Let's talk about Plus Plus

 

Follow their interests and be amazed by what they create!

They are a great open ended toy that can be combined in play with other resources. This is a scene my eldest (7) made after a recent camping trip. 

With their small and compact size keep in mind that they are perfect for taking with you on the go when travelling or keeping children entertained whilst out and about at the local cafe!

Plus Plus vs. Plus Plus BIG

Plus Plus (left) & Plus Plus BIG (right).

Frequently Asked Questions Answered

If you're not sure which size to start with here's some of our commonly asked questions answered to help you decide! If you have anymore questions please don't hesitate to reach out.

Q. My child is older than 5 but we have a baby and toddler at home too. Which size is best?

Q. My child isn't quite 5, what size should I start with?

A. If your child is 4 and you're having trouble deciding which would suit them best I would reccommend starting with a tube of 100 or 240 pieces of the regular Plus Plus and see how they go at joining them together before getting a bigger set.
We have both sizes out on display in-store too but obviously not everyone is local to us to come and try it.

If they are able to join them, pull them apart and manouve the pieces easily I would start with the regular as you do get more of them in the sets as they are smaller than the BIG and therefore cheaper to manufacture. It also means they pack down smaller if you want to travel with them. Having more pieces means you can get even more creative!

If they are struggling to use them or becoming frustrated with them you can always put them in the cupboard and try them again in a few months time or have a look at the range of Plus Plus BIG instead.

We have been using the regular, smaller size Plus Plus since my youngest was 4 years old and she enjoyed creating with them in 2D before moving onto 3D shapes at closer to 5. The easiest way to join them is flat on the floor or table so you can always start by building 2D with them and move on to 3D shapes later on.

Below are some 2D creations she made during some quiet play in her room.

She then followed onto 3D creations from her imagination like the one below before wanting to follow instructions to build more creations.

Q. Plus Plus big or small for a 5 year old and 3 year old?
I had been reccommended the BIG regardless of age. What are your thoughts?

Q. My child is older than 5 but has fine motor delays. Which size should I pick?

A. If your little one has developmental delays or tends to struggle with fine motor skills/activities I would reccommend Plus Plus BIG to avoid frustration. They can build all the same things, they are just a bigger size!

Q. Will my 1 year old be able to play with them?

A. Yes they sure can! Have a look at the range of Plus Plus BIG.
They won't play with them in the same way as older children but remember all play is play!

You can start by using the pieces for colour matching, stacking, lining up like dominos or making simple patterns without even joining them.
As they get older practice joining them together to make 2D shapes on a flat surface like the floor or low table.

 
2yo joining Plus Plus BIG

Q. How should I introduce them to my children?

A. We started by sitting together and building some 2D creations before following the instructions and moving onto 3D ones.
I found this helped us to learn how they joined together and gave us some inspiration to later expand on.

For example my eldest built a unicorn with the instructions and my youngest built a fence around a base plate to keep the unicorn inside the paddock and I also helped her to make a bowl of water.

Remember that playing alongside your children can give them so many great ideas and they may try to add to your creations with pieces or ideas. Join in and have fun, over time they will start creating in different ways and you can inspire each other!

Here my daughter created a pair of glasses for me to wear for the afternoon!

Q. Do you have play ideas for siblings?

A. Absolutely! Assuming they are not too close in age I will reccommend some different ways you can play with them that doesn't involve joining the pieces which means both children should be able to join in!

Did you know that Plus Plus floats in water?

Throw them into the bath tub or play tray to change up their regular play with them! Dry them off and you're ready to pop them back in the playroom.

You can also play simple games like bowling to knock them over, balancing them to line up dominos, matching the colours or making simple patterns.

Now you should have a better idea of which size Plus Plus you're after so let's move onto the next big question...

Which set should I start with?

When looking through the range try not to get overwhelmed by all the choices and remember that each Plus Plus piece is the same!

You can easily combine and add sets to make bigger and different creations over the years of play that these will provide for your family.

Under 5 years: Plus Plus BIG

I would reccommend Plus Plus BIG for children aged around 2-3 years and beyond. It is safe for children from 1+ years and there are many ways to use it younger but closer to 3 is when you will likely see them show more of an interest in building and creating with the pieces in simple ways. 

The Plus Plus BIG is great for younger children to use alongside their older siblings.

I would begin with the Metal Suitcase or the Basic Mix or if you have a lover of vehicles the Make and Go set is also alot of fun!

I also love the simple BIG Picture Puzzles for children to match and lay the pieces flat to complete the puzzles and of course you can also use the pieces to create whatever their imagination desires too!

You really can't go wrong with whatever set you choose as you can easily add to them later on!

Over 5 years: Plus Plus

If you'd like to see how your children play with Plus Plus before investing in a bigger set I would reccommend starting with a couple of the 100 piece tubes of some of their favourite animals or a 240 piece mixed tube.

If your child is already enjoying other constrution resources such as Lego I would reccommend starting with the Metal Suitcase or the Puzzle by Number Rainbow.

The Rainbow Puzzle by Number has 500 pieces in a range of colours which you can create the puzzle with and also use the pieces for free building.
If you'd like some inspiration as to what to create with them keep after making the puzzle scroll down below.

If you have multiple children that will be using them I would reccommend starting with either the Metal Suitcase or the Learn to Build Set. There is room inside the tin to fit more pieces if you would like to add more later on.

I find that the Learn to Build set has a good amount of pieces for multiple children to create and that you can leave creations built and still have lots of pieces remaining to continue creating with! 

Building Inspriation

Plus-Plus BIG: Learn, play and build

For ages 1-6 years
Help your child to learn their alphabet, numbers, colours, how to count, stack and build shapes with this booklet using Plus-Plus BIG.

Plus-Plus: Learn, play & explore

For ages 5+ years
Plus Plus Instructions has a free app as well as many 2D and 3D creations that you can view on screen or also download as a PDF.

Head to plus-plus.com for lots of Play Inspiration & Instructions

Plus-Plus: Time 2 Learn