5 Ways to Combine CONNETIX with Wooden Toys

By Nadi Zoetebier

Have you ever thought about combining CONNETIX magnetic tiles with wooden toys? They are a perfect match! Need ideas to get started? Here are five creative ways to combine CONNETIX with wooden toys, including add-on ideas and play prompts to inspire your next play session

1. Build a Small World for Your Wooden Figures

Wooden animals and figures come to life when paired with a colourful CONNETIX scenery. Create grassy fields with green tiles, lakes with blue tiles or mountain caves with black tiles. Use CONNETIX rectangle tiles to build a space scene and let the storytelling begin. Let your child take the lead. Maybe the zebra wants to visit the moon Or the girl wants to relax by the stars

Add-on idea: Use natural materials like pinecones, leaves or pebbles as extra scenery. You can also set up a string of fairy lights to light up your city. Perfect for a city that never sleeps!

Play prompt: “Can you build a home for all your animals? Where do they like to sleep or eat?”

2. Combine CONNETIX with Wooden Building Materials

What about wooden building materials? Combine CONNETIX with wooden blocks or other wooden elements like the classic rainbow, bridges or semi-circles. You could build a layered cake, a space base or a hotel. Add rectangle tiles or wooden planks as ramps or bridges to connect different parts of your structure. With open-ended toys and your imagination, anything is possible.

Add-on idea: Add small play figures or cars to bring your structures to life. Build garages, parking lots or tiny houses for your figures to explore.

Play prompt: “Can you build a space base for astronauts to explore the galaxy? What do they need to live and work in space?”

3. Create Colour Matching and Sorting Activities

Sorting games are easy to set up and offer so much learning potential. Use your CONNETIX tiles to create colour zones/buckets. Match wooden toys like mandala pieces, balls, marbles, coins or rainbow rings to the matching colours. Or build colourful houses using CONNETIX squares and triangles, and sort figures to create little families.

This kind of play helps strengthen colour recognition, sorting skills and early math concepts. Want to make it even more educational? Add counting challenges! For example, place five pieces in each colour zone, or play ‘count the rainbow’:
1 red item, 2 orange items, 3 yellow items, 4 green items, 5 blue items and 6 purple items.

Add-on idea: Challenge your child to describe the shapes or sizes of the items they sort. This supports early language development and mathematical thinking.

Play prompt: “Can you find all the yellow pieces and put them in the yellow zone? How many do you have?”

4. Build Ball Runs with Wooden Balls or Marbles

If you have wooden balls or marbles at home, try creating your own ball runs using CONNETIX. Use the tiles to build ramps and tracks, then see how far and fast your marble can go. You don’t need the CONNETIX Ball Run Pack to get started. Just use the tiles you already have to create simple ramps and pathways. It’s a fun way to experiment with gravity and speed!

Add-on idea: Place a path of coloured tiles at the end and number them with a dry-erase marker: 1, 2, 3, and so on. See where the marble stops. Experiment with different marble sizes or materials and notice how they move differently.

Play prompt: “Can you make the ball roll all the way to tile number 5 without stopping?”

5. Set Up a Toy Shop or Café

Encourage pretend play by building your very own shop, café or market stall. Use CONNETIX to build counters. Fill your shop with wooden fruits, veggies, cookies or coffee cups. Use loose parts as pretend money, ingredients or decorations. Children can take turns being the customer or the shopkeeper, practising their social skills while having lots of fun.

Add-on idea: Add signs or labels using dry-erase markers. Write prices or menu items to make it feel like a real shop.

Play prompt: “What’s on the menu today? Can I order a rainbow smoothie?”

We’d love to see how you mix and match! Tag @connetix_tiles or use #connetixtiles to share your beautiful creations.

Nadi Zoetebier

Nadi is a curious soul, exploring the world through the eyes of her little ones. Motherhood has sparked her love for open-ended play, creativity and the magic of everyday moments. Whether she's building with CONNETIX, diving into a new adventure or watching children's imagination unfold; she believes that play is the key to connection and growth. She's always looking for new ways to inspire and be inspired. Let's connect on Instagram: @nadizoetebier

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