Looking for a surefire way to get your kids to turn off their tablet games and do something fun and creative instead? The timeless classic Spirograph has the ability to draw them in – and get their cogs turning! Many of you will have happy memories of playing with Spirograph when you were a child – the joy and magic of making such intricate patterns, the wonder at how it works, the pride in your work.
This highly immersive process – and the reactions it triggers – are a goldmine for children’s cognitive development. Beautifully blending the worlds of art and mathematics, Spirograph’s famous interlocking rings and wheels stimulate artistic creativity, analytic skills, and mathematical intuition. And if you’ve ever given it a spin, you’ll know that it’s also a ton of fun!
Best Spirograph Style Toys
Spirograph Deluxe Design Set | Check price at | |
Super Spirograph Design Set | Check price at | |
Spirograph Cyclex Spiral Drawing Tool Lowest Price | Check price at | |
ALEX Toys: Sidewalk Mandala Stencil | Check price at | |
Spirograph My Little Pony Design Set | Check price at | |
Fashion Plates Design Set | Check price at |
1. Spirograph Deluxe Design Set
The Spirograph Deluxe Design Set is an award-winning creativity kit that makes it possible for little hands to easily create mesmerizing artistic patterns. This 45-piece set offers value and variety, with 19 wheels, 2 rings, a rack, 3 colored pens, a design book, and a carry case. It also includes some “spiro-putty” to keep it all from slipping out of place.
Best clear some space on your refrigerator door – you’ll soon have some wonderful artworks to display!
Ages: 8+
2. Super Spirograph Design Set
45 pieces not enough for you? The jumbo-sized Super Spirograph Design Set offers much, much more! In addition to the traditional Spirograph rings, this 75-piece set also includes 31 “spiro-tracks” that can be snapped together like train tracks. This makes it easy to create more complex shapes and designs. Unleash the inner engineer in your little ones and let them get creative with this awesome super-sized playset!
Ages: 8+
3. ALEX Toys: Go Go Gear Art
Similar in style to Spirograph, ALEX Toys’ Go Go Gear Art comes with 4 templates and 7 gears, all made of solid, durable plastic. Each gear fits into your choice of a circular, oval, or bean-shaped track, and each template also has a variety of stencils for further creativity. Expect your child’s spiral masterpieces to be peppered with stenciled stars, clouds, hearts, and… UFOs?! Great fun for imaginative minds!
Looking for a bigger set? You can also get the Giant Go Go Gear Art design set. It includes an extra 9 gears, a Scra-ffiti stylus, 10 Scra-ffiti sheets, and 5 sticker sheets. It’s a mountain of fun!
Ages: 6+
4. Spirograph Cyclex Spiral Drawing Tool
Looking for a Spirograph style toy but worried about the wheels slipping out of place – or getting lost in the living room? Then the Spirograph Cyclex Drawing Tool may be the one for you! It’s a one-piece machine that offers over 80 different spiral design options. Its large, solid plastic design with rubber feet means paper slips are a thing of the past. A great toy for any home – and easy to take on the road.
Ages: 5+
5. ALEX Toys: Sidewalk Mandala Stencil
Take the fun outside into the fresh air with the Sidewalk Mandala Stencil from ALEX Toys! With its huge stencil (22 inch / 57cm), kids and tweens can easily trace a wide range of awesome designs onto your driveway or sidewalk. Comes with 6 jumbo sticks of differently colored chalk. Great for groups!
Ages: 5+
6. Spirograph My Little Pony Design Set
Fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic will delight in this special edition Spirograph design set. Using a themed disc and choosing from the 6 included gears, kids can decorate 24 pages of pony-filled stationery, designing cards for their friends or pictures for their wall. Comes with a handy and much sought after My Little Pony storage tin!
Ages: 5+
7. Spirograph String Art
The Spirograph String Art design set lets kids craft colorful string-art without the need for needles or glue. By simply carefully counting and wrapping string around precut dyed shapes, they can make gorgeous fridge magnets, framed designs, wall hangings, and more! With lots of colored strings, ribbons, shapes, and gems, this outstanding set is guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing!
Ages: 6+
8. ALEX Toys: Fantastic Spinner
Ever think your child may be the next Jackson Pollock? The Fantastic Spinner is a hand-powered paint-spinner that lets kids create phenomenal spin-art. The hand-powered design means that creating a work of art is a two-person task, adding a fun element of interaction and teamwork to the creative process. Best stock up on paint refills, though – it’s so much fun, you know they’ll be back for more!
Ages: 6+
9. Fashion Plates Design Set
The ever-popular Fashion Plates Design Set lets kids decide what’s in style this season! After choosing a winning combination from the 15 double-sided fashion plates and placing them safely in the design tablet, a simple rub with a crayon creates a unique design combination – and then it’s time to choose a color scheme! Comes with a fashion folio idea guide and a handy carry case that stores everything – in a trendy way of course!
Ages: 6+
Are you a fan of a particular Spirograph style toy? Or do you have another recommendation that’s not on this list? Let us know about it in the comments below!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, creating in the dark.