Mini Strandbeest Model Kit

Product Description

The Charm of Strandbeest
Help to know about the great charm of new and clean energy, to build up children's sense of low-carbon and envitronment protection.
Cultivate children's interest in sclence and technology, through learning the drive principle of machines and the process the creation and conversion of wind power.
While children are assembling parts, they experience joy and fulfillment by overcoming series of challenges, which helps to foster creative thinking of children and develop their minds.

Detailed Size ( like a bunny size )
Height ( back of the beast ): 11cm (4.3")
Height ( top of propeller ): 17cm (6.7")
Width: 13cm (5.1")
Length: 20cm (7.9")

Friendly and Easy-to-reach Support
We believe in our products, and provide worry-free service.

Features

• Mini Strandbeest Compatible with : A child of Dutch artist Theo Jansen's mega artificial life strandbeest, also the friend for children.
• Interesting and Creative: Wind powered walking walker model toy, needless electricity or batteries help, only by hand or blowing against the propeller. Develop children's ability and interest in science.
• Kids Puzzle Novel Toy: diy model robot kit, we will enjoy the assembly game with children, a family time.
• What You Get: One mini Strandbeest kit with manual.
• Size: 7.9" Length x 5.1" Width x 6.7" Height

Top Reviews

Extraordinary Kit
by pencilpusher (5 out of 5 stars)
March 16, 2019

This kit is extraordinary in execution and quality. It's as complex as the full size models, but very well thought out. The attention to detail is everywhere to make it workable and make it a joy to build. Pay attention and it goes together easy. The instructions are clear enough. No glue required. Everything is a solid push-fit. Molded parts are precise and fit together exactly as intended. I tested it with a small table fan sitting on my hardwood floor. The little rubber feet had plenty of traction. It skittered over the floor with ease. It had no problem with my tile floor either. This is NOT a toy for toddlers. A bright 10 year old could put it together with a little help. But it's not going to tolerate any abuse. If you haven't seen any of the dozen youtube videos on the inventor and the real strandbeests, go there now. You'll come back and buy the kit.
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Clever Design, great toy.
by Manjula Padmanabhan (5 out of 5 stars)
June 21, 2018

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS ITEM! I took around three hours to construct it, start to finish. That is, from opening the box, reading the instructions and setting up the many little pieces in separate numbered plastic envelopes, to carefully putting them together, it took three hours. I admit I was worried that something might be missing, or that it just wouldn't work. But it was great. Including the instructions. They were very brief - but clear - and in the end, entirely comprehensible. It's crucially important to pay close attention to the jointing system. It was unfamiliar to me, but wholly rational. Once I understood how very simple the design concept was, the toy fell together without a struggle. I have been taking it around to show to friends! Everyone loves it.
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A bit tricky, but what a wonderful kit!
by David Phillips (5 out of 5 stars)
September 19, 2018

I've long been a fan of Strandbeests, and on seeing I could build one I jumped for it. The instructions aren't written very well, but once you get the gist of it things go pretty smoothly; I was able to detach the parts, trim the flash and assemble the little beasty in about an hour. The quality of the plastic is lot better than I expected, and nothing was missing.

When you first turn the crankshaft and the legs start to move it's actually a bit eery.
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Amazing model....but there's some important info to keep in mind before buying it.
by OscillatonOverthruster (4 out of 5 stars)
May 16, 2019

If you're an expert model / puzzle builder, this version of the Strandbeest probably won't be a challenge for you, but for us newbies who need explicit instructions, putting this together was almost impossible. The instructions were the biggest problem I had with this kit. The first few steps were straightforward and presented no difficulties following them. Once you get to the main part of the build though, the legs, the instructions are almost completely worthless. There's simply too much information to convey about pieces which have to come together simultaneously for paper instructions to suffice. Fortunately, I found a very helpful YouTube video demonstrating the process of putting the legs together. It does cut out at kind of a key moment, but enough was shown that I was able to get it together. Without that video though, I am confident I would have ended up tossing the whole thing in the trash out of frustration. Luckily, once you make one set of the twelve legs, the rest are a simple matter of repetition. All of the pieces fit together very well, with one exception. The rubber feet are difficult to slide into their slots without absolutely destroying the rubber. Oh! Almost forgot, be very careful when cutting apart the rubber feet. They come in one long strip and appear as though you can just rip them apart since they are scored and already cut through halfway, but if you just tear them (like I did to the first one), you'll end up with an anusable half of a rubber foot. Fortunately, I think the makers realize this and so they provide 13 foot pads even though you just need 12, so you can mess up one time.

