Meccano Set

Looking for that perfect model construction set that both you and your child can enjoy? Meccano sets are construction kits that use a variety of reusable materials, such as metal strips, wheels, axles and gears to build vehicles. Their kits are suitable for kids as young as two and for kids eight years old and up. Sold throughout the world, Meccano sets are classic kid’s toys that continue to be engaging for young minds. In the U.S., Meccano sets are known as Erector sets, while the rest of the world knows these famous toys under the Meccano name. Yet just like other popular toys that have been around for a long time, Meccano sets have a rich history that has led to their popularity.
In 1898, a man named Frank Hornby constructed sets for his children to play with using nuts and bolts. In 1907, the name Meccano became registered and the toys were sold under “Mechanics Made Easy”. Throughout the early to mid 1900’s, Meccano opened several factories that manufactured hundreds of thousands of sets per day. The popularity of these toys continued to rise, and during the 1970’s, General Mills acquired the company. In 1985, Meccano was sold however, and in 2000 it was picked up the Japanese company, Nikko.
During this time, Meccano began reaching out to its younger crowd, offering construction sets for kids 4 years old and up. These new pieces were made of brightly colored plastic. With these new pieces that were easy for small hands, Meccano then offered construction sets for preschool kids, ages 2 and up in 2006. And Meccano hasn’t slowed down since then. They have gone on to offer robots that can be built on your own and then controlled by a WIFI. These robots also have the ability to take pictures and videos with a built-in webcam.
The appeal to these innovative construction sets is that they combine the elements of building and constructing, and join them with technological advances, such as with the WIFI controlled SPYKEE robot that the whole family can enjoy. Using their creativity and fine motor skills, kids can build and construct a variety of vehicles, which get more complex for older children. The sets geared toward preschoolers offer large and brightly colored plastic pieces, where tots have the ability to build cars that they can play with afterward.
Meccano then goes on to offer construction sets that come in convenient reusable storage containers so kids can build over and over again. The choices become more plentiful with the older kid sets, such as with building a variety of vehicles, robots, complex model cars and even fine tuning cars. What sets these sets apart from the rest is that they offer bright and shiny steel parts so kids feel like they’re building with real parts! Best of all, once the vehicles are constructed, kids have new toys to play with that they have constructed on their very own! With plenty of room for new additions, as well as hours of endless play, Meccano is a name that will continue to live on in children.