The company has been hot online and at boutique shoppes for years. Now, Magformers is making a splash in Canton opening a store that doubles as an opportunity to explore how kids interact with their toys.
This week marked the grand opening of the all-new Magformers store in Canton. It’s attached to the company’s world headquarters on Ford Road, near Sheldon.
According to the company’s CEO Chris Tidwell, the group is hoping to explore how their toys work with children.
“People don’t want their kids to randomly play with something for a half-hour and be done,” said Tidwell. “They want something that challenges and innovates.”
It’s something that Magformers has been excelling at. In fact, the group is working with UCLA to build instructional material for classrooms.
Magformers are simple, geometric shapes with multiple magnets. Like other popular construction toys the imagination of the user really makes the toys sell — the beauty of Magformers is that you can built in both 2D and 3D, which helps budding scientists, engineers and mathematicians of all ages.
“What it does allow is for you to create with your mind, anything like a 20-foot tall and wide dragon,” said Tidwell. “We’ve seen Ninja Turtles, you name it.”
In the U.S. this is the first full-fledged store that’s been developed. They quietly had a space in Plymouth, but this is the first big venture in the states. Overseas where the founder of the company lives in Seoul, Magformers can bring crowds like a rockstar. Trade shows feature displays that rival sporting events.
Now, the expansion is happening in the U.S. too. Since 2013, Magformers has grown from 14 items available in the States to more than 170 items. Three of the past four years they were finalists for toy of the year.
On Thursday, the company opened their doors for the first time at 10 a.m. Kids between the ages of 3 and 6 were lined up at the door waiting to get in, once the doors opened it felt more like a playground — kids forming shapes, cars, really anything their minds could imagine.
Tidwell, who spent months on the design of the store said it felt great to see it all unfold.
“What makes me feel best about it all is that I know this does help in terms of education for children,” said Tidwell. “That’s the most exciting part for me.”
