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Magna-Tiles: Benefits, Ages & Why Parents and Educators Love Them

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Lubica Misevski

Why Parents and Educators Choose Magna-Tiles 

Magna-Tiles are one of the most trusted magnetic construction tiles for children, used widely in homes, classrooms, and therapy settings. Parents, educators, and occupational therapists often ask whether the higher price is justified, how Magna-Tiles compare to other brands like Connetix or PicassoTiles, and the age range for which they are suitable. In this article, we break down the benefits, longevity, and professional insights to help you decide.

What Are Magna-Tiles? A Guide to Magnetic Construction Tiles

Magna-Tiles are magnetic construction tiles that allow children to build both two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures simply by connecting the edges. Each tile contains strong, securely sealed magnets encased in high-quality ABS plastic, making them safe, durable, and easy to handle for little hands. Because the tiles are transparent or brightly coloured, they also add a visual learning element, helping children explore colour, shape, and symmetry as they play.

First introduced in 1997, Magna-Tiles were the original magnetic tile construction system and have remained popular for over two decades. They have won numerous international toy awards, which is a testament to their educational value, safety, and durability.

The beauty of Magna-Tiles is their open-ended design. Unlike toys with fixed instructions or outcomes, children can freely experiment, test their ideas, and create structures limited only by their imagination. This makes them a powerful tool not just for play, but also for learning and development.

Magna-Tiles are widely used in homes, classrooms, early learning centres, and occupational therapy settings. Educators and therapists value them for teaching spatial reasoning, geometry, balance, and fine motor skills, while parents appreciate how they engage children independently, encourage collaborative play, and spark creativity.

The Benefits of Magna-Tiles for Kids’ Learning and Development

Magna-Tiles provide a wide range of educational and developmental benefits, which is why they are trusted by parents, teachers, and therapists:

Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating tiles strengthens hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

Spatial Reasoning & Geometry: Building structures teaches symmetry, balance, and geometric concepts.

Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Children plan, test, and rebuild, developing cognitive skills.

Creativity & Open-Ended Play: Magna-Tiles allow unlimited imaginative possibilities.

Collaboration & Social Skills: Ideal for group projects or classroom play.

Occupational Therapy & Developmental Support: Used by Occupational Therapists (OTs) to improve coordination, bilateral skills, and spatial awareness.

Magna-Tiles are highly adaptable and grow with children, providing challenges and learning opportunities from ages 3 to at least 12 years.

Recommended Age for Magna-Tiles: From 3 Years to 12 Years and beyond

Magna-Tiles are not just for younger children. At 7 years and beyond, children can engage in more complex builds, planning and experimenting with symmetry, balance, and engineering concepts. Educators and occupational therapists find Magna-Tiles useful for teaching spatial awareness, problem-solving, and motor coordination well into the upper primary years.

We recommend Magna-Tiles for children from 3 years old up to at least 12, although they can continue to engage older children in more complex and imaginative play. Our own children, now 13 and 15, played with Magna-Tiles every day for over 10 years, and we can confidently say you can never have too many tiles.

Why Are Magna-Tiles Expensive? Understanding Quality and Safety

Magna-Tiles cost more than some other magnetic tiles because of their high-quality materials and rigorous safety standards. Each tile is made from durable, food-grade ABS plastic, with magnets safely sealed inside to prevent breakage. They also meet strict international safety requirements, ensuring they are safe for repeated use in homes, schools, and therapy rooms.

While lower-cost alternatives exist, their plastic is often thinner, magnets weaker, and durability limited. For professionals and families who value long-term educational toys, Magna-Tiles represent a worthwhile investment.

Magna-Tiles vs Connetix Tiles: What Parents and Educators Need to Know

Many families ask whether Connetix Tiles are better than Magna-Tiles. Magna-Tiles remain our preferred choice due to their consistency, durability, and quality. They are designed for a wide range of ages and are ideal for early learning, primary education, and therapy applications.

Connetix Tiles were developed in Australia during a period when Magna-Tiles were less available. They are compatible with Magna-Tiles and can be used together. This makes it easy for families or schools to combine brands without issues, although our experience testing multiple magnetic tile brands shows that Magna-Tiles perform best over time, particularly in high-use environments.

