Endless Imaginative Building with Roylco Straws and Connectors {Review, Giveaway & Coupon Code}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, leanne_mac!}

There are certain toys that appeal to some children, while there are others that... not so much. Whereas some prefer large motor, active play and others opt for the quiet reading of books, there is one category that is universally loved: building.

I don't think that I've ever met a child (or adult, really) that can sit down in front of construction items and not be pulled to imagining, designing, creating and building their inspiration. Your creativity just can't be stifled!

So what's better than building? Building something BIG! A tower is great... but a house or a rocket ship or a boat that you can really climb into is better! Up until recently my kids were using typical construction equipment (e.g. chairs, couch cushions, bedsheets, etc), but now we have found something even more fun: Roylco Straws and Connectors.

An extremely simple concept, these Straws and Connectors are exactly what their name implies: straws and connectors. The ingenious design is intuitively easy to use, as by attaching a connector at the end of a straw, you are on your way to building something small or large - the only limit is your imagination!

As soon as a package of 400 Straws and Connectors arrived, I had no doubt that they would be put to creative use for quite some time to come.

A collection of brightly colored classic straws and connectors, it didn't take long before the kids and I were turning the individual pieces into our own masterpieces. I immediately noticed the versatility of this toy, as children can work alone, in pairs, in groups and with parents to design and build whatever they can imagine.

Even better, the straws are bendable, flexible and can even be cut to your desired length. As the connectors can join six straws together at 90º angles, you aren't limited to standard boxes or lines, you can turn any sort of abstract shape into a curve, wave or more.

Although Roylco recommends theis product for ages 4+, Little Sister B had no problem carefully pushing a connector into a straw...

...and being extremely proud of what she could create.

While we've had a great time making small, simple works of art, we've also used the Straws and Connectors to make large, creative, climb-inside-for-some-fun objects. Some mornings Little Sister B and I will make a house for her and her stuffed animals...

...and some days we will use the included instructions (or follow the downloadable instructions online) to really construct something incredible.

How often does a kid get to help build their own race car and then really take it for a drive?

Whether you have a child in your life that has aspirations of being an architect or just one that would enjoy building and playing with a fort, rocket, truck, train or more, Royclo Straws and Connectors would be a gift that would last long after the holidays. There's nothing more you need than a set of pieces and a space large enough to contain your imaginative results!

Available directly at Roylco.com or online at Amazon for $36.99, the 400 piece package of Straws and Connectors has been a big hit at our house and will be sure to provide a great deal of fun for kids everywhere. But, wait! For an even better deal, enter the coupon code STRWS20 on a purchase from Roylco and receive 20% off until December 20, 2011!

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to build and create endless structures in 2012 as well, because...

One lucky person will win a 400 piece Straws and Connectors set
from Roylco!

To enter to win: Leave a comment telling me what creative project would be built first with these Straws and Connectors if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you Like Roylco on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

#WIN a 400pc set of Roylco Straws and Connectors (ARV $37), great for imaginative builders! http://bit.ly/svhQKq @thxmailcarrier #giveaway

1 Extra Entry (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
2 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on January 6th at 11:59pm CST. By entering this sweepstakes, you are agreeing to these official rules. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and must be 18 years of age or older.

A big thank you to Roylco for providing a 400 piece set of Straws and Connectors for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. This is a sponsored post, however, the opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.