With Just Blocks, you can choose between two building styles: BASIC with plain cubes, rods and flat elements, or Smart Lines with milled lines into which the flat elements can be inserted. Both ranges are made from beech wood and plywood and are recommended from age 3.
Two questions can help you choose: Does your child mainly enjoy free stacking and putting structures together? Then take a look at BASIC. Do they enjoy turning pieces and inserting flat elements in different directions? Then Smart Lines may be interesting. After that, you can decide how much building material you want.
BASIC or Smart Lines: what is the difference?
BASIC: stack, place and rebuild again and again
The BASIC sets contain cubes without milled lines, small rods and flat elements in two sizes. Two cubes with a flat element placed on top can become a bridge, for example. Several levels can become a house or garage. The pieces can be arranged freely; there is no prescribed building form.
Smart Lines: build with lines and flat elements
The Smart Lines cubes have horizontal, vertical, diagonal or crossing lines. Your child inserts the flat elements into these grooves. Depending on the orientation, they can create walls, sloping roofs or intermediate levels, for example. Smart Lines also leaves room for your child’s own building ideas.
The five Just Blocks sets at a glance
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| Set | Pieces | For your choice |
|---|---|---|
| BASIC Small 68 pieces | 31 cubes, 25 rods, 4 medium and 8 large flat elements | If you want to start with a smaller selection of BASIC pieces. |
| BASIC Medium 160 pieces | 74 cubes, 50 rods, 12 medium and 24 large flat elements | If your child likes creating larger structures and should have more pieces available. |
| BASIC Big 324 pieces | 152 cubes, 100 rods, 24 medium and 48 large flat elements | If you want plenty of material for extensive building worlds or several projects at the same time. |
| Smart Lines 92 pieces | 30 line blocks, 50 rods, 4 medium and 8 large flat elements | If you want to discover building with milled lines in the smaller set size. |
| Smart Lines 160 pieces | 74 line blocks, 50 rods, 12 medium and 24 large flat elements | If you want more line blocks and flat elements for larger constructions. |
Which set size is right for you?
Watch how your child builds: do they usually create one structure, or do several houses, bridges and paths remain standing at the same time? For smaller projects, you can start with BASIC Small or Smart Lines 92. If pieces often run out during play, BASIC Medium, BASIC Big or Smart Lines 160 provide more material.
For building together, it is also worth looking at the larger sets. How many children can play with them at the same time depends on their building ideas. A fixed number of children cannot be derived from the piece count. Also consider the available play area and storage space.
BASIC Medium 160 or Smart Lines 160?
Both sets contain 160 pieces: 74 cubes, 50 rods, 12 medium and 24 large flat elements. The key difference is in the cubes: BASIC cubes have no milled lines, while all 74 Smart Lines cubes are line blocks.
Choose BASIC Medium if you mainly want to stack and place flat elements freely on top. Choose Smart Lines 160 if you also want to insert the flat elements into lines running in different directions.
Frequently asked questions before buying
From what age are these sets recommended?
The manufacturer recommends all five BASIC and Smart Lines sets compared here from age 3. Please follow the information on the packaging and on the individual product page.
Can BASIC and Smart Lines be combined?
Yes. The manufacturer’s description states that Smart Lines can be combined with classic Just Blocks pieces. This lets you add line blocks to existing BASIC building ideas.
Which sets have the «spiel gut» award?
In our range, BASIC Small with 68 pieces, BASIC Medium with 160 pieces and BASIC Big with 324 pieces carry the «spiel gut» award.
Does Smart Lines 160 contain more of every piece than Smart Lines 92?
Both sets contain 50 rods. Smart Lines 160 has more line blocks and flat elements: 74 instead of 30 line blocks and 36 instead of 12 flat elements.
You can find more information under Quality, safety & origin. Current prices are shown on the individual set pages.