Tag: STEM

Unboxing: Fort Boards from New York Toy Fair (Nerf Bunker construction idea)

Fort Boards Assist in Nerf Game Bunker construction



Fort Boards! Pretty cool!

Fort Boards are 8″x8″ plastic interlocking panels that can be used to create a variety of shapes, including curved surfaces, blocks, walls, panels, panels with doors, etc. They come in a variety of colors, in a “Starter” pack of 22 panels (along with additional connectors) or a “Prime” pack of 44 panels (with additional connectors. Customizable with (sold separately) metal or wooden texture inserts, bull’s eye inserts (coming soon with Blaster Board Target panels).

There’s a LOT of potential I see here with this toy, with a little practice building your own customizable bunkers (with targetable panels) could work out pretty quickly. Different color schemes would keep things fresh as well (and maybe even help with branding for some arenas) while the modular nature keeps things varied and enhances objective style gameplay. I most certainly see the applications of this toy, and they are diverse beyond just building a clubhouse. Not going to lie, building an octopus looks pretty neat though.

Basic Stats:

Starter Pack:
Includes 22 boards (8”x 8”) and 21 connectors (for interlocking) and instructions – $61.99

Prime Pack:
Includes 44 boards (8”x 8”) and 46 connectors (for interlocking) and instructions


Find the Fort Boards on Amazon –
Amazon Associate Links (affiliate links, help keep the lights on for F2A! This is a provided sample by Fort Boards for review, I assure you my opinions remain my own):

Fort Boards Prime Pack – Kids Fort Building Kit – Jumbo Toy Blocks – 90 Piece Set – Yellow

Fort Boards Prime Pack – Kids Fort Building Kit – Jumbo Toy Blocks – 90 Piece Set – Gray

Fort Boards Prime Pack – Kid’s Building Toy and Construction Blocks – 90 Piece Set – Red

Fort Boards Starter Pack – Kids Building Toy – Jumbo Construction Blocks – 43 Piece Set – Light Blue

Fort Boards Starter Pack – Kids Building Toy and Construction Blocks – 43 Piece Set – Gray

Fort Boards Design Cards Stone Pattern Accessory for Building Toys

Fort Boards Design Cards (Metal Pattern) – Accessory for Fort Boards Building Toys

Design Cards (Wood Pattern) – Accessory for Fort Boards Building Toys

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[Build Video] – K’Nex KForce Rotoshot 25x

K’Nex KForce Build video – Rotoshot K25x blaster

Product provided! Opinions remain my own, thanks K’Nex!

Ultimately, the blaster took me over an hour to build, from dumping out the contents to the first shot. I did make some mistakes during the build, but unfortunately I didn’t catch them until well after they happened which meant backtracking and dismantling parts of the build to go back. As someone unfamiliar with using K’Nex construction kits, maybe this is growing pains at learning a different medium. The build isn’t even entirely like the one on the box because I messed something up and would have had to flip pieces that I installed at the beginning. But that’s the point of the line, right? Making your own blaster ultimately, after building the one shown?

For a blaster that reports 75′ on the box for 5 shots, at approximately $25 for the whole thing the replay value is potentially endless for a kit you can build and rebuild, with additional shots and turrets if you have the other kits. Is it worth it? If you aren’t heavily modding your blasters already, and do enjoy the satisfaction that comes from completing puzzles and building kits, this could be a neat addition for your collection. The colors are eye-catching for sure, and there are some spots on the blaster body I naturally found to be good for gripping, I didn’t stab my hands on any corners. Minus anything that resembled a stock, holding the blaster seemed pretty intuitive.

Battle-tested, I have tried some k’nex blasters at games before and maybe it’s just me but I definitely worry about losing the odd connector or slamming the blaster unexpectedly and spraying pieces everywhere. It hasn’t happened yet, but I have lost the odd piece from the body… maybe 2 at this point on other kits. Not a terribly bad ratio I guess but that’s not something you worry about right off the bat from other blasters.

K’Nex is planning on being at New York Toy Fair again, and so will I! Don’t forget to tune in here please and see what I find. (Full schedule posted shortly before the trip)

Amazon Associate notice:

Thanks for reading! Like what you see? Interested in the product? Get your own at Amazon.com (Associate links help me keep the site open and allow me more time to do this!)

Build Demo! KForce K-10V Time Lapse Speed

Building a KForce K-10V blaster (How long did it Take?)
Vas The Stampede

Spoiler: 

24 minutes

In a new installment, you see how long it took me to build one of the new K’Nex KForce Kits from K’Nex (that means, product provided, but my opinions are my own).

The “Build and Blast” KForce line has a lot of really good ideas in it, from the actual building and construction of the blasters (which any modder out there can appreciate) to the near-limitless possibilities what someone can build with a kit and a whole lot more K’nex pieces (something I would like to test for myself in the future).

I might be tempted to do a slower video in the future, mainly because while time-lapse is cool you don’t get a feel for some of the mishaps I had during building (I think the manuals could be a bit clearer on instructions, but that’s a discussion for another post, such as when I do a firing video). I wonder if someone who is familiar with K’Nex can do these builds faster, or if even someone who more regularly builds construction kits might have a leg up on me and shave time off what I did.

In any event, the line is still being supported and innovated on, and that’s all one can really ask in a super competitive arena like blasters. Companies are going for range, capacity, aesthetics, and K’Nex continues to fuel imaginative building while trying to produce a blaster that fires on par with most others, even if rate of fire may suffer slightly.

So let’s try this; if you have the same kit, or any kit that I post here, video yourself building it too and tag me in it! Whatever time I have, see if you can beat it or challenge me to build a KForce blaster faster than you (and get away with it)!

I still have a few more upcoming projects to do, so make sure to come back and keep checking for updates! Blaster reviews, photos, and the NvZ video are all on the way. Thanks again!