Designers are well aware that building artistic objects can be educational, and educational materials can be artistic. The recently debuted Trido magnetic blocks are an exercise in both. The blocks are designed around platonic solids, using a combination of three geometric shapes to form familiar patterns for construction with an enormous array of possible forms.

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Much like the cubic building toys we featured last week, the magnetic structure helps make the blocks versatile and quick to rearrange. Thoughtful placement of the internal magnets means every side of every piece can pair with any other side of any other piece. What makes this UK startup different is the playful geometric possibility and fantastic colors.

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The benefits of playful construction for young brains are pretty well established, with payoffs in hand eye coordination and cognitive development. 

The honeycomb combinations of octohedrons, tetrahedrons and half-tetrahedrons can go a long way while teaching geometry principles. And for younger users non-figurative toys can help tap into creative storytelling... while a larger block size might be better for mouthy young builders. 

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Hand painted Trido blocks in beta

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While a large chunk of their successful Kickstarter campaign can be attributed to that kid-friendly appeal, designers and other fidgeters might benefit too. Tactile processing can be soothing for people of all ages, and having attractive desk items is proven to boost morale. so if the blocky haptics of the Fidget Cube are too utilitarian, these satisfying magnetic art blocks might feel more at home on your desk. Luckily for us, the Trido blocks are likely to arrive for sale late summer 2017.