The Best (And Cheaper) Alternatives to Magna-Tiles


My daughter’s new favorite toy to play with at daycare is Magna-Tiles. Every day, I get pictures sent home of her building something with them and she’s even started asking to play with them at home.

When I went to Target to pick some up I was shocked at just how expensive they were!

Over $100 for a beginner 100 piece set was way out of my price range, especially for a toy that I’m not sure how much my toddler would actually use at home.

So, I started doing some research for alternatives to Magna-Tiles that would still have the same fun factor but be a bit cheaper.

In this blog post I’ll share with you my top picks for cheaper Magnatiles and where you can buy them.

What Are Magna-Tiles?

Magna-Tiles are a new toy to me but they’ve been around for a few years now. Basically, they’re plastic tiles that have magnets in them and you can build different things with them.

They stick together by magnetic force which allows you to build all kinds of shapes just like you could with regular building blocks.

They also have accessories like wheels and tracks so you can build different cars or trains.

toddler playing with magnatiles at a table

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Why Are Magna-Tiles So Expensive?

Magna-Tiles are so expensive because you’re paying for the brand name.

The quality might be a little higher than the cheaper alternatives, but at the end of the day, I’ve found my toddler can’t tell the difference between the real and the cheaper alternative tiles.

Best (and Cheaper) Magna-Tiles Alternatives

Here are the best (and cheaper) alternatives to Magna-Tiles:

Our Pick
Magblock 120 PCS Magnetic Blocks
$34.99
  • 【Keep Kids Away from the Screen】If you're like me, concerned kids that too much time is spent in front of a screen, whether television, computer, tablet, phone or the like, this magntic blocks will hold their attention while building coordination skills and critical thinking.So many different things kids can do with these.
  • 【Great STEM Learning Tool for Children】Magnetic blocks set can help children develop in science, technology, engineering, mathematics. It is a very good educational toy for children,as well as a great STEM toy to play at a family! You will enjoy these magnetic blocks as an adult too.
  • 【High Quality and Safe】Made of Non-Toxic and durable ABS plastic. Round edge design without sharpness, no worry about hurting your kid's little hands. The magnets are strong enough to withstand tall castle. The different shapes allow maximum creativity, and appeal to a wide range of age groups.
  • 【Magnet toys is suitable for children aged】Recommended for ages 3 years and up. Good gift kids toy for 3+ year boys and girls!Believe me, the kids will love this set for magnetic blocks tile.
  • 【Magblock Product Warranty Commitment】We solemnly promise to every customer that our products support 90 days unconditional refund and 1 year warranty service.Believe us,this set of magnetic building blocks allow endless imagination and creativities.


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07/06/2024 08:05 pm GMT
PicassoTiles 100 Piece Set
$39.99
  • DREAM BIG & BUILD BIG - No limitations, scalable to build as big as desired by adding more pieces to create the master piece. PicassoTiles in colossal styles.
  • LEARNING BY PLAYING - Never too early to start developing kids creativity. Children can acquire strong sense of color, geometrical shapes including 3D forms numbers counts, magnetic polarities & architectural design at early age.
  • BONDING BY PLAYING - Entertaining for single or multiple parties and feel the sense of achievement together. Suitable for all ages (3+ and up) by one party of in groups a great way to spend quality time with the family and love ones.
  • LEARNING IS FUN - Encourage creativity which is the key factor to success in today's ever-changing environments. Fun and entertaining, perfect educational presents for school age children that will never go out of style.
  • CREATIVITY BEYOND IMAGINATION - Magnet Building Tiles Clear 3D color Magnetic Building Blocks Playboards for preschool, pretend play and more. Easy to construct and easy to put away for storage.


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07/06/2024 11:10 pm GMT
Playmags Magnetic Tile Building Set
$34.99
  • Make sure this fits. by entering your model number.
  • 80 piece magnetic tile play set this playmags expansion pack lets kids build, play & learn for hours of educational entertainment; recommended for ages 3+.
  • Extra powerful tile magnets set includes 40 square window tiles in a variety of clear colors; strong, durable magnets are great for building tall 3d structures.
  • Letters & numbers for learning 40 unique instructive clickins pop into each tile window for added creativity; kids & toddlers enjoy hundreds of possibilities.
  • For educational development engineering toys stimulate problem solving, motor skills & shape recognition; perfect for preschool games & group activities.


