Is the Connetix ball run worth it?

Yes, with two caveats: it works best added to an existing tile collection rather than as a first set, and children under about five need an adult build partner. For 5 to 10 year olds with a base collection it is the strongest accessory in the category.

Do ball run packs work on their own without other tiles?

Only in a limited way. The packs assume extra squares, rectangles and base plates for towers and supports; most builds shown in the inspiration booklets need pieces beyond the pack. Treat ball runs as an expansion, not a starting point.

What magnetic tile accessory should I buy first?

Long rectangles or base plates, depending on the symptom: collapsing tall builds want base plates, while builds that look boxy and small want rectangles. Ball runs come after the base collection is around 100 structural pieces.

Updated July 2026

Magnetic tile accessories, ranked by whether they earn it

Accessory packs are where this hobby quietly doubles in cost. Some are genuinely great. Almost all of them assume you already own a decent base collection, and the packs are not honest about that on the box.

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The rule before any accessory

Accessories extend structural inventory; they do not replace it. A ball run pack with no base collection behind it builds exactly the runs on the box and nothing else. One independent reviewer counted the inspiration booklet of a 106-piece ball run pack and found only 7 of its 124 example builds were possible with the pack alone. That is not a scandal, it is the design: buy accessories second, never first. If you are still on your first set, the first-pack guide is the place to start.

Worth it

Ball run packs

The best accessory in the category and the one with real longevity. Clear tubes, stairs, S-bends and split tubes clip into slotted connector tiles, and the trial-and-error physics keeps 5 to 10 year olds engaged long after basic building has gone quiet. Connetix's ball run packs (92-piece rainbow, 106-piece pastel) are the benchmark, with expansion packs adding exotic tube shapes. Honest caveats: under-fives need an adult co-builder, and you want a good stack of plain squares behind it for towers and supports.

Check ball run prices on Amazon AU Or buy direct from Connetix

Base plates

Boring and transformative. A large flat plate anchors tall builds, turns wobbly floors into stable foundations, and doubles the practical height a collection can reach. If tall builds keep collapsing at your house, this is the fix before more tiles are.

Rectangle and shape expansion packs

Long rectangles equal to two, three or four squares add the beams and lintels that square-only collections lack. This is the highest-value pure-tile expansion for kids who have moved past boxes into architecture.

Situational

Car and road packs

Great for a vehicle-obsessed child, ignorable otherwise. The car bases are effectively a chassis with wheels that tiles build onto; they get heavy use in some houses and none in others. Buy in response to observed interest, not ahead of it.

Glow and clear packs

Aesthetic add-ons. Clear tiles make lovely windows and light-table material; glow tiles are a novelty that peaks the first week and resurfaces at sleepovers. Neither adds building capability.

Skip (at least at first)

Themed licensed sets and figure packs: you are paying tile prices for non-tile plastic. Duplicate starter packs when what you lack is shapes, not count. And any accessory before the base collection is roughly 100 pieces of squares and triangles; below that, every dollar does more work as plain structural tiles.

The buying order that works

Starter set, 60-100 pieces (squares and triangles)
Rectangle expansion or a second colour pack, to ~150-200 pieces
Base plates
Ball run pack, once the builder is 4+
Interest-driven extras: cars, clear tiles, ball run expansions

Common questions

Is the Connetix ball run worth it?: Yes, with two caveats: it works best added to an existing tile collection rather than as a first set, and children under about five need an adult build partner. For 5 to 10 year olds with a base collection it is the strongest accessory in the category.
Do ball run packs work on their own without other tiles?: Only in a limited way. The packs assume extra squares, rectangles and base plates for towers and supports; most builds shown in the inspiration booklets need pieces beyond the pack. Treat ball runs as an expansion, not a starting point.
What magnetic tile accessory should I buy first?: Long rectangles or base plates, depending on the symptom: collapsing tall builds want base plates, while builds that look boxy and small want rectangles. Ball runs come after the base collection is around 100 structural pieces.