Nanodots, magnets from the future, now.

When we went to Toy Fair up in New York City back in February we saw more cool toys than we could really take in all at once. One thing that really stood out however were a simple toy called Nanodots, small silver magnetic spheres that once you pick up are hard to put down. We were totally taken with these small building magnets, and placed our first order with the company then and there.

Nanodots come in two sizes, the original Nanodots are small 5mm diameter spheres, and the Megadots are about the size of a marble. They come in a variety of colors including black, silver, gold and the original steel. The silver and gold Nanodots are even coated in real silver and gold! For that reason those sets will cost a little more than the steel and black sets of the same size.

Now these are defiantly building toys, and like wooden blocks or Lego they have a very long replay value. The basic set comes with 64 Nanodots and that is plenty to make all kinds of cool designs, and as you add more Nanodots you will be able to build more and more complex objects. The larger 216 sets come with a storage bag to keep the Nanodots in, however I find that putting them on the front of the refrigerator is a much more convenient way to keep them close at hand.

Mixing the colors can make really interesting designs!

Nanodots make a great gift for older children and adults, but they are not intended for younger children. The recommended age from the company is 14 years and up. These are powerful magnets for their size, and should not be put on electronic devices. That being said, they are great building toys and can have a very meditative effect on the user. The smallest set retails for $14.99 and the largest set sells for $44.99. They will make a great little gift for the builder or engineer in your life!

-Allen