Customer Reviews

Kikkerland Sparklz Wind Up Gear Box

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Kikkerland wind-up toys are reminiscent of the vintage Japanese wind-up toys of days gone by. Adults and children alike enjoy watching them spin around and/or crawl. The designs are even more fun and make all of the toys suitable for display. They really have an artistic feel to them. All of the visible moving parts make them fascinating.

This particular toy, SPARKLZ, was my son's first and favorite Kikkerland. The large over-sized windup key is cool. And, to watch the metal band get tighter and tighter as you wind it is intriguing.

When the toy is released, it runs around in circles, fast and crazy. The big bonus is the sparks that shoot off when the toy is in action. While some of the toys are almost too fast and some are a bit slow, this one is JUST right!

As a science teacher I am disappointed that adults don't recognize the educational value for children of seeing how things work, how motion is created with a wind-up spring and sparks are caused by the friction of pieces rubbing together. These are simple concepts that everyone should have experiences with. I used this toy in my 6th grade class as examples for both science concepts. One of the things my students discovered for themselves was that friction also wears things down, as it does to the two pieces that rub against the sandpaper disk. It is a wonderful toy and sneaks in educational concepts without anyone realizing it, EVEN ADULTS apparently.

My son (9) saw this in a store and LOVED it. I purchased one as a stocking stuffer, and thank goodness I decided to try it out because it doesn't spark at all! Ok, it gave off a few sad little sparks, but nothing like what we first saw. Definitely try it out before giving as a gift. I'm returning this and trying again because he really liked it... but I'm definitely keeping the receipt on hand.

This is a fun little toy. My kids aged 5 and 3 love it. Of course, I supervise, but we talked about counting, how the sparks work and practice taking turns. The sparks are a great effect and they like seeing how it looks different in the light and in a darkened room. The gadget feels pretty sturdy, but certainly would not withstand any physical abuse. I was surprised at how actively the kids engaged with it. The big winding key is a nice touch. It makes it easier for small hands to wind. Incidentally, my adult friends liked watching it as well and began immediately speculating how it worked. It's an interesting diversion at a reasonable price.

So odd, had to purchase for almost 5 yr. old son. He really finds this quite interesting. Of all the things Santa brought him, this is what he chose to bring to "Show and Share" at school. He is careful with it so it does not break. It is nice because it is so different.

//This is a great toy!! My 10 yr old loves the fact that he can see the mechanics of how it works. My 3 yr old even loves to wind it up and watch it go. Best of all, no batteries!!//

I was looking for unusual-type toys which could come from only "Santa's workshop." I bought several of these little wind-up robots, and they were the biggest hit. Two years later, the kids still have/play with them, although the flints sparkers wore out after so much play in the first 6 months or so. Husban replaced them with new flints (like the type for a lighter) but fitting them into the holes was NOT easy and took a bit of determination. Would still buy more of these, and they make a great gift in the mail from that aunt or uncle who always finds the weirdest, cool toys. :)

Kikkerland mechanical toys are fantastic - We have quite a few of them and each is fun in its own way - they invite play - Sparklz has endured many, many spins and still works perfectly - We have our Kikkerland toys lined up on the mantle and people will walk in and just pull a string, turn a key, give a little push - it is hard to resist them - and they appeal to children of all ages - they make great house gifts and stocking stuffers

I love gadgets and these were cute and very well made. However, once
I saw them in action, I realized they would have a very limited appeal
to the people for whom they were purchased and returned them.

These are fun little gadgets. I only tried them once before I wrapped them all up as xmas gifts. So far I have good reviews from the various 3-6 year olds they went out to.