Building Blocks of Stronger Bonds

In February this year, the McDonald’s Food Icons x Nanoblock collaboration caused a mini frenzy reminiscent of the Hello Kitty craze. Singaporeans once again braved snaking queues to get their hands on miniature models of the Big Mac, French Fries, Cold Cup, Apple Pie, McFlurry and a McCafe Cup. Days before the collection’s official release, the fast food chain built a tiny pop-up store out of Nanoblock pieces (“the world’s smallest McDonald’s store”) in Bugis Junction. Fans stood in line for as long as five hours just to be the first to get their hands on the tiny collection.

So what’s the hype all about, you ask?

Nanoblock by Japan’s Kawada Co. is a line of micro-sized building blocks that are similar to Lego, but at a fraction of the size — each block measures just 4mm x 4mm x 5mm. Unlike the McDonald’s collection, which comes pre-built, Nanoblock kits are meant to offer a novel construction experience. This makes it a great past-time to indulge in with friends, family and even older children. You’ll be spending quality time together creating something from scratch and sharing an immense sense of satisfaction upon completion.

Here are our top tips for getting started with Nanoblock!

1. Choose wisely

There are tons of Nanoblock collections, from the animal and insect series to an adorable Sanrio series featuring Hello Kitty, Gudetama, Kero Kero Keroppi and more. You’d want to pick one that you like but you should always check the level of difficulty and the number of pieces (which can range from the tens to the thousands!) in each kit first to make sure you’re comfortable constructing it.

Beginners may fare better with multi-coloured sets as the colours serve as a building guide. Sets that are primarily based on a single colour (think: polar bear) would be harder to put together.

2. Get organised

Like we said, Nanoblock pieces are itty-bitty, which makes them that much easier to misplace. You’ll be pulling out your hair if you discover a missing piece mid-construction, so it’s better to get organised right from the start.

If yours is a multi-coloured set, sort them by colour. Use little cups or containers to keep the pieces separated. This also makes reaching for a piece much easier. Another good way to sort Nanoblock pieces is by length and size. Children who are too young to be part of the building process can get involved in this stage.

3. Showcase your handiwork

After completing your Nanoblock set together, don’t tear them apart! Unlike the building blocks of our childhood that were big and bulky (and a magnet for mom’s nagging), completed Nanoblock sets don’t take up much space. In fact, they’re so small, you can easily set up a Nanoblock showcase right at home. Just empty a display shelf, decorate it if you like, and add your completed Nanoblock models to it. Then give each other a pat on the back and admire your handiwork together!

Shop with us:

Kinokuniya
Bugis Junction #03-09
kinokuniya.com.sg

Simply Toys
Bugis Junction #03-10A
Plaza Singapura #07-10/11A
www.simplytoys.com.sg

Tokyu Hands
Westgate #01-36/37
www.simplytoys.com.sg