I don't see a need to include the link to the instructions video because it's very easy to find on YouTube. Just type in "mini strandbeest instructions" and it's one of the first ones to pop up. As simplistic as this model is, I would say it's not really for anyone under 12 years old, unless they're precocious and have a knack for mechanical processes. Having said that, it isn't very rewarding to assemble this model and it's fascinating to watch it in action. Blowing on it to make it move gets tiring fast though, so have a small portable fan on hand to power it when you finish putting it together. You can get a fan that plugs into your smartphone for a couple dollars on eBay or a few more dollars on amazon, but the cheap ones from eBay do take a month to arrive.
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Extraordinary Kit
by pencilpusher,Top Contributor: Photography (5 out of 5 stars)
March 16, 2019

This kit is extraordinary in execution and quality. It's as complex as the full size models, but very well thought out. The attention to detail is everywhere to make it workable and make it a joy to build.

Pay attention and it goes together easy. The instructions are clear enough. No glue required. Everything is a solid push-fit. Molded parts are precise and fit together exactly as intended.

I tested it with a small table fan sitting on my hardwood floor. The little rubber feet had plenty of traction. It skittered over the floor with ease. It had no problem with my tile floor either.

This is NOT a toy for toddlers. A bright 10 year old could put it together with a little help. But it's not going to tolerate any abuse.

If you haven't seen any of the dozen youtube videos on the inventor and the real strandbeests, go there now. You'll come back and buy the kit.
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MESMERIZING BEEST!!! Amazing movement!!
by Rhubarb (5 out of 5 stars)
March 5, 2019

The build took about 3 hours. You must pay pretty close attention to some of the instructions: but since what you are building is a body with 12 legs - once you "get" a particular instruction, it is actually very meditative to just repeat it 12x. Adding the last pieces - gears and the fan - is a fun and very easy reward after the sustained concentration required for the body and legs. The best part of all is that early on you get a sense of "movement" - you get to see glimpses of how the parts move the moment you attach a leg to the frame parts - and the anticipation really builds once you can see this.

I have a small handheld fan, and it is truly mesmerizing to set this "beest" on the floor and let it creep along with its 12 boney clockwork multiple jointed legs!!! Cool to build, and to have. The quality and design are very good, the parts fit together well and function amazingly when you are done.
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Perfecto
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
July 7, 2018

Fue.Un regalo para mis hijos, lo armamos y fue muy divertido, y si camina con el viento.
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Awesome!!
by Ashley Porter (5 out of 5 stars)
December 3, 2018

I really enjoyed putting this together. It took a little while but once you figure out the pattern it's simple. I use one of those little 5.00 mini fans that plugs into the bottom of your phone and that is all that is powering it in my video. I was not missing any pieces or anything. I feel the pieces are very well made for the purpose they serve.
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Kit is a lot of fun, and works great. Amazing it is so inexpensive.
by Brian Fuchs (5 out of 5 stars)
August 4, 2019

Evidently there are a lot of knockoffs of this model, and this is one. However, the pieces are sturdy and it works just fine.

The instructions are...well...not great, but if you study the diagrams, they eventually make sense.

I will point out two specific instructions that are not clear.

At the bottom of Page 3 there is a diagram showing how to use a cutter to remove the plastic pieces from their injection molding spines. It clearly shows a "correct way" and an "incorrect way" and warns of cutting part F carefully. Here's the thing: both pictures are identical... and there is no real way to cut incorrectly. So this warning is odd.

When you assemble the twelve "legs" (Step 5), they will keep falling apart (where part A and C meet). You are going to be convinced you have a bad kit. Do not despair, as part F will eventually keep them together. That takes place much later in the assembly. Trust me, the kit does stay together by the end.

Finally, the first step of inserting the rubber feet can be difficult. Don't force it. Be patient.

The kit is truly amazing as nothing "snaps together", and no glue is needed. You could disassemble the beest pretty easily.

If you are forcing pieces together, you are assembling it incorrectly.
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2 hours that brought me back to my childhood
by Roger Wise (5 out of 5 stars)
February 14, 2019

Except my childhood was never this cool.

The parts are well formed, the instructions are a lot of fun combining clarity without hand holding. They are good enough that I blamed myself frequently for not reading (far) ahead. There are things you have to do right but there's no glue so you can always go back. Again, you need patience, I made mistakes but persevered. Today's children probably won't like it but at $15 that's fine. I'd suggest an adult buy 2 and build the first one in secret so you can help.

The design of the creature is genius and the snap fit assembly is maybe even more brilliant. It works incredibly well when put together but you'll probably need an adult or young adult blowing on it to make it move which is awesome.

The Leonardo be with you
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Fascinating, well designed kit.
by Richard W, NJ (5 out of 5 stars)
July 1, 2019

You could build this with a child but probably over 12 for them to benefit a lot. The parts were extremely well designed and separated from their carrier easily and neatly. I did not need to sand any of the parts. The instructions are reasonably clear but you should read them very carefully before assembling. Watching the YouTube gave a helpful view of the assembly process and a few construction hints.

Two things I did do were to copy the parts pages so I could see the part name and shape if I was on another page of the instructions and use scotch tape to hold the legs together before proceeding. Construction is fairly easy if you complete one leg assembly and copy the other 11.

The completed model is fascinating to watch move and at $ 12. The kit is a bargain. Using a portable fan or compressor blower shows the model at its best.

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