If you’re a parent, a child, or just someone who’s visited a toy store in the past year, you know the powerful draw of Shopkins.
These mini character figures shaped like household items are the hottest collectibles for kids, and they’re obviously here to stay. Who knew laundry detergent, a water bottle, and corn on the cob could be so friendly and cool?
The Bridge Direct is expanding on the already massive Shopkins universe with Shopkins C3 Kinstruction sets. These sets, which range in price from $5.99 for Mini Packs to $34.99 for the deluxe Shopville Town Center, allow kids to build fun, brightly colored environments for all of their favorite Shopkins characters. With the sets, kids can also create mash-up figures with buildable character pieces and continue playing with their own brand new Shopkins friends.
The first set I built was the Shopville Town Center, the largest of the Kinstruction sets with more than 400 pieces. Immediately upon opening the set’s bright pink package, I noticed the high quality of the bricks, which are mostly pink, white, blue, and yellow (very on-brand for Shopkins). The directions are simple, completely picture-based, and easy to understand and follow.
While Shopkins C3 Kinstruction sets are for all kids ages 6 and up, younger kids will probably need some help building the larger models despite the clear step-by-step instructions. Seeing more than 400 tiny pink bricks dumped onto a table can be very overwhelming even for a seasoned adult, and a fairly large, open surface is necessary for stress-free building. Keeping the tiny blocks organized is a must.
The Shopville Town Center took me about 90 minutes of nonstop building to complete. This set could easily occupy a child’s attention for a whole afternoon, and then keep them interested when the building is done and playtime begins. The great thing about the Kinstructions sets is that they don’t lose their value after they’re built. They are fully functional play sets that kids can use to get their imagination rolling.
After finishing the Shopville Town Center, I moved on to the Bakery, a considerably smaller set with less than 200 pieces. This set, as well as the similarly sized Café, Fruit & Veggie Stand, and Beauty Shop, is more manageable for younger kids and takes just over 30 minutes to construct.
In addition to the undeniable quality of the Shopkins C3 Kinstruction sets, I really appreciated the great attention the detail. The set comes with a sheet of stickers to decorate the interior of the shops and cardboard signage to place above the doorway. I loved the buildable awnings that are placed above the windows on the bakery and the buildable shelving and cash registers placed throughout the town center.
Whether they’re building one shop or the entire collection, the Shopkins C3 Kinstruction sets are the perfect activity that keeps kids interested from start to finish. The sets are an obvious target for existing fans of the franchise, but they can hold their own and delight the few who still need an introduction.
