Brain Builders vs. Brain Builders Deluxe vs. Brain Builders Junior
Brain Builders is the original KEVA plank 3D challenge. This is the first set of cards and we recommend you start here if you are above the age of 8. Even adults have to put thought into these, so thereâ€â„¢s no upper limit on these puzzles.
Brain Builders Deluxe makes a great add-on set after your classroom has mastered the originals. There are more challenges and the projects get bigger. Some of these take longer or require more complex concentration to solve.
Brain Builders Junior are designed specifically for a younger crowd. These help teach kids how to move an idea from a flat picture to a 3D sculpture by showing an image of a structure. Rather than showing 3 views of the same item, they show the type of image that is included as the solution on the Brain Builder sets for older humans.
Educator vs. Designer Products vs. Mindware Products
Educator sets are designed for use in classrooms, libraries, museums, and other spaces where they'll be used by many people, especially people who are new to building with planks. These spaces need storage and supporting materials that are more durable than products made for use in a home. With these sets, we send laminated cards that can be passed around by a larger group, and include ideas for educators on how to make the most of KEVA in your classroom or makerspace.
Our designer collection is available exclusively on kevaplanks.com and includes small-run and unique KEVA products.
The Mindware collection is available on our website or through Mindware.com, an official distributor. These products are perfect gifts and work well in households with kids of any age.
Maple vs. Pine
Educator sets exclusively come with maple planks. Maple is a hardwood that resists finger oils and can stand up to heavy use in classrooms, libraries, and museums. Pine is a softer wood. Both types use the exact same dimensions, carefully calibrated. It is totally doable to mix both kinds when building, but you may want to keep them separate for more intricate sculptures. Pine planks wear at a different rate than maple, so after a lot of use the differences become more obvious.
One option when buying Brain Builders to use alongside your a maple set is to keep these pine planks separate from your main set to use as accent pieces. They have a slightly different tint that can add intrigue to projects. Generally we recommend having only one type of plank in use because it limits competition over building sets with unique blocks and means there is no sorting. We want you to spend more time playing and learning, less time sorting!
