Building the simple and imaginative way.

• Position: WHAT'S NEW? - Mindware Contraptions - Brief article

Building toys continue to endure and evolve, but sometimes the simplest ones are the best. Bringing out the imagination of the user, a pile of wood planks and two bails can allow young thinkers to build unbelievable structures--including ramps, funnels, and chutes. From MindWare, Roseville, Minn., comes Contraptions ($49.95)--a set of 200 identical wood planks and two specially-designed lightweight balls. An 18-page idea book with project photos and quick start instructions gets kids going as they experiment with contraptions like the "Black Hole" and "Bounce Plate."

Users quickly build an understanding of proportion and balance, as well as some basic principles of physics and engineering. With no glue and no connectors, the laws of...