K’nex rewards kid builders

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, April 17, 2007

HATFIELD, Pa.—K’nex said this month that a roller coaster, a space station and a replica of the Titanic were some of the winning entries in its latest annual search for ‘K’nexpert’ K’nex builders.

As it has in years past, the company's 2007 contest challenged kids ages 6-12 to imagine, design and build structures made exclusively from K’nex parts. The entries were divided into four categories: models that move, architecture, vehicles and amusement park thrill rides. Entries were submitted from across the U.S., utilizing over 10 million K’NEX parts.

In celebration of its fifteenth anniversary this year, K’nex offered a $15,000 savings bond—its largest award ever—to the contest’s grand prize winner. Ten additional winners received $1,500 savings bonds. All received an invitation to visit the K’nex’s Pennsylvania headquarters.

The grand-prize winning design was a Hyperspeed Roller Coaster (pictured); built by 10-year-old Lucas Bruno, from Colorado Springs, Colo. The roller coaster used 4,850 pieces and took Lucas four months to build.

K’nex also partnered with elementary schools across the country, inviting classrooms in grades 1 through 6 to participate in the K’nexpert Classroom Challenge. Schools were invited to compete against each other by grade, building a model based on a specific challenge. A winner was chosen for every grade level with the winning classrooms receiving several prizes, including a $300 K’nex Education gift certificate and a free K’nex building set for every child in the class. The winning schools were Terry A. Taylor School , Spenserport , N.Y. ; Colo Elementary School , Colo , Iowa ; Talcott Mountain Academy , Avon , Conn. ; Dighton Elementary School , Digthon , Mass. ; Ina Grade School , Ina , Ill. ; and Clarion-Limestone Elementary School , Strattanville , Pa.

Click here to view the winning entries.

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