivered assembled and are not designed for disassembly during normal use . Also note that the kit may include several spare parts, in case of breakage or loss of any of the main elements.

The number of models that can be assembled from this kit according to the instructions. For example, if a helicopter, truck or boat can be assembled from a set, 3 models will be indicated in this paragraph. Most modern designers are designed for just one model, quite often there are sets of 2 – 3 and 4 – 10 options, and in the most extensive sets this number can be 10 or more. Of course, a young inventor may not be limited to instructions and come up with his own assembly options; however, the most perfect and functional are usually the models that were originally provided for by the instructions.

Note that kits that allow multiple assembly options usually do not allow you to assemble more than one model at a time — that is, you can assemble a new model only by disassembling the previous one. However, there are exceptions to this rule — mainly among extensive sets of 5 or more options.

The presence of a remote control in the delivery set of the designer. This remote control can be either wired or wireless. It is found only in sets equipped with moving elements with a motor (see above), however, not every such set is equipped with a remote control, so the presence of this function should be specified separately. Also note that sets that are compatible with the remote control, but not equipped with it, do not belong to this category.