Review: Fishertechnik Advance Universal 4 with Engineer

While most children possess an innate drive to build and create, not every engineering kit is designed with the same level of user-friendliness. This year, our second-grade Timberdoodle curriculum introduced us to the fischertechnik Advanced Universal 4, a set boasting 40 different models designed to sharpen fine motor skills. If your family is accustomed to the intuitive nature of LEGO or Plus-Plus, the transition to fischertechnik might feel a bit jarring. While the manual is pictorial, it occasionally skips the "parts list" for specific sub-assemblies, leaving the builder to decipher which individual components must be combined before attaching them to the main structure. We spent a significant amount of time searching for parts before realizing we were actually looking for two distinct pieces that needed to be fused—a hurdle that was, quite frankly, more annoying than educational.

The physical mechanics of the kit also presented a challenge for our five-year-old daughter. The pieces are considerably difficult to snap together and even harder to pry apart, reminiscent of our struggle with ThinkPlay components. Compounding this frustration is the limited color palette; the set relies primarily on grey, black, red, and yellow. When multiple pieces share the same color and vary only by a few millimeters, it becomes a tedious game of "spot the difference." If you inadvertently select the wrong connector, the subsequent steps simply won't align, which can lead to a great deal of frustration for a young engineer who just wants to see her creation come to life.

Adding to our disappointment, we discovered mid-build that our specific kit was missing two essential pieces. I will be reaching out to fischertechnik’s customer service in hopes of a resolution, but it was a disheartening pause in an already difficult project. While the kit certainly fulfills its promise of providing a fine motor skill workout, the "fun factor" was notably absent for us. We found ourselves wishing for a wider variety of colors to aid in part identification and a more ergonomic design that wouldn't leave little fingers feeling fatigued.

Comparing this to our other experiences, we significantly preferred the Robotis Play 600 Pets kit. That set felt much more intuitive, and it even included a specialized tool to assist with disassembly—a feature fischertechnik would be wise to adopt. In our homeschool room, we prioritize tools that foster a love for STEM without the unnecessary barrier of poorly designed instructions or stubborn plastic. Consequently, this is one set that likely won't see much rotation on our shelves, as we find ourselves gravitating back to our tried-and-true favorites like LEGO and Plus-Plus.

Ultimately, while the fischertechnik Advanced Universal 4 might appeal to older students with a high tolerance for technical troubleshooting, it was a miss for our current level. If you are looking to bolster your child's building collection, I would steer you toward the other brands mentioned above for a smoother, more rewarding experience. We believe that learning should be an adventure, not a chore! Stay tuned for our next second-grade curriculum review; here are your clues: Arts and Crafts, Easy to do without any help, and Creativity.