Using Kid K'NEX in Early Years and the Foundation Stage

"Traditional" K'NEX can be used by children aged 3 to 5, with supervision, but some children of this age may find that their fingers are not strong enough to join K'NEX rods to connectors.

The manufacturers of K'NEX recognised this problem, and in 2003 brought out the Kid K'NEX range. Kid K'NEX is suitable for ages 3 to 7, so there is some age overlap with traditional K'NEX.

Kid K'NEX is a version of K'NEX with larger, chunkier rods and connectors that small hands can more easily join together. The bright, almost fluorescent colours appeal to young children, but undoubtedly the most attractive feature of Kid K'NEX are the eyes, ears and feet, as the photo shows.

Primary Schools confirm that the new Kid K'NEX fully upholds the K'NEX tradition, of being a product that children love to play with, but from which schools can also gain significant educational benefits. The skills that Kid K'NEX can help enhance include:

Number skills
Colour and Shape matching skills
Problem-solving skills
Spatial relations
Strength and coordination
Self-direction and self-esteem

As with traditional K'NEX, Kid K'NEX is especially valuable when children play with it in small groups. This helps them to develop additional skills such as:

Language skills
Cooperative skills

Kid K'NEX characters can also be used to link into other activities that the age group enjoy, such as story telling.

All Kid K'NEX sets come with full-colour instruction cards. Once the children have used these to become familiar with Kid K'NEX, teachers can allow "free play", or guide the children towards specific objectives such as:

1. Build a house for the Kid K'NEX creatures you have built.
2. Make a table and chair for the Kid K'NEX creatures to use.
3. Make a Kid K'NEX garden.
4. Make a Kid K'NEX bus (if you have the Kid K'NEX Transportation set).

Our K'NEX shop includes all the Kid K'NEX education sets that are available.

Using Kid K'NEX in Early Years and the Foundation Stage

KNEX resources > Curriculum > Early Years


Useful links Advanced search About us Contact us News Sitemap Website conditions of use Are you selling K'NEX?	Terms and conditions Payment methods Credit card security Value Added Tax (VAT) Shipping Order confirmation Delivery Guarantee Privacy policy Cancellation and Returns policy	Frequently Asked Questions Product safety How to order Which set to buy? Countries and currencies Languages Your email address Ordering offline Quotations Site navigation Accessibility Error messages