Magna-Tiles vs PicassoTiles: Durability, Quality, and Long-Term Value

When comparing Magna-Tiles to PicassoTiles, the decision usually comes down to durability and long-term use versus initial cost. Magna-Tiles are thicker, more durable, and maintain consistent magnet strength over years of use, making them ideal for classrooms and therapy settings. PicassoTiles may suit casual home use or lower budgets, but they typically do not provide the same longevity or reliability for daily play and learning.

Parent, Educator, and Therapist Feedback on Magna-Tiles

Across homes, classrooms, and therapy settings, the feedback is consistent: Magna-Tiles remain in frequent use long after other toys have been rotated out. Parents appreciate that they engage children independently, while educators and therapists value their versatility, adaptability, and alignment with developmental goals.

Because Magna-Tiles do not rely on screens, batteries, or rigid instructions, they encourage independent thinking, creativity, and collaborative play.

Final Thoughts: Why Magna-Tiles Are Worth the Investment

Magna-Tiles are not the cheapest magnetic tiles available, but they are the original and most trusted magnetic construction toy. With a history dating back to 1997, numerous international toy awards, and decades of consistent use in homes, classrooms, and therapy spaces, they are a long-term investment in children’s learning and development.

We have been selling Magna-Tiles at KidzInc since 2014, and based on our testing of most brands, we continue to favour Magna-Tiles for their quality, durability, and versatility. This is one toy that truly grows with children, from 3 years up to at least 12, and beyond.

KidzInc: Trusted Authorised Seller of Magna-Tiles

KidzInc has been an authorised seller of Magna-Tiles for many years, bringing these trusted magnetic construction tiles into homes, classrooms, and therapy spaces across Australia. Ready to introduce the creativity, learning, and hands-on fun of Magna-Tiles to your child or students?

Shop now at KidzInc and discover why families, educators, and occupational therapists have trusted Magna-Tiles for many decades.

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4 Unique Ways to Use Your Magna Tiles or Playmags for STEM Education

Posted on September 01, 2017 by Lubica Misevski

STEM education is an incredibly important part of the education of every child. Without knowledge in science, math, technology, and engineering—the four fields "STEM" gets its name from—our society simply cannot move forward.

Unfortunately, traditional methods of teaching these subjects are often boring and unlikely to inspire future generations to build careers in these areas. In order to inspire our children, we must provide them with the tools they need to explore the world around them at their own pace. One of the best STEM tools out there is a set of Magna-Tiles or Playmags magnetic tiles. 

If your child has ever played with Magna-Tiles or Playmags, they know just how fun they can be. Combining science, math, and creativity, these cool magnetic blocks offer kids endless opportunities to express themselves. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and each one boasts magnetic edges which stick to the sides of other blocks in the set. This means less frustration with collapsing structures, and more small-scale engineering as the child discovers all the amazing ways Magna-Tiles or Playmags can go together. 

While building with Magna-Tiles or Playmags is a blast in and of itself, it doesn't have to be the only way these incredible educational blocks are used. Below is a list of four other ways Magna-Tiles can be used to expand upon your child's STEM education.

Stained-Glass Tiles

Magna-Tiles or Playmags are the perfect addition to any light table. If you've never seen one, imagine a table with a glowing top. Light tables provide sensory and exploratory fun for children of all ages.

If purchasing a light table isn't feasible for your family at the moment, you can roll your own by placing lights inside a transparent box. Just be sure to watch your child carefully when they play with it, to avoid burns. 

Once you have a light table, just add a set of Magna-Tiles or Playmags on top for hours of awesome, stained-glass fun!

Refrigerator Creations

Because Magna-Tiles and Playmags are magnetic, they are perfect for adding some fabulous decorations to the front of your refrigerator. Begin by showing your child how the tiles stick to the fridge, and see where they go from there.

Soon enough, they will likely discover the fact that they can actually build out from the fridge and create three-dimensional fridge structures.

Tunnels

Adding some marbles or toy cars to your Magna-Tiles or Playmags play may not be the first thing to occur to you. However, these are actually an excellent addition to building time. Kids love tunnels, and tunnels built with Magna-Tiles or Playmags are the perfect size for tiny cars and marbles.

