MindWare KEVA Contraptions, 200 Plank Set

This gift has not been given yet but I am expecting it to be well received.

My 6 year old nephew loved it

I'll admit, I was worried this was a lot to pay for pieces of wood. However, this is one of the coolest toys ever. It uses good old fashioned building blocks, except that the weight and proportion of the blocks just happens to mean that these are particularly good for building and balancing. My kids and I have so much fun trying to build the ball runs in the manual. It's challenging, and our structures sometimes fall down prematurely, but what a satisfying toy. We all get a sense of accomplishment from working together to build something that looks impressive, took hard work and brain power, and culminates with a fun ball run. Plus, did you ever notice that siblings fight less when they're working toward a common goal? This is just the ticket. I'm looking forward to hours of family fun.Hint: There are manufacturers that sell these types of blocks cheaper. I'm usually one for a discount, but in this case you'll want to consider the importance of the included manual. That's where the magic lies.

just the right summer gift to my boy.. we r having fun building contraptions

Simple but effective - as long as you have a very flat surface to use it on. Both 7 year old and 11 year old are enjoying it.