Magnets are fun! Have you seen the look on a toddler’s face when they first experience the attraction of magnets? It’s magical. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, there is something about magnets that attracts people of all ages to it.
There are many different models and styles of magnetic tiles to choose from, so how do you decide on the best magnetic tiles? Here are some important aspects to consider:
- Number of pieces
- Size and shape of the pieces
- Strength of the magnets
- Durability of the set
- Compatibility with other magnetic sets
- Age appropriateness
- Safety
- Cost
How to select the best magnetic tiles for your child
Build quality
All legally sold magnetic tiles and blocks in the US are made from safe lead-free, BPA-free, and phthalate-free plastics like ABS. They need to pass all the ASTM and CPSC standards. You need them to be sturdy. You want them to have rounded corners. You want the magnets shielded and non-corrosive rivets.
Magnet strength
You’ll want to consider the strength of the magnets. Will the magnetic tiles stick together well enough for your child to build without getting frustrated? Will they stick too well? Will he be able to pull them apart?
Cost
Consider the cost alongside the quality, because you will want a balance of both. You need a high-quality set of magnetic tiles for the sake of your child and a reasonable cost because you deserve it.
Age-appropriateness
You will want magnetic blocks that are age-appropriate. If you get a set that is made for kids older than your child, he may not know what to do with it and may become frustrated, while a toy made more for a baby may bore him.
Safety
Check closely to make sure the toy is not hazardous, as it may have small parts that could potentially be ingested.
Top 9 best magnetic tiles
Magformers Challenger Deluxe Magnetic Building Blocks Set
Features
- 112 magnetic pieces
- Includes 48 triangles, 46 squares, 4 hexagons, 12 pentagons, and 2 wheels
- Many shapes of vivid colors that click when they connect
- Fosters creativity
Why we love it
Conveniently, the pieces are compatible with all other Magformers shapes. Also, you get connectivity every time with neodymium rare-earth magnets.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 22.5 x 3 x 16 inches |
| Total Weight of Package | 2.27 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 in 496 reviews |
Magna-Tiles Clear Colors Set
Features
- 100 pieces
- Includes 50 large squares, 40 small squares, 20 equilateral triangles, 11 right triangles, and 15 isosceles triangles
- Each shape has a base measurement of 3 inches
- Develops fine motor skills
Why we love it
We like that each tile is ultrasonically welded to keep magnets away from kids. Also, they are made with lead-free stainless steel rivets that don’t corrode. You get extra support from the spoke-like design.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 12.2 x 3.15 x 8.66 inches |
| Weight of Package | 6.16 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars in 4,277 reviews |
3D Magnetic 3D Building Tiles Set by cossy
Features
- 120 pieces
- Includes 44 small squares, 4 large squares, 4 windows, 24 small triangles, 16 medium triangles, 10 tall triangles, 2 car bases, and 2 arches
- Rounded corners
- Fosters creativity and shape recognition
Why we love it
Building tiles by cossy work well with other brands of tiles, so you can use these highly-transparent tiles to make skylights and such. The light through these tiles is very pleasing to the eye.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 32 x 24 x 10.4 inches |
| Weight of Package | 7.68 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 in 3,134 reviews |
Magformers Magnetic Building Tiles Basic Set
Features
- 62 pieces
- Includes 20 triangles, 30 squares, 12 pentagons
- Many shapes of vivid colors that click when they connect
- Fosters imagination
Why we love it
You get connectivity every time with neodymium rare-earth magnets. Also, conveniently, the pieces are compatible with all other Magformers shapes.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 12 x 2 x 12.5 inches |
| Weight of Package | 2 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 in 1,327 reviews |
PicassoTiles Clear Color Magnetic 3D Tiles Deluxe Construction Kit
Features
- 180 pieces
- Includes 26 alphabet tiles, 10 numbers, 11 roman numerals, 2 LED light glow in the dark tiles (CR2032 battery not included), 2 PicassoTiles car truck, 2 large three by one column, 8 symbols, 38 small triangles, 34 right triangles, 18 isosceles triangles, 2 large square, and 27 various windows
- All Picasso Tiles sets fit as add-on pieces
- A STEM engineering toy
Why we love it
The Picasso Tiles set is unique, as it features learning material right on the tiles. Another thing we like is that there are two LED glow-in-the-dark tiles. *Batteries are not included.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 12.3 x 11.9 x 5.5 inches |
| Weight of Package | 4.4 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 in 467 reviews |
PicassoTiles Magnetic 3D Building Tiles Construction Kit
Features
- 100 pieces
- Includes 8 large squares, 46 small squares, 20 small triangles, 12 medium right triangles, 14 tall triangles
- Easy to store
- Fosters understanding of engineering and magnetic polarity
Why we love it
We like this set because each tile can be replaced. You can add to the set, as well, to build a city, if you like.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 2.56 x 11.02 x 18.9 inches |
| Weight of Package | 5.51 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 in 12,029 reviews |
Discovery Kids Magnetic Blocks Set
Features
- 26 pieces
- Extra-stong magnets
- Compatible with other Discovery Kids sets
- Develops problem-solving skills
Why we love it
We love the simple ball-and-joint system that is easy for kids to build with. Also, the blocks stick to most metal surfaces.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 16.25 x 13.75 x 2.25 inches |
| Weight of Package | 1.15 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 5-8 years |
| Material | Lead, BPA, and phthalate-free |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 in 2,172 reviews |
Intock Magnetic Blocks
Features
- 40 pieces
- Magnetic cubes
- Easy to store
- A fundamental STEM toy
Why we love it
We like that all blocks are the same size fostering basic building skills. Any side of a magnet cube clicks and sticks with any side or corner of another.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 10.75 x 8.46 x 2.09 inches |
| Weight of Package | 1.26 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 in 458 reviews |
Playmags 3D Magnetic Blocks
Features
- 100 pieces
- Includes 13 ABC letter blocks, 14 window squares, 10 right angle triangles, 12 equilateral triangles, 26 small squares, 2 large squares, 8 acute triangles and 8 rectangles.
