Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab

The Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab by Smartlab is a fun do-it-yourself maze toy. The set comes with a standing velcro board that is about 2 feet tall. It includes all kinds of crazy and silly components that you put together to create a path for the small steel ball to race through. You can follow one of the "maps" outlined in the instructions or you can put together your own design.

My seven year old son played with this toy on his own (actually with some help from his little sister, but all the ideas were his!). He thought some of the pieces were hysterical. They range from a kicking boot that sets off a pointing finger, a chicken coop, a flying pig, a variety of maze straight and curved pieces, and my son's favorite... a toilet bowl (toilets will always be a hit with 7 year old boys). With all the pieces set up, they almost looked like a contraption straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

With so many possibilities in how to use the pieces, the toy kept my son's interest for quite some time. You definitely need some patience to work with this. The pieces need to be lined up exactly in order to for the ball to flow through. There isn't much room for error in some of the pieces. My son was a bit frustrated in trying to get the ball all the way through to the end, but he did certainly enjoy the Contraption Lab enough to keep playing with it for a couple of hours! That sure says a lot! Working with a partner might have made things easier for him.

Overall, the Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab is a great toy that requires patience and creativity. It rewards your child with the satisfaction of seeing their creation work and is a great deal of fun! Its a perfect toy to enjoy for an afternoon when the freezing cold winter temps keep you trapped inside the house. You can find lots of other fun things to do with your kids both inside and out on Kidwinks family fun page.