Have
you heard of LaQ? We loooooove it!
We
have been long term LaQ fans since discovering it by chance at a Japanese toy
'pop up shop' in a shopping centre, about six years ago! Lily sat down and was
instantly entranced, connecting up all kinds of shapes with her teeny little
fingers. I loved the fine motor aspect and how engaged she was, so we ended up
buying a small kit. It's been a well loved open-ended toy in our home ever
since!
Recently, a lovely
little small business called Smarty Pants Toys reached
out to me - I guess they heard that we were big LaQ fans :) They kindly offered
to send us some new LaQ - what a treat! The more you have the more you can create,
so we were very grateful. I am thrilled to partner with them as I think it is a
top quality construction toy that I really think serves as a worthwhile ‘investment
buy’ for families.
So what is LaQ
exactly? It's a series of seven small plastic shapes (triangles,
squares and joiner pieces) in 12 bright colours, that click together horizontally to create
pretty much whatever you like, whether 2D or 3D or even spherical! The pieces
join together in the most satisfying little 'click' and then are easily
separated by bending till they 'snap' and come apart. I think this is part of
the pleasure of building with LaQ - the sensory satisfaction! They are really
fun to build and create with... and just engage children in a really beautiful
way, unleashing all sorts of creativity with infinite design possibilities! My kids
just love squirreling themselves away to make their LaQ creations as I have
recorded many times on this little blog, such as here – this one was five years ago, and
look how tiny the kids are!!
LaQ are sort of like Lego. Like Lego, you can build kits or just free build. With Lego you generally only build 3D tower/vertical shapes, but with LaQ you can get really creative by connecting the pieces horizontally to make 2D (flat) images or fully 3D curved and angular shapes - it's flat and flexible. LaQ are so fun to snap and click together and apart - unlike the agony of prising apart two Lego blocks with your fingernails, haha ;) We love and play with both, but I have to say that LaQ has that Japanese quirkiness and ingenuity that I just love!
LaQ has so many
benefits apart from just the pure fun!
As mentioned, LaQ
has fantastic sensory input - the click and snap is sooooo satisfying and
really helps even the youngest users understand when the pieces are securely
attached. It makes it an enjoyable breeze to build and rebuild and I think
the added sensory input really engages kids. For kids who struggle to focus (as
mine do at times!), LaQ is a great way to settle them down and draw them in
with a focused fine motor task.
Educationally, LaQ
are excellent for developing planning skills when following the easy-to-use
instruction guides, and encouraging creativity when free-building. I also love
seeing the kids use their maths skills (unaware!), through counting and sorting
the pieces and calculating what is required to build whatever they choose.
Learning through play is so beneficial and with LaQ you really see that in
action! It is like seeing mini-engineers at work - the perfect STEM toy 😊 The wheels and axels means the
kids can play with what they build, not just make display pieces too! LaQ develops
spatial ability, concentration, fine motor skills and more, all while engaging
both left and right brain. It really is a clever but simple toy – seven parts
and endless possibilities!
Other educational
benefits come in when building flat (2D) shapes. My son had the idea to start creating numerals from one to ten, which is a great way to work on numeracy and literacy in a
hands-on way (which we all know helps information sink in deeper!). My kids
also like making patterns and mosaics out of the colours which is another rich learning
activity.
I am very selective
about the products I endorse on this little blog of mine, because I know you
guys trust me to only recommend things I genuinely like. Well, we have had LaQ
in our home for over 6 years and I still think it is a winner!
If you are looking for a toy with a difference for an upcoming gift, why not invest in something that is open-ended and allows for endless learning and creativity. I don't think you can go wrong with LaQ! It takes construction to a whole new level of fun! Find out more here.
Ok, now here is a
truck load of photos, taken over the last few weeks as my kids have returned to
our new LaQ set again and again to make a range of creations 😊
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| One box that can create all of this!!! |
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| Reading the easy-to-follow instructions before starting to create! |
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| Love seeing little hands reaching into a massive pile of LaQ! |
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| Miles busy creating a little truck, all out of his own imagination! |
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| Counting and sorting... when maths looks like (and feels like).. play! |
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| Is there anything more precious than these moments? Father and son, building together! |
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| On a mission to make a huge robot! |
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| This creative girl doesn't need a plan. She loves to build according to her own vision! Love to see her create. |
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| Love the 'to scale' diagrams that make it so easy to follow! |
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| Grubby fingernails and creative kids! Made his own little truck and was very pleased with himself :) |
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| A salad sandwich! |
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| He was very pleased with his bicycle! |
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| This amazing robot!!! It took a lot of combined effort from the boys of the family but how cool is he? Worth it :) The arms and legs move and the head swivels! Such a cute little guy, we are in love and never want to dismantle him. |
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| I feel like this is the kind of toy that would come to life in Toy Storey 4, huh??? |
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| Our Princess made a (quirky) tiara! |
This post was kindly sponsored by Smarty Pants Toys. All opinions are very much my own!
