K'Nex
American toy company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
K'Nex (/kəˈnɛks/ kə-NECKS) is a construction toy system created by Joel Glickman of The Rodon Group.[1][2][3][4][5] It was first introduced in America in 1992.[1][2][3][4] K'Nex is designed and produced by K'Nex Industries Inc. of Hatfield, Pennsylvania. K'Nex was purchased by Florida-based company Basic Fun! in 2018.[4]
| |
| Type | Construction set |
|---|---|
| Invented by | Joel Glickman |
| Company | Basic Fun! |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | October 1992–present |
| Slogan | Imagine, Build, Play Building Worlds Kids Love The K'Nex Big Thing Where Creativity Clicks |
| www | |
The toy's building system consists of interlocking plastic rods, connectors, blocks, gears, wheels, and other components, which can be assembled to form a wide variety of models, machines, and architectural structures. While K'Nex is designed for children ages 5–12, a bigger version, Kid K'Nex, is aimed towards children 5 and younger.
History
K'Nex was created by Joel Glickman,[1][2][3][4][5] son of Rodon Group co-founder Irving Glickman.[1][4] Joel came up with the idea of K'Nex when playing with drinking straws at a wedding.[1][2][3][5] By 1992, Joel already spent time on perfecting the building system before founding the K'Nex Brand with his brother Bob.[1][2][3]
The first K'Nex Box was launched in the U.S. market in 1993. Original models with moving parts had a handcrank to make things move, but soon, gears and motors allowed models to move on their own.[5]
The company's products were sold at Toys "R" Us, starting in early October 1992.[2] Toys "R" Us' head, Charles Lazarus praised the K'Nex system at the 1993 Industry Toy Fair.[3] By 2011, K'Nex was distributed in over 25 countries, including the United States.[citation needed]
In 2018, all of K'Nex's assets were purchased by Basic Fun!, a Florida-based toy company.[6][7][8] The acquisition was valued at around $21 million.[9][10][11]
In 2024, Basic Fun filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company will use bankruptcy proceedings to repay its creditors while remaining in operation.[12] Basic Fun emerged from bankruptcy on November 1, 2024.[13]
Pieces
The basic K'Nex pieces used to make models include rods, connectors, and bricks. Basic K'Nex pieces are made out of polyoxymethylene plastic.[14]
Display models and exhibits
Concordia University's Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA)[15] has constructed models of a Space Shuttle, the Sears Tower, the Eiffel Tower, Habitat 67, and mazes from K'Nex.[16]
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, held a Guinness World Record for "World's Largest K'Nex Sculpture" for a model space shuttle and rocket displayed in their gift shop. The record was broken in 2014 by the BLOODHOUND SSC RBLI K'NEX Build Team in the UK with a 13.38-meter-long K'Nex replica of the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car.[17]
K'Nex has a traveling exhibit, K'Nex: Build Thrill Rides, that visits schools and museums across the US.
Licensed product lines
- Angry Birds[18]
- Family Guy[18][19]
- My Little Pony, under Tinkertoy (2017–2018)[10][20]
- PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures (2013–2014)[18][21][22]
- Plants Vs Zombies franchise (2014–2018)[10][18][23][24]
- Sesame Street[25][26]
- Super Mario franchise including Super Mario and Mario Kart (2011–2018)[10][18][27][28]
- WWE (2013–2018)[10]
Computer games
K'NEX The Lost Mines: Adventure Begins, was released in 1998 by EAI Interactive for Windows 95.[29]
Virtual K'Nex was released in 1998 by Fox Interactive for Windows 3.x.[30]
See also
- K*bot World Championships
- Fischertechnik
- Meccano
- Free Universal Construction Kit – 3D-printable open source construction toy