Tunnel building is an ideal opportunity for teaching some science lessons in gravity, physics, and energy, and it's all so fun that your children are sure to remember the lessons learned, whether they realize it or not. Tunnels can be built freestanding on the floor, or on the refrigerator or other magnetic surface.

Encourage the kids to experiment with different angles and several rolling objects. You'll be surprised just how much they absorb. 

Magnetic Experimentation

Magnetic blocks such as Magna-Tiles or Playmags present a great opportunity to introduce children to magnetism and why it works.

After discussing the science behind magnets, head out into the world — equipped with some tiles, of course — and experiment to find out what in our world is magnetic and what is not. Have the children make hypotheses, test their theories, and track the results. This is a great educational family activity!

These are just some of the awesome ways Magna-Tiles or Playmags can be used. By handing your child a set of these fantastic blocks, you will see just how many more there truly are.

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Playmags vs. Magna Tiles vs. Neopuzzle vs Magformers TileBlox: Which One is Best for Your Child?

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Lubica Misevski

Magnetic building tiles are an excellent STEM toy, which encourages creativity in your child, allowing them to build amazing creations. When it comes time to choose the brand that will work best for them, you want to be sure that you're getting the right one.

If you are trying to decide between Playmags vs. Magna Tiles vs. Neopuzzle vs. Magformers TileBlox? We have put together a simple comparison to understand below.

Durability and Performance

When it comes to durability and performance, Magformers TileBlox and Magna Tiles hold up well. They're designed to take heavy use and keep on ticking. In fact, all four of these great products will allow for many hours of creative play in your home. 

They are tough little toys and, as a bonus, they're a building toy that won't get sucked up into the vacuum cleaner. They are also a little larger than many of the building blocks on the market for older kids. So vital pieces will be less likely to go missing at the wrong moment. As a bonus, they all stick to one another for easier clean-up and organisation. 

They can handle being stacked high, smashed down, and played with on a regular basis. This is great! Because when you bring these toys into your home, you will discover that your kids can't wait to play with them, build them up, and then knock them down and start all over again.

In comparing Playmags vs. Magna-tiles vs. Neopuzzle vs Magformers TileBlox, they are close in durability and performance, although Neopuzzle is a lower price. Making them a better deal for your money but the quality isn't as good. But we like the Magformers TileBlox as they are STEM.org certified or Magna-Tiles the original magnetic construction toy. 

Creative Opportunities

Magformers TileBlox, Playmags, Neopuzzles, and Magna Tiles offer a wide range of creative opportunities. If your child can imagine it, they can find a way to build it with these great toys!

If you're looking for a toy that offers a wider creative range, Neopuzzle offers a larger variety of pieces than Magna-Tiles. Including wheels, windows, and car bases in the 155 Piece Set. *** Updated: Since reviewing these magnetic tiles, Magna-Tiles has launched many new shapes and sets, which wins hands down the creative side of magnetic play. ***

Encouraging your children to engage in even more creative play. When you want truly limitless building opportunities, Magna-Tiles offers a better opportunity. From constructing houses with windows to creative vehicles. Magna-Tiles has a wider range of pieces that offer more creative fun.

Connecting to Other Brands

Magformers TileBlox, Playmags, and Neopuzzle magnetic tiles are designed to connect well with other brands of magnetic tiles. Including Magna Tiles. That means that if you want to add to your child's set, you don't have to worry about choosing the brand they already have! The versatile pieces easily connect. Even if you mix and match brands, allowing them full creative freedom.

Comparing Playmags vs. Magna Tiles vs. Neopuzzle vs. Magformers TileBlox Tiles for Shapes and Freedom

Playmags, Magna Tiles, Magformers TileBlox, and Neopuzzle offer a broad range of shapes that will allow your child the freedom to design amazing creations. They have varying sizes of rectangles and squares and different shapes of triangles. All designed to fit together in your child's custom creation. Although Playmags and Neopuzzle have a wider variety of options. Allowing for a greater range of creative exploration. 

Whether these are a quiet time toy on a rainy-day or simply an addition to your child's creative toy box. Magnetic building tiles of either four of these brands offer a wide range of creative benefits.

