We took a break from toy reviews for (most of) January, but now it’s winter and the kids have kind of worked through the novelty of all their new toys. That starts to present a problem. Fortunately, there’s the new Spirograph Deluxe Design Set to make us feel like good parents that aren’t spoiling our kids. See, we’d feel pretty bad handing over another video game to keep their minds occupied on bitterly cold days where we’d be a bad mother to even let them go outside. Spirograph, however, still feels like a fun vintage toy that gets our kids’ minds going.
The Spirograph Deluxe Design Set has a sWith a suggested age of 8 to 15. That gives you an idea right there of all the many artistic options. We’re actually suspicious that the Spirograph brand hasn’t changed very much since it was first created as a drafting tool back in 1965. (Invented by Denys Fisher, so good for him.) The one you had as a kid, though, is now certainly bigger and better. There are 19 different gears in addition to two rings, one rack, 3 ounces of putty, 3 ball point pens, a guide book and 20 pages of design paper–and all still inside a storage case that can also serve as a work service. That still seems like brilliant design to us.
The rings and wheels continue to combine the principles of mathematics and art in a way that lets the user create intricate and beautiful designs. One of the biggest changes is that new Spiro-putty. The putty replaces the old pins. You might remember those irritating things that would stick the gears and rings to the paper to keep them from moving. They would work, but you would always have holes in your design. Now, the putty is used to hold down the rings in place, and it’s a pretty smart innovation. After all, your kid will probably create a few masterpieces that need to be preserved. We’re very pleased with the new generation of Spirograph. The only problem that still can’t be fixed is the occasional set with warped rings and wheels. Yes, that’s still a Spirograph tradition–but that’s why it’s always so easy to replace the occasional bad set.
