Thames & Kosmos Kids First Robot Engineer Kit and Storybook

We have the robot set and the automobile set. We received the automobile set first as a christmas gift and loved it, so we bought the robot set. We have a few building/stem sets, cars and dinosaurs but these are by far the best. My son's grandfather did complain the pictures aren't an accurate representation of what the build actually looks like but to me that doesnts matter and my son(4 yrs old) has never mentioned it. I do have two complaints though. 1. There is only enough pieces per set to build one robot or car at a time . 2. Not all the pieces are interchangeable, most of them are but not all of them (see pictures) which I found disappointing BUT NOT DISAPPOINTING ENOUGH TO NEVER BUY THEM AGAIN! I PLAN ON BUYING THE AIRPLANE SET NEXT! I find these really allow for a lot of creative play most of the time my son does not build from the book and he has a ton of fun "free building" we also occasionally bring them in the bath. (but water does get into the pieces as and can be hard to shake out.)The quality of the pieces is great and I really like the size. Most building sets have such tiny pieces I feel like it's hard for young children to maneuver them but these are the perfect size.(The last picture is a free build. )

Purchased this for my 5 year old granddaughter, however her two year old sister loves putting it together too. Great toy for getting them thinking how things go together. Great for hand and eye coordination, etc. I always feel good when I pick a winning toy that they enjoy!

First off, my kids love it. It's actually probably the most requested toy since we received it. At just over 4, it's a little tough for them, they need a lot of direction with it i.e. expect to play along with them and help. But that's exactly what we got it for, something that was adult directed, one-on-one. I imagine in the near future they'll be able to use it independently.The instructions are good, and the robots are pretty decent. The pieces are large and just a little bit challenging to assemble - some pieces require a lot of hand strength. That's OK. Some are a bit loose or wobbly when playing with the final product. It's not bad, but you have to kind of convince them it's not a toy for serious play and it's more about the build. The pieces themselves are a little reminiscent of Lego Technics.I'd give it a 5 star if pieces/assembly were a little better. I understand there's probably some compromise in trying to design this around ease of assembly but perhaps some screws would make it a little more robust for some parts of the assembly. I also wish there were "extra" pieces to allow a bit more creative with the existing designs and adding on.

I just got this for my 4 year old son. He LOVES it. The directions are fairly straight forward and the story it comes with is super cute. He needs a little help, but is good at finding the pieces for each step.

Gave the First Robot Engineer Kit and the First Automobile Engineer kit to our 4 1/2 year old twin grandsons. They absolutely love them. One worked with Mom and one with Grandpa and were able to immediately put a "robot" and a "car" together with a little help explaining how to follow the assembly directions. The illustrated directions are very well done and will be very educational as the boys learn to follow the directions. They're quickly working through all the combinations shown in the booklet and will soon be making their own creations. Mom actually sat down - without a kid - and played with it creating her own robot. ;-) The pieces are very well made. And of a good size. The storage box is a great addition. The "eyes" seem to be the boys' favorite parts of the kits.

I bought this for my four-year-old daughter and robotics engineer husband for Christmas. It was something for them to bond over, and they love it. It’s got lots of different designs and is teaching my daughter about engineering and simple rod-and-axel machinery. She likes to design her own robots rather than use the examples in the story. The whole set functions like Legos, with endless options. It all comes in a perfect little case that keeps her from losing the pieces. Yes, it’s expensive but worth it if you’re looking for a great learning toy. I would definitely buy it again.

My 4 1/2 year old grandson had a lot of fun putting together the pieces. I left him alone with it for awhile and when I sat down to help I realized he put each section together himself but hadn’t connected the sections. I was impressed he was able to get that far. Overall kids can play with parts and learn how wheels work and gears connect. I think it is well worth the money. Also keeps them occupied.

Got this for my 4 year old for Christmas and it was, by far, the gift he played with the most. It’s months later and he still wants to build contraptions with the parts. We’ve built every robot in the book twice, and each time it’s like he has a brand new toy. 10/10 recommend!