No greater thrill than riding the "serpent"

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Jan, 2008

There's something addictive about building toys. The challenge of taking a pile of rods and connectors and methodically turning them into something tangible is almost intoxicating. That's why we love K'NEX, the Hatfield, Pa., company started by a bored guest tinkering with straws at a wedding reception. Perhaps it was his extensive background in the plastics industry, but it was at that noisy, crowded reception in 1988 when Joel Glickman got the idea that there had to be a way to connect the straws so children could build actual models from them.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

We're particular fans of the Thrill Rides construction sets, which not only offer the experience of building the model, but have a motorized component to bring life to the creation. The latest edition to this series is the Serpent's Spiral Coaster ($59.99) with 1,114 pieces. When constructed, this big, bad roller coaster stands more than five feet tall and has 38 feet of winding, writhing track. A motorized vertical chain lift carries the cars to the top of the ride, which then race to the bottom.

The set comes with two cars with chrome finish and includes original and micro K'NEX parts. There is a part organizer for sorting and storage, along with step-by-step instructions for two different models. For more information, visit www.knex.com.