Lego Crazy Action Contraptions Book Kit (Klutz)

This book has all you need and full instructions to make 16 exciting Lego models with the 100 pieces provided. We acquired this book at Christmas, it has taken me a while to write about it as you can only build one model at a time, and each time we have built one, my children have been pretty reluctant to dismantle our creation. This is Lego, but with a twist. As the models come with gears and rubber bands, you can actually make things that work, and do something more interesting than the norm. The first thing we built was the car that features on the front of the book. The book promised that it would travel over 50 feet "on a good run", and once built we were delighted to find out that once we wound up our creation it did indeed work as billed and lived up to its "Supercharged Speedster" name, and travelled at quite an impressive speed. There was something very satisfying about using all the gears and bands to make a working toy. We have found that the instructions are quite easy to follow - we have tended to build these models together, but I am guessing that an 8 or 9 year old would manage to build the models by themselves. The drawings are not quite of the same quality as actual Lego instructions, in some cases it is a little tricky to work out which particular axle or connector you need, however a handy contents page at the start of the book means you can check that you are using a piece of the right length. There is also a trouble shooting page at the end of the book with handy tips for each model, you might, for example, have to adjust a band on a gear slightly or make sure all the bricks are pushed firmly together. So far everything we have made has worked brilliantly well - the kids particularly enjoyed playing with the "Squeezeclaw Grabber" which is a very extendable small object picker- upper, but all the toys really are designed to appeal. The Annoy-O-Matic, a kind of old fashioned football rattle fully lived up to its name, though the "Beaker Blender" - a machine to stir drinks, did result in some rather sticky lego! Still as this is lego, all the pieces are sturdy and washable and you get the feeling when building these models that this is what lego was designed to do; this book is just great, it is lego but not as we know it, perhaps Lego as it ought to be! The books itself is ring bound, with thick, wipeable pages and is very robust indeed, and the lego is all easily stored in the box on its front cover. The text and pictures are bright and engaging - you do really feel that it has been designed with children in mind. I think that the construction of these models is challenging, but in a good way - some of these builds are not always straightforward, but the steps are well broken down and, ultimately, the end results are so impressive that it is worth it. I'm pretty sure that this book is aimed at boys as things like the "Battle Top Spinner" - which launches spinning lego do seem boy territory, but girls do feature in the photos of kids that accompany this book and any child or adult who has an interest in how things work would enjoy making these models in my opinion. My daughter has really enjoyed playing with this with me. I do have one slight criticism, and that is that being an American book instructions such as getting a "bunch of gears" and "we ain't kiddin" can grate a little, it would have been nice if this were adapted for the UK market, but this minor point doesn't detract from the enjoyment to be had from this book. I think that this would make a fantastic and original present, and that it is actually really good value for all the fun that is to be had with it. As I have indicated all the models are fun and they all seem to work well. I thoroughly recommend this book, it certainly lives up to its title and is a must-have for any lego fan, young or old! (may appear elsewhere in my name)

I rarely write reviews but I had great fun with my son with this book/lego set. It seems really rare to find a product which combines lego ideas, fun/clear instructions, scope for creativity as well as model making and the actual LEGO ITSELF! From 'wind up car' through 'battle spinner' to 'crazy art maker' all is clearly pictured/explained and works properly in the end. The tips and hints help to make your lego building skills even better. Sure, the elastic bands will get broken - my fault, mostly wanting things to go faster/stronger/longer ;-) However, you can replace these fairly easily. Even though the parts have now been subsumed into the other lego box my son occasionally goes back and somehow manages to find the bits or makes his own version by adding other lego. Excellent - more products like this please KLUTZ!

This is the second set I have bought. The first had essential odd size rubber bands missing, and this one had some other components missing, but some extra bits too. We returned the first for a replacement, but have decided to keep the second as it did contain the specific bits my son was after. When you have a complete set, it is a great product with some fun models to build and useful bits and pieces to combine with others from your Lego collection. Definitely worth the reduced price I paid. Please note the Lego company does not have information on this product, and were not able to replace the missing rubber bands. They may be more helpful with more standard parts (they usually are), so if like me you find some missing, then returning the set for a replacement is your best option.

A review of the "Lego: Crazy Action Contraptions (Klutz)". Purchased December 2013 for £9.09 [Supplied by Amazon]. Review: A great product for Lego enthusiasts. There are 16 contraptions to make, all of which are quite different to the usual Lego products (but which use the [included] standard Lego pieces). For the most part only one contraption at a time can be made from the provided pieces. The contraptions are quick and fun to make and to play with. They also encourage thinking about how the device works, and even experimenting with modifications. My 7 year old (who is pretty experienced with standard Lego and is just graduating to Technical Lego) can make most of these devices with little or no assistance. His expert opinion for anyone thinking of buying it is: "It is really good and fun and I think that you would like it!" I couldn't agree more! His favourite contraption so far is the 'battle top spinner'. Dad's favourite is the "Tennessee Time-Killer". This is an escapement device (such as may be found in clocks / watches / etc.), and is the one shown in the uploaded video. ~~~~~~~~ Notes: 1) The green base shown in the video is NOT included in the product (and is NOT required - it just kept everything stable for the video). 2) The 'string' that you can see in the video is NOT included in the product but IS required (we used dental floss (recommended) for this & some of the other devices, but cotton thread or similar would probably be fine too.

This is a great Klutz kit. The lego components make it good value and the instructions are clear for making the models. A good size as a gift or also as a kit to stop boredom setting in. It has been played with several times and then the components are stored back in the compartment and put away for a bit until we rediscover it on a rainy day - we have managed to keep all the components safe so far. I bought a second one for myself to gai more technic parts and because my son is now old enough to compain when I help!

Bought this for my Lego-mad 6 year old son. The instructions are for the most part easy to follow, as there is a clear diagram of every step. My son managed all the projects in the book with only occasional practical help to put in some awkward parts. All the projects seemed to work well and they have inspired him to build other things with gears and pulleys. Only minor drawback is that the pieces never fit back into the plastic box on the cover so we have even more little bits strewn about the carpet....! Overall a very good buy, keeps him well occupied and is educational. Would suit ages 7-12 best, no danger of older kids getting bored with these build-your-own gadgets.

Klutz is a company I hadn't come across and I was a little bit wary of anyone marketing Lego who wasn't Lego. Also its cheapness put me off a bit. I sent for it anyway as a present for my nine year old son who liked lego but hadn't yet found the joys of Lego Technic. He's already made three super models and he and I spent a very happy half hour building the Tennessee Time Waster. Mechanics at its best! If you like one-off models that you can keep built, this will frustrate you. If you find the creative process more important than a permanent model, you'll love it! You'll also be able to develop some of the ideas using more bricks. I honestly can't rate this high enough. There are just enough pieces and a superbly written instruction manual.

Lego for boys... you can't go wrong. Great present for under a tenner and a bit different to the usual box of lego. Has evertything in the box and instructions in the book of how to build something from a drinks mixer to a car that zooms along driven by elastic bands. Great my boy of 5 years thought it was great and will def buy more as presents.