Age
Age recommendations are quite conditional, but it is still not recommended to deviate from them. So construction toys for older children may contain small parts that a curious little child might swallow. At the same time, sets for little ones are easy to assemble and uninteresting for adult children. And an age-inappropriate construction set may turn out to be too complex and inconvenient, upsetting or even frightening the baby.
Note that the age category to some extent characterizes the maximum age at which the designer can be useful. For example, a set for
1+ and
2+ is unlikely to attract
an 8-year-old or even a
7-year-old primary school student, while a complex design
for 14+,
16+ and even
18+ often turns out to be interesting even for adults over 30 and even over 40. However, even within the same age category, much depends on the characteristics of a particular set, in particular, on the type of game. And there are design options for any age. In addition to those listed above, there are also
3+,
4+,
5+,
6+,
9+,
10+,
11+,
12+.
Number of pieces
The total number of parts included in the delivery of the designer. At the same time, the calculation, usually, also takes into account the details that make up individual characters (torso, arms, legs, head, etc.) — despite the fact that the figures are most often delivered assembled and are not designed for disassembly during normal use . Also note that the kit may include several spare parts, in case of breakage or loss of any of the main elements.
Remote control
The presence
of a remote control in the delivery set of the designer. This remote control can be either wired or wireless. It is found only in sets equipped with moving elements with a motor (see above), however, not every such set is equipped with a remote control, so the presence of this function should be specified separately. Also note that sets that are compatible with the remote control, but not equipped with it, do not belong to this category.
Control via smartphone
by definition, a
construction set with smartphone control implies the presence of a motor (see the relevant paragraph). The feature is popular in robotics-related models (see "Game Type"), but is also found in other varieties. Note that not only a smartphone can be used for control, but also another gadget on which you can install the appropriate application — for example, a tablet. The connection is usually carried out via Bluetooth, which gives a range of up to 10 m. And the application itself can provide not only direct control, but also programming — the execution of user-defined motion programs.