Geomag facts for kids
Geomag (pronounced GEE-oh-mag) is a fun magnetic construction toy. It has special bars with magnets at each end. These bars connect to metal spheres using magnetism. You can put these pieces together in many different ways to build cool shapes and structures!
Claudio Vicentelli created Geomag in May 1998. Geomag toys are made by a company called Geomagworld SA, which is located in Novazzano, Switzerland. Over time, the design of the spheres changed. They used to be coated with nickel, but now they are coated with a bronze alloy. This change was made to follow safety rules for toys.
How Geomag Was Invented
In May 1998, a person named Claudio Vicentelli came up with the idea for Geomag. He was an expert in how permanent magnets could be used in real life. He got a special patent for his invention.
The patent described how Geomag bars work. Each bar has a metal pin that connects two magnets at its ends. These bars then connect to metal spheres. The main goal of this design was to use less magnetic material. This helped make the toys less expensive to produce.
Geomag's Journey Around the World
Geomag first appeared in an Italian toy store called Città del Sole in 1999. In 2000, Geomag was shown at several big toy fairs in cities like Milan, Nuremberg, and New York.
In January 2003, a Swiss company called Geomag SA was started in Ticino. This company was given permission to make Geomag toys. They added new parts to the toy sets, like colorful, see-through panels made of polycarbonate. These panels came in shapes like triangles, diamonds, squares, and pentagons. They were used to make the models look better and to make them stronger. Claudio Vicentelli also got a patent for these new parts in Europe in 2004.
In 2004, a new line of Geomag toys called G-Baby was launched. These toys were made for younger children. They included magnetic cubes and half-spheres with magnetic sides.
Later, important safety rules were made by groups like ASTM USA and the European Commission. These rules said that small toy parts that could fit into a special test cylinder could only be sold to children aged 14 and older. Because of this, the original Geomag bars were made longer. They changed from 27 mm to 58 mm. The original, shorter Geomag toys were then renamed Geomag PRO. They were meant for ages 14 and up.
Geomag SA stopped working in November 2007. But in 2008, some new business people brought the company back to life! They started a new company called Geomagworld SA. In 2009, Geomagworld SA began making the 58 mm magnetic bars. These longer bars followed the European safety standard EN71. These bars became the main part of new Geomag product lines for younger children (ages 3 and up). These new sets also had bars and spheres in different colors, and panels for both decoration and strength.
The original 27 mm bars are still made today. They are part of the Geomag PRO line, which includes pro-color, pro-metal, and pro-panel versions.
Geomag Awards
Geomag has won many awards over the years, including:
- 2002 Parents' Choice Award "Geomag"
- 2004 Dr. TOy "The Best Advice on Children’s Products" Geomag - Color - 44 pcs
- 2004 Gold Award Winners Nappa
- 2004 Parents' Choice Award "Geomag Color 96 Kit"
- 2004 Parents' Choice Award "Geomag Panel 125 Kit"
- 2004 Toy Retailer Association "Construction Toy of the Year"
- 2005 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award Gold Seal
- Parents' Choice Award "Geomag Pastelles 42"
- 2005 Parents' Choice Award "Magnetic Challenge"
- 2005 Tillywig Toy & Media Awards "G333 Glow Moon Explorer"
- 2005 TOTY "Special toy of the year"
- 2006 Parents' Choice Award "Geomag Dynamic Master"
- 2006 Kids Superbrand
- 2012 Editors' Recommended Specialty Toy "GEOMAG E-Motion Power Spin 24 pc"
- 2012 Editors' Recommended Specialty Toy "Geomag Pink - 66 pc"
- 2012 Space Age Award in the category 'Little Scientists.' "Geomag GLOW Moon Explorer"
- 2013 Editors' Recommended Specialty Toy "KOR Geomag - Aki"
See also
In Spanish: Geomag para niños
- Magnetix
- Magnext
