Cardboard animals you have to assemble yourself can keep a kid busy for hours. When the finished toys integrate mechanisms for walking on four legs, those hours are likely to multiply. And we’re guessing that’s exactly what will happen with these Kinetic Creatures.
Made mostly from pre-cut cardboards, with rods and wires to facilitate movement, the cardboard animals can be made to walk across your cardboard table by simply cranking a wire turn handle. Yep, just like a low-tech cardboard animal robot. Each one is big enough to have one of your action figures riding across its back, too, so it can make for a whole load of fun play.
Three models of Kinetic Creatures are available: Elly the Elephant, Geno the Giraffe, and Rory the Rhino, which measure 11.5 x 11.5 inches (h x l), 9.5 x 15.5 inches, and 21.5 x 18 inches, respectively. The individual cardboard parts are assembled using tabs and slots, so it shouldn’t be too hard to put together. Do note, while the assembly is easy, your kid may have a hard time figuring out which part goes where, so they might need a little help on that end.
Of course, having to wind a wire turn isn’t going to be as fun as a toy that walks autonomously. For that, they offer a motor kit that you can put in place of the wire turn handle to get your cardboard animal traversing the floor on its own. Alternatively, you can use a LEGO motor if you already have them to power the four-legged walking creatures.
The Kinetic Creatures are available now, priced at $49.95 for the giraffe and $39.95 for the rhino and the elephant. The motor is available separately for $24.95.
via Gizmodo