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Anyone who has watched a child build a sandcastle or a pillow fort knows that kids are natural-born engineers. They come into this world with an innate curiosity about science, technology, engineering, and math (aka STEM); it’s our job to nurture that curiosity and encourage them to find the fun in this type of learning. 

Of course, learning comes best when it’s done through play, which is why magnetic tile toys are some of the most popular at the holidays. Parents love the idea of them. Kids get a kick out of them. Plus, you’ll get years of mileage out of these toys. We promise these are the surprise toys that take years longer to grow out of than you'd ever expect.

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With years of toy testing under our belts, we’ve noticed that magnetic tile toys are STEM toys that consistently rise above the rest. These include building sets from Magna-Tiles, Picasso Tiles, Magformers and Connetix.

If you only buy one tactile, STEM-based toy this year, make it one of these magnetic building sets. Here is what to know, as well as our favorite picks.

These colorful, clear, plastic and magnetic educational toys are an alternative to typical building block sets, like Legos, Lincoln Logs and old-fashioned blocks. All of these multi-piece sets come in a range of flat geometric shapes that encourage kids to learn through problem-solving and open-ended play.  

The edges of each piece are used to connect the shapes together for building, which allows kids to create tactile works of art and 3-dimensional structures. 

Magna-Tiles, Picasso Tiles, Magformers and Connetix are excellent options for building fine motor skills, creative thinking, and engineering skills in kids ages 3 to whenever they've grown out of the building bug. An open-ended toy, they are a gift guide favorite and appeal to both preschoolers and older kids, alike.  

While the choice of which you buy may be subjective, we highly recommend you get a starter set of 100 magnetic tiles or more. A bigger set allows for more creativity.

Magna-Tiles are so popular that the brand’s name is synonymous with magnetic tile toys. While these are the priciest of your options, there is a reason they’re so popular. 

Standout features on Magna-Tiles are rivet-welded sides, which keep the magnets in place, a criss-cross lattice interior for strength, and a flat exterior design, which make these a favorite choice for creating ramps and bridges and anything else toy cars may drive over.

The super strong internal magnets make builds sturdy and minimize frustration when younger kids are first honing their building skills. 

Picasso Tiles are a more affordable option to Magna-Tiles. Like the latter, they have a flat surface and a lattice interior for strength. Depending on who you ask, Picasso Tiles are stronger than Magna-Tiles, but in our experience, they seem equally strong. 

Where they differ, however, is their sides. Picasso Tiles are not riveted closed; instead, they are glue-sealed. For many people, this is a non-issue, but we’ve seen some complaints of this weaker seal causing them to break open more easily. Because the magnets are so small, this may be an issue for you. 

We also love Picasso Tiles’ add-on sets, like this race car marble run combo set. 

It’s worth noting that Picasso Tiles and Magna-Tiles are interchangeable when building. 

Magformers are a little bit different than most magnetic tile toys in that these aren’t really tiles at all. Instead, Magformers are shape outlines, which allow kids to make very cool, hollowed-out, 3-D structures.

Because they are hollow, it is easier for little hands to grasp them. Magformers have some of the strongest magnets of the bunch, which make them extra gratifying for builds. Magformers are the best magnetic tile toys for making movable structures like balls and cylinders.

Unfortunately, Magformers are not compatible with other magnetic tile sets.

Connetix Tiles are gorgeous magnetic tiles that look like jewels because of the exterior beveling and the lovely pastel colors. These magnetic tile toy builds are some of the most stunning to look at, and they catch the light beautifully. 

While the bevel design is undeniably pretty, it also helps protect the magnetic tile pieces from scratches, adding to their longevity. They also feel really cool in a little kid’s hands. Unfortunately, this also makes Connetix Tiles not the best choice for anyone making car ramps and roadways.

We found the magnets on these to be very strong and high quality. The riveted sides are a nice safety measure for curious mouths and the exterior bevel helps make this the most scratch-resistant choice of all the magnetic tile sets. Additionally, the marble run build kits are extensive and really fun to create with.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.