Explore civic, domestic, and vernacular structures with these architecture magnetic tile ideas!
Over the years, our kids have tried to push the envelope on what they could make with their magnetic tiles. Some tiles are badly scuffed from having been shoes, some rusted from bathtub building, others chipped from their involvement in mass-toy-extinction events, but the one thing they’ve all been over and over again is buildings.
The large, flat surfaces of the tiles come together quickly into the walls and roofs of buildings, which we find work well for incorporating into play with other toys. I still remember the very first creation my son built from our first box of magna tiles! It was a parking garage for his die-cast cars.
The simplicity and versatility of magnetic tiles make them the perfect tool for young builders. Initially, these vibrant, cubic structures might represent anything from a simple house to an elaborate castle powered by the limitless imagination of childhood. However, as children grow, so does their desire for realism in their creations. They begin to yearn for their buildings to be not just abstract shapes but accurate representations of real-world architecture, like this magna-tile bridge.
Architecture is a field that combines art, science, and engineering in a way that is tangible and accessible to children. Wooden blocks, LEGO, and now magnetic tiles all encourage this interest. And why not? It enhances spatial reasoning, encourages problem-solving, nurtures creativity, and offers a profound appreciation for the cultural and historical contexts that shape our built environment.
That’s why our latest pack of magnetic tile ideas is dedicated to the topic of architecture! This set is designed to inspire, challenge, and educate young builders about the diverse world of architecture. With 30 unique challenge cards, each featuring a different building from around the globe, children can embark on a creative journey to construct everything from magna-tile castles to modern airport towers.
Magna-Tile Castle Designs
This is our magna tile castle design inspired by a 13th-century château.
And here is a medieval cathedral. It also reminds me of a castle, like Hogwarts!
What Other Types of Buildings Are Included?
- domestic buildings (house, cabin, farmhouse, townhouses, mansion, dog-trot cabin)
- civic buildings & infrastructure (courthouse, water tower, fire hall, clock tower, lighthouse, train station)
- religious structures (cathedral, church, mosque, torii gate)
- vernacular architecture (tipi, igloo, Syrian beehive house, yurt)
- industrial buildings (factory, observatory, grain elevator, barn, windmill)
Each challenge card in the architecture pack can be a mini-lesson and a puzzle. Let children look at the cards and figure out which tiles were used, how the buildings are supported, and how they can recreate them. Afterwards, look up real-life examples of different structures and encourage children to build their own representations.
Architecture Magnetic Tile Pack Features
The pack includes:
- 30 fully three-dimensional magnetic tile designs
- as always, the printable cards come in two scales (four cards per page, which is a convenient card size, and one design per page, which is closer to full-scale and easiest to replicate)
- new designs not found in any of our previous packs
- optional sticker templates (doors, windows, etc) for enhancing the designs
Magna Tile Sticker Designs
We’ve been making our own reusable stickers to spruce up our builds. All the designs can be built without stickers, but a variety of window and door designs can really help to define the architectural style and scale of a magnetic tile building. You’ll find two pages of them in this magna-tile design pack.
Our preferred method is to use them as repositionable stickers. Print the sticker designs on light cardstock (or regular printer paper), then cut them out by hand or with a paper cutter. The backs of the little windows and doors can then be sprayed with repositionable adhesive or used with a bit of sticky tac. They can be removed or transferred to different tiles at any time.
You can even use a glue stick to apply the stickers. However, they will not come off without tearing, and the tiles will need to be wiped with a wet cloth afterward to remove the glue and paper residue.
Architecture Magnetic Tile Design Cards
Explore civic, domestic, and vernacular structures with these architecture magnetic tile design cards!
This listing is for a PDF file to print your own designs.
More Magnetic Tile Ideas
If you want enough designs to last you all year, check out our Seasonal Magna-Tile pack and celebrate holidays with building challenges!
Combine the study of animals with engineering by using these printable magna tile idea cards and inspiring young builders to create 40 animal designs from magnetic tiles!
Enjoy building! Share your creations with us by tagging @adventureinabox on Instagram or Facebook.
