Quadrilla

January 22nd, 2007

When I was a little kid, I had a toy that was a series of ramps and wood blocks that marbles could run down. As I remember it, there was only about 20 pieces and the marbles were constantly falling off the track. Still, it was up there with Lincoln Logs as one of my favorite toys because it so invoked creativity. Until this past December, I probably hadn’t thought about it in 25 years.

Enter Quadrilla. My mother got a Quadrilla set for my son for Christmas and so I saw it for the first time on Christmas day. Both my four year and I were immediately sucked in. Like my earlier toy, Quadrilla is a series of wood blocks and ramps that marbles run down, but it’s a bit like comparing a biplane to the space shuttle. Quadrilla has at least seven different kinds of blocks, each with a different function. There are also at least five different kinds of ramps, including one that acts like a funnel. There are also several ancillary pieces, all of which play different supporting or enhancing roles.

Building and playing with the Quadrilla is, to say the least, addictive. Once you get past a certain critical mass of pieces, the world opens up and you are limited only by your imagination. Because of the heterogeneity of the pieces, there is something very puzzle-like about the building process and, unless you work off one of the plans, each construction is likely to be unique. The only downside is the cost. The basic set is around $50 and the bigger sets are $100 and up. There are also many smaller expansion sets to fill in a piece here or a piece there that typically run $10 or so. As for age range, my four old totally gets it and has no problem putting sets together by himself. Enjoy!

- Bill

Entry Filed under: Videopinions