- Includes windows and letters for added fun
- A STEM engineering toy
Why we love it
This set comes with a ton of different shapes and colors and the magnets are two times stronger than most other sets. There are countless ways to set up this kit and kids really enjoy playing with it.
Specifications
| Dimensions of Package | 132.75 x 9.25 x 2.5 inches |
| Weight of Package | 6.49 pounds |
| Age Recommended by Manufacturer | 3 years and up |
| Material | ABS plastic |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 in 148 reviews |
Are magnetic tiles STEM toys?
Yes, magnetic tiles can be considered STEM toys because they focus on building.
The STEM method focuses on science and technology, but with magnetic tiles, we pinpoint what else STEM focuses on, which is engineering and math. Math and engineering skills are exercised every moment that a child plays with magnetic tiles.
Magnetic tiles are great for the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills. Innovation, collaboration, curiosity, flexibility, and independent, analytical thinking are skills that can be fostered by play with magnetic tiles, and they are, therefore, great tools for STEM teaching.
Find out more about the best STEM toys for toddlers here.
What are the best brands of magnetic tiles?
From my experience and research, the best magnetic blocks for kids are Magna-Tiles, Magformers, Discovery Kids, Picasso Tiles, cossy, Intock, and Playmags.
How many magnetic blocks do I need?
About 100 magnetic tiles or blocks should be plenty for a toddler. You may want to consider buying more than 100 tiles if you or your husband play with him or if he will play with other kids.
For a child of 4 years or older, roughly 100 to 135 blocks should do the trick. They may feel slighted with any less.
If you have more than one child, or if your child has cousins or friends that come over often, you should go with sets larger than 140 pieces or get multiple sets of magnetic tiles. This will prevent many arguments and hurt feelings.
This video shows great ideas for how to set up and play with magnetic tiles
Do the magnetic tiles attach from any direction?
Magnetism is when metals can attract or pull together. Magnets have two ends like the earth – a north pole and a south pole, and one attracts the other. Each is a magnet that pulls on the other. However, a north pole and another north pole will repel each other. Magnets act somewhat like the positive and negative charges of electricity.
With magnetic tiles, if you don’t line them up correctly or edge to edge but instead, attempt to line them at the midpoints, they will push each other away at this point. They will, however, very quickly line themselves up, attract each other at the right place, and fall into the proper place.
Which is better, Magformers or Magna-Tiles?
Magna-Tiles are more expensive than Magformers and they also sell more tiles. They have super-strong magnets and metal rivets in the corners that secure the magnets. The flat sides enable you to stand them on their sides, which helps tremendously when constructing.
Magformers are easy for kids to hold because they’re larger than Magna-Tiles. They can not stand on their side. Their magnets are such that clean-up and storage can be difficult. Storage is also bulky with Magformers.
Magna-Tiles are easier to use and compatible with other magnetic building tiles, while Magformers are not compatible. Magformers and Magna-Tiles utilize fine motor and critical thinking skills.
Are Magna-Tiles dangerous?
Magna-Tiles are no more dangerous than other magnetic tiles. Any magnetic tiles can be dangerous if you are not responsible when buying them.
You need to make sure you are buying age and developmentally-appropriate toys for your child. If there are small parts or small parts that may come off of the toy and choke your child, such as wheels, make sure your child is old enough and mentally responsible enough not to put them in his mouth.
Make sure the toys you buy have passed all the ASTM and CPSC standards.
What is the best brand of magnetic tiles?
The 3 best magnetic building tiles are Picasso Tiles, Magformers, and Magna-tiles. We’ve already discussed Magformers and Magna-Tiles, so let’s discuss Picasso Tiles.
Picasso magnetic tiles have won awards for some of their tile kits. The allow creativity and imagination to run wild. Picasso tiles are very easy to attach and detach, so your child can build whatever he envisions. Picasso is the only brand that offers a kit with LED lights, and they glow in 3 modes. Not just colors and shapes, many of these tiles have learning materials like roman numerals and numbers etched in.
What ages are magnetic tiles for?
Ideally, the age for magnetic tile play is between 3 and 10 years old. Magnetic tiles for kids are like Charades and Twister, they are fun for almost any age. However, a child under 3 years old may choke on small parts.
Also, they may have a difficult time understanding what to do with the tiles or blocks and get frustrated with them. Unless your toddler is advanced enough, don’t leave the magnetic tiles there for him to get frustrated. Take them up and try again at a later time when he can handle them and explore STEM learning better and he’ll love them.
How to clean magnetic tiles
If you submerge your magnetic tiles into water, it can eventually cause your magnets and rivets to corrode. You can even get mold between the magnet and the plastic. You want to simply wipe the blocks down with a cloth damp with this solution: 8 cups warm water, half cup of white vinegar, and a hefty squirt of dish soap.
Vikki is the creator of Totsgo and the mother of two children. She is a passionate mother who enjoys assisting other parents.