Engino

Engino has a new Mega Structures set, which includes all parts in gray! That's exciting enough to make me violate my usual policy of blogging what I build, not what I covet. :)

I do often get worn down by the bright colors of the usual pieces.

A new geared motor is also now available, which I discovered in the downloadable plan page (scroll to bottom - "100103 Windmill with motor"), which I have had a watch on.

Time to scrounge out my Engino from wherever it got shunted last fall when the series of family deaths started.

Time, maybe, for some good block play.

[Engino may be purchased here to support this blog]

Denkmal KG

Over at the Anchor Stones Constructions Blog bunches of new designs for smaller sets continue to appear, to my great delight. Today's batch were for the Heinzelmännchen, but this design was restricted to the subset of stones also found in the Kleine Gernegroß, albeit with color variation.

Though labeled as "a building," I see it more as a Denkmal (memorial or monument) or Tor (gateway). Nice design, under any name, among many nice designs.

I may not be able to keep up with the flow, but I am happily printing out designs for later - many are folded to fit in the KG box, to enhance its take-along potential.

Good block play.

Lighthouse KG

Not too long ago, a new blog of Anchor Stone Constructions appeared. created by an occasional reader (and commenter) of this blog.

This morning, he posted a rendering of a lighthouse built with the Kleine Gernegroß set, which this evening I built and photographed (above).

I am delighted to have a new source of small structures from small sets - most of his designs are for the Kleine Gernegross or Heinzelmännchen, the smallest & near-smallest of the Ankerstein sets.

Good Blockplay!

Balance, fulcrums, centers of gravity, angles of repose

I used to set challenges for the kids. Build a tower that reaches to the ceiling. Build a bridge that spans the gap between two rugs. Did they learn the laws of balance, fulcrums, centers of gravity, angles of repose? These are physical principles. They are life principles too. -- Chet Raymo, Science Musings Blog

Mental health principles too, I do believe.