K'Nex

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American toy company

title: "K'Nex" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["construction-toys", "products-introduced-in-1992", "toy-companies-of-the-united-states", "companies-that-filed-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy-in-2024"] description: "American toy company" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K'Nex" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American toy company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox toy"]

FieldValue
nameK'Nex
imageK'Nex logo.svg
typeConstruction set
inventorJoel Glickman
countryUnited States
companyBasic Fun!
from
topresent
ownerBasic Fun
sloganImagine, Build, Play
Building Worlds Kids Love
The K'Nex Big Thing
Where Creativity Clicks
website
::

|name = K'Nex |image = K'Nex logo.svg |othernames = |type = Construction set |inventor = Joel Glickman |country = United States |company = Basic Fun! |from = |to = present |owner = Basic Fun |materials = |slogan =Imagine, Build, Play Building Worlds Kids Love The K'Nex Big Thing Where Creativity Clicks |website =

K'Nex is a construction toy system created by Joel Glickman of The Rodon Group. It was first introduced in America in 1992. K'Nex is designed and produced by K'Nex Industries Inc. of Hatfield, Pennsylvania. K'Nex was purchased by Florida-based company Basic Fun! in 2018.

The toy's building system consists of interlocking plastic rods, connectors, blocks, gears, wheels, and other components, which can be assembled to form a wide variety of models, machines, and architectural structures. While K'Nex is designed for children ages 5–12, a bigger version, Kid K'Nex, is aimed towards children 5 and younger.

History

K'Nex was created by Joel Glickman, son of the Rodon Group co-founder Irving Glickman. Joel came up with the idea of K'Nex when playing with drinking straws. By 1992, Joel already spent time on perfecting the building system before founding the K'Nex Brand with his brother Bob.

The first K'Nex Box was launched in the U.S. market in 1993. Original models with moving parts had a handcrank to make things move, but soon, gears and motors allowed models to move on their own.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Knex-bridge.jpg" caption="A bridge made from K'Nex"] ::

The company's products were sold at Toys "R" Us, starting in early October 1992. Toys "R" Us' Charles Lazarus praised the K'Nex system at the 1993 Industry Toy Fair. By 2011, K'Nex was distributed in over 25 countries, including the United States.

In 2018, all of K'Nex's assets were purchased by Basic Fun!, a Florida-based toy company. The acquisition was valued at around $21 million.

In 2024, Basic Fun filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company will use bankruptcy proceedings to repay its creditors while remaining in operation. Basic Fun emerged from bankruptcy on November 1, 2024.

Pieces

The basic K'Nex pieces used to make models include rods, connectors, and bricks. Basic K'Nex pieces are made out of polyoxymethylene plastic.

Display models and exhibits

Concordia University's Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA) has constructed models of a Space Shuttle, the Sears Tower, the Eiffel Tower, Habitat 67, and mazes from K'Nex.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, held a Guinness World Record for "World's Largest K'Nex Sculpture" for a model space shuttle and rocket displayed in their gift shop. The record was broken in 2014 by the BLOODHOUND SSC RBLI K'NEX Build Team in the UK with a 13.38-meter-long K'Nex replica of the Bloodhound SSC supersonic car.

K'Nex has a traveling exhibit, K'Nex: Build Thrill Rides, that visits schools and museums across the US.

Licensed product lines

Computer games

K'NEX The Lost Mines: Adventure Begins, was released in 1998 by EAI Interactive for Windows 95.

Virtual K'Nex was released in 1998 by Fox Interactive for Windows 3.x.

References

References

  1. "The K'NEX Story: Marrying Fun and Function with Small Plastic Parts".
  2. Maina, Jayson. (October 4, 2025). "K'NEX: Toy That Changed Building Games Forever". [[Construction Kenya]].
  3. Media, Montgomery. (September 24, 2021). "Local toy company stays connected with the area". [[The Reporter (Lansdale).
  4. (2018-02-12). "K'Nex Brands sold to Florida-based toy company".
  5. "History of K'Nex". Knex.com.
  6. Whyte, Alexandra. (February 11, 2018). "Basic Fun! buys K'NEX". Kidscreen.
  7. (February 12, 2018). "Basic Fun! Acquires K'NEX". Basic Fun!.
  8. (February 12, 2018). "Basic Fun! buys K'Nex".
  9. Savana, Freda. (February 10, 2018). "Hatfield toymaker K'NEX sold". The Intell.com.
  10. (April 19, 2018). "Basic Fun Keeps K'Nex Licenses". Licensing International.
  11. (February 18, 2018). "Basic Fun Buys K'NEX". Consumergoods.com.
  12. Hill, Jeremy. (June 28, 2024). "Toy Maker Behind Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys Files for Bankruptcy".
  13. (November 1, 2024). "Basic Fun Completes Its Restructuring with a Significantly Strengthened Financial Position and Continues on its Growth Trajectory".
  14. "Ticona Polymer and Processing Expertise Helps Rodon Deliver Successes, Including K'Nex® Toys".
  15. (June 15, 2014). "Concordia Engineering and Computer Science Association". ECA.
  16. (March 8, 2011). "Concordia's Women in Engineering chapter construct massive K'Nex shuttle". The Concordian.
  17. "Largest K'NEX sculpture".
  18. (January 29, 2014). "K'NEX® Introduces Over 25 New Products at New York Toy Fair". [[Cison: PRWeb]].
  19. (February 12, 2014). "K'NEX® Brands Partners with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products to Release First Line of Family Guy™ Building Sets". [[Cison: PRWeb]].
  20. (September 25, 2017). "TINKERTOY® Introduces MY LITTLE PONY ® Building Sets". [[Cison - PRWeb]].
  21. (February 4, 2013). "41 Entertainment grants K'NEX Brands the license for Construction Toys for PAC-MAN™ Worldwide (ex-Japan)". 41e.tv.
  22. (July 22, 2013). "K'NEX BRANDS Welcomes PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures™ to its Family of Brands". [[Cison: PRWeb]].
  23. Jasko, Joe. (August 22, 2013). "PopCap and K'NEX team up for new line of Plants vs. Zombies toys". [[Gamezbo]].
  24. Conditt, Jessica. (June 18, 2014). "Plants vs. Zombies brings the turf war to K'NEX".
  25. Becham Falcone, Lauren. (November 24, 2008). "Sesame and K'NEX, a just right connection". [[Boston Herald]].
  26. (August 2007). "K'NEX: Sesame Street License - SESAME WORKSHOP AND K'NEX BRANDS ANNOUNCE NEW LICENSING PARTNERSHIP". [[Raving Toy Manic]].
  27. Plummer, Willis. (July 21, 2011). "Nintendo and K'NEX Debut Mario Kart Building Sets". [[Village Voice]].
  28. Couto, Anthony. (June 24, 2014). "K'NEX Unveils a New Line of Super Mario Building Sets".
  29. "K'NEX The Lost Mines: Adventure Begins".
  30. "Virtual K'Nex (PC, CD-ROM) Fox Interactive - 1998 USA, Canada Release".

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