K’nex Cosmic Twist Coaster
My oldest son found his love for building things in elementary school. Enrolled in the aftercare program he joined a group that did nothing but build things like the K’nex Cosmic Twist Coaster shown above. This newfound (or old by now) love did not surprise me at all. I loved Legos, Tinker Toys, and Lincoln Logs when I was little. My son is a lot like me in that sense and we both prefer detailed instructions on how to build a structure vs. using our own imagination. Imagination is more my younger son’s style.
When the K’nex Cosmix Twist Coaster arrived my son was eager to start working on it. The first thing he does anytime he tackles a product such as this is to color code and arrange all his pieces into groups. I hate that I missed a photo of this, all the pieces were spread out over his entire bedroom floor.
K’nex Cosmix Twist Coaster
Build a spine-tingling space-themed coaster! With over 600 K’NEX pieces and over 19 feet of track, the Cosmic Twist Coaster is sure to thrill advanced builders and coaster fans. Features cool comet graphics and a lightning-fast silver car. Color-coded, easy-to-follow building instructions are included. Go to knex.com to download instructions for a 2nd awesome coaster. Ages 9+. Standard parts made in the U.S.A. Special components made in China. Packaged in the U.S.A
It took him a couple of hours to get the coaster together and working. I thought it would take him a couple of days but looking at the package and noticing the 600 pieces and 9+ age recommendation I think a couple hours for age 14 was fitting. He had no problems following the directions and was able to find all the pieces he needed and put it together with ease.
My daughter enjoyed watching the little car as it worked its way up the ramp only to race down to the bottom and begin the process all over again. When we first tried the coaster it seemed to work pretty well, speeding down the ramp with enough speed to catch the chain and make its way back up again. When I tried to replicate this for the video I was unable to adjust the track to get the little car to catch on the return trip up. You can also see that the car seems to catch at the top of the loop. It is best to leave the car alone so it can eventually catch and make the climb and speed back down the ramp. I believe there are some adjustments to be made and it would run a little smoother. My son was just not around to help when I decided to take a little footage.
I also noticed after taking the photo and comparing it to the box and other photos my son decided to leave off the signs. I guess he preferred his coaster without. Despite the small issue with it not working properly on my watch, I think the K’nex Cosmic Twist Coaster is a worthwhile toy that performs as expected, and is great for the builder in your family. I also think the age recommendation of 9+ is correct, the ease of putting this together and the time frame it took I’m crediting to my son being 14. I also think a great addition to this is the ability to go online and download a second set of instructions to make a totally different coaster. Giving the product a longer life and a little more use.
My oldest son has often asked for K’next products for Christmas. He has always enjoyed the challenge of working on building something and seeing the finished product. I would LOVE to see my son tackle this K’nex product the 6-foot Ferris Wheel. I would liken this to my challenge of completing a 3000-piece puzzle, that took me about half of a year. This beauty has 8,550 pieces and reaches 6 feet when finished. At an age recommendation of 16+, I think this would be a challenge worth seeing my son tackle.