If you're looking for a magnetic building set and can’t decide between Playmags vs. Magna tiles vs. Neopuzzle vs. Magformers TileBlox you can't go wrong with the Magformers TileBlox of Magnetic tiles of these brands. As they are the leading brand on the market for magnetic construction toys. All sets will offer hours of entertainment for your child. While encouraging them to increase their spatial understanding, their interaction with geometry, and more. 

Magnetic building tiles are amazing toys! That will be sure to capture your kids' attention and encourage them to engage in creative play.

When it comes down to a direct comparison of Playmags vs. Magna Tiles vs. Neopuzzle, vs. Magformers TileBlox the Magna-Tiles or TileBlox clearly wins out as the superior toy as they are STEM.org and the brand has been around for a long time developing magnetic construction toys.  Bring them home for your child today and watch them light up while engaging in creative play that's sure to last for hours. 

There are other magnetic tiles on the market now in Australia such as Connetix Tiles, Kmart Tiles and Kidstuff Magnetika but in our opinion are an inferior copy of the original MagnaTiles and Magformers.  The latter two brands are well respected in the magnetic tile toy industry and are leaders in the field. 

Please consider the safety of the magnet when choosing a magnetic tile for your child. Only chose from reputable companies that have invested countless hours in the design and manfacturing of their product i.e Magna Tiles or Magformers. 

Our full range of Magnetic Tiles can be found here. 

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Magna Tiles Australia - Magnetic Blocks where Math and Creativity Meet

Posted on October 08, 2014 by Lubica Misevski

We absolutely love Magna Tiles Australia, and if you are familiar with them no doubt, you love Magna Tiles too. If not let us explain not only the benefits of Magna Tiles for your children, but why they are such a wonderful and unique product.

They make a wonderful toy for boys or girls, and are popular with both for either birthdays, christmas, any special occasion or if you just want that educational toy to entertain them for hours while developing their little minds in the process. 

For girls and boys of three years of age and up, they were one of the best toys in 2014, 2015 and now 2016. Magna Tiles are “where math, science, creativity meet.”

Currently, we stock the 32 piece set, the 48 and 100 piece sets.

Please note we are waiting for our Magna Tiles shipment to arrive, but we do have stock of the popular Playmags, and Popular Playthings Magsnaps magnetic tiles. 

Please read our Review on Playmags vs Magna Tiles if you need help deciding on which set to buy. 

Magna Tiles 32 Piece Set

Magna Tiles CC 48 Piece DX Set

Magna Tiles 100 Piece Set

These tiles are magnetic, and attract on all sides and in all manner of combinations. Enabling young boys and girls to create pyramids, cubes, and many different geometric shapes. Our daughter is currently building little box and triangle houses for her toys.

The Magna Tiles are fun for children because they give them a "hands on" approach to learning. Boys and Girls are able to critically think through play. This happens when the tiles do not lineup the way the child imagines and your boy or girl will need to think through alternatives. This is great for developing a creative mindset.

The Magna Tiles access the right side of the brain, training through simple fun and construction. This helps with math and spatial relationships, by creative building.

It is quite surprising how many development areas the magna tiles impact in young children. The areas include pattern recognition spotting similar shapes like a triangle. Identifying different shapes and colours, spotting how shapes are symmetrical when joined together.

The Magna Tiles are also great for developing fine motor skills. They are ideal for understanding how magnets work, and magnetic principles. They are wonderful for building skills, and developing your child’s imagination. The building options feel endless.

Outside of being a great product for developing your son or daughter, they are also a multiple toy winner.

They have won the:

Sorry to have listed so many Awards, however one of the things we feel as parents, with so many toys on the market today its good to know that you're buying a toy that's well regarded and recognized by the toy industry.

If we were selecting toys for our children (we do all the time :)). We too would want to know if they were award winners, and how they might help our children develop.

This is why we love Magna Tiles, and we know you and your little ones will as well. Great for Boys and Girls 3 years +

For our complete range of Magna Tiles and other Magnetic Tiles, please click here.

Customer Testimonials

What some of Our Customers have to say about Magna Tiles:

"Great product my grandchildren love them,very creative" by Shelia L

"An excellent purchase from a great seller. I love this construction toy. This is the third set I have bought. Two for grandchildren who live in the UK and this one for granddaughter who lives here in Oz. I highly recommend this to all. 10/10" by Wendy O

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