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07/06/2024 07:56 pm GMT

Best Magna-Tiles Storage Container

Most of the cheaper Magna-Tile sets will include a bag to store the tiles in, but sometimes you need something bigger when you have multiple sets. Here are a few of my favorite storage solutions.

Hermitshell Hard Travel Case
$38.99
  • Hermitshell Hard Travel Storage Carrying Case.
  • Available in 3 colors
  • Protect your favorite device from bumps dents and scratches
  • Made to fit PicassoTiles / Playmags 100 Piece Set 100pcs Magnet Building Tiles
  • Material:EVA. Color: Black. Internal size:11.4*9.4*3.8inches.
  • For sale is case only (device and accessories are sold separately)


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07/07/2024 12:27 am GMT
Aproca Hard Storage Travel Case
$25.99
  • Eco-friendly Material: Made of High-density EVA and 1680D Material, premium Hard EVA to provide durability and long-lasting performance.
  • Perfect Fit: Specially designed for PicassoTiles 100 / 60 / 42 Piece Set Magnet Building Tiles..
  • Convenient Design: Comfortable hand grip for easy portability, Comes with specially mesh pocket for other accessories, Smooth but strong double zipper are easy for opening and closing, giving you a better using experience.
  • Great Protection: Stylish and Durable, prevents any damages or scratches caused by accidentally bumping, dropping, secures the device in good condition on traveling or outdoors.
  • Riskfree: For sale is the case only(device and accessories are not included). We offer 100% Money-back Guarantee, this is totally risk-free buy.


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07/07/2024 12:37 am GMT

Related Post: Best Travel Toys for Toddlers

Do Magna-Tiles go on Sale?

I haven’t really seen any sales for the brand version of Magna-Tiles, but the cheaper versions on Amazon often do go on sale!

They often have coupons at checkout for anywhere between 10-20% off the purchase.

Are Cheaper Magna-Tiles Any Good?

Yes! My toddler has been playing with these for almost a month now and they’ve held up great.

My husband made a comment that he’s noticed that the magnets aren’t as strong as regular Magna-tiles, but we’ve still been able to build towers and things with no problem.

Where to Buy Magna-Tile Alternatives

Cheaper Magna-Tile alternatives are becoming more popular and can be bought on Amazon.

I’ve noticed they often have additional 10-20% off instant coupons too that can be used to make them even more affordable!

Can I Mix Magna-Tile Sets

We’ve got a few sets now and have found that we’ve been able to mix and match the tiles between the sets.

Most of them come with storing cases so we keep them separated, but will often play with them together.

What is Best Magna-Tile Set to Begin With?

There’s no right answer, but we got a 100 piece set to begin with and already we’re finding we need more tiles!

I would recommend starting with at least a 100 piece set and if possible, get a set that also includes accessories like cars or people.

How to Clean Magna-Tiles

The tiles are magnetized so they don’t really attract any dirt, but it’s important to keep them clean.

Toddlers are pros at getting anything and everything dirty somehow 🙂 We’ve found that the best way to clean them is just using a wet rag and wiping off the tiles.

What Ages are Best for Magna-Tiles?

There are different levels of Magna-Tiles for different ages. I would say that my daughter is almost 3 now and these are a great fit.

They’ve been perfect for his fine motor skills, they’re fun to play with both with her one on one or with other kids too. I also have to admit I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with these!

I’ve asked my other mom friends and they said their kids didn’t really grow out of Magna-Tiles until they were about 12-13 years old.

Conclusion

You can’t go wrong with these alternatives to Magna-Tiles. They’re well built, have lots of fun colors, and kids love them!

Author

  • Ali Van Straten

    Ali Van Straten is the founder and journalist of Champagne and Coffee Stains. She is a Peloton expert, certified running coach and certified nutrition coach. Champagne and Coffee Stains provides information and resources on Peloton Interactive, running and recipes.

    View all posts https://www.champagneandcoffeestains.com

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One Comment

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  2. It’s not just the name you are paying for, it’s the quality. For example juice spilled on ours and we had both name brand and generic. We washed them with soap and water and the generic ones had a lot of water get inside them while the Magna-tiles were mostly dry inside except for a handful. They cost more because they are made better.

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