...Welcome to the K'NEX Newsroom - a place to read about what's hot in the news!
Welcome to the K'NEX Newsroom - a place to read about what's hot in the news! From Toy Fairs to K'NEX builders on TV, the newsroom is sure to keep you updated. So make sure you check back often and stay "in the news"!
If you have a news story to share, please contact us
K’NEX and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer products announce Family Guy Partnership
K’NEX is pleased to announce its partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer products to create an exciting new line of building toys inspired by the popular animated series Family Guy! The partnership combines the award-winning K’NEX building system with the most iconic characters and elements from Family Guy, including Peter, Stewie, Brian, the Griffin Family station wagon, Stewie’s time machine and more, bringing them from the televoision screen to the construction aisle for the first time. K’NEX Family Guy building sets will be available at major retailer Spring 2014.
K’NEX President named finalist in the American Business Awards
K’NEX and The Rodon Group president and CEO, Michael Araten, has been named a Finalist in the 2013 American Business Awards. The company is also celebrating being named finalist in the 11th annual Stevie Awards for its Angry Birds building sets. The award ceremony will be held June 17th in Chicago, IL.
K’NEX Chief Marketing Officer, Barb Rentschler, interviewed for PR World Awards webzine
K’NEX Chief Marketing Officer, Barb Rentschler, was recently interviewed on her thoughts on social media and marketing, for PR World Awards Web Magazine. Check out the interview here
Engineering.com produces “How to design a K’NEX Coaster” video
Engineering.com recently released a video they produced for the Design Show after interviewing K’NEX designers on the process of designing a K’NEX Coaster. Check out this great video here
Annual K’NEXpert search begins!
The Annual K’NEXpert Search launched this month and there is a new age group for builders 12-14 and a new prize package including cash and prizes like an iPad Mini, TRU gift card and knex.com Shopping Spree. We look forward to celebrating the amazing work of our biggest fans!
Register your model here
K’NEX announces plans to open office in the UK
K’NEX is pleased to announce that it will be opening a UK subsidiary. Located in London, England, K’NEX UK will open its doors January 1, 2014.
TINKERTOY & Lincoln Logs featured on the TODAY SHOW
K’NEX was excited to see its TiNKERTOY and Lincoln Logs products featured on the TODAY Show’s recent retro toys segment. Watch the video here
K’NEX Chief Information Office, Tony Kratowicz, interviewed for Consumer Goods Technology Magazine
K’NEX Chief Information Office, Tony Kratowicz, was recently interviewed on his team’s innovative digital information database, KIID, for Consumer Goods Technology Magazine. Check out the interview here
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Breaks World Record
The Lincoln, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, University of Nebraska School of Architecture and Lincoln’s Children’s Museum shattered the Guinness World Record for tallest Lincoln Logs Structure! The group both built the tallest Lincoln Logs structure ever (12’ 4” tall), and broke the record for most logs used (10,036 logs). The replica of the Nebraska State Capitol Building took 6 hours to build. Check out pictures from the day here.
K’NEX Great Thrill Ride Build Off Winners announced!
Over 100 classrooms registered for this year’s Great Thrill Ride Build-Off which expanded the contest to partnerships with Cedar Point Amusement Park (OH), Valleyfair Amusement Park (MN) and Dorney Park (PA). Models will be installed in the parks for their full 2013 Operating Seasons. You can check out the winning models here
K’NEX & Eagles Huddle Up for Autism
K’NEX was thrilled to once again participate in the Philadelphia Eagles Huddle up for Autism event held in April at Lincoln Financial field. It was a successful day and a lot of fun was had by all!
K’NEX wins award for dedication to quality & innovation!
K'NEX president & CEO Michael Araten was pleased to accept the "Toy Man" seal of approval for K’NEX's outstanding dedication to quality and innovation. K'NEX is committed to making high-quality, educational & fun building toys for children of all ages right here in the USA!
K’NEX introduces 2013 product line at NY Toy Fair
K’NEX was pleased to introduce over 45 new products to its 2013 product line at the 110th American International Toy Fair held this past February in New York. The 2013 K’NEX product line includes inspiring additions to popular product lines such as K’NEX Building Sets, K’NEX Thrill Rides, Lincoln Logs®, Tinkertoy®, NASCAR®, Angry Birds®, Mario Kart Wii®, The Beatles Yellow Submarine® and KISS®. New York Toy Fair also marked the public debut of three exciting new product lines; Nintendo Super Mario®, Nintendo Mario Kart 7® and PAC-MAN® and the Ghostly Adventures.
The Great Thrill Ride Build Off Returns!
For a third consecutive year K’NEX will continue its quest for future thrill ride innovators, expanding the Great Thrill Ride Build-Off competition this year to include three Cedar Fair parks!
Open to all classrooms and student groups in grades 6-12 the contest runs through April 8. One winning K’NEX model will be displayed at each of the three participating parks: Cedar Point amusement park/resort in Sandusky, Ohio, home to parent company Cedar Fair’s corporate headquarters; Dorney Park in Allentown, Pa.; and Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee, Minn. Click here for more info:
K’NEX wins awards!
The 2013 awards season has just begun and K’NEX is pleased to announce that the K'NEXmen Mystery Figures, K'NEX Intro Assortment, and Lincoln Logs Horsehoe Hill Station have each won a 2013 Tillywig Best Creative Fun award! Learn more about the Tilly Wig Awards: here.
10% of February knex.com sales go to the United Way
For the entire month of February we will donate 10% of sales from knex.com to the North Penn United Way. You can also make a donation without making a purchase.Click here:
Meet the K’NEXperts!
Ever wonder what a day in the life of a K’NEXPert is like? Check out this awesome video and meet our latest winners. Interested in entering your builder? Stay tuned for more details. Watch it here:
Watch President Obama’s speech at K’NEX
On November 30, 2012 President Obama toured K’NEX sister company, The Rodon Group, and spoke to Rodon and K’NEX employees. Check out this awesome video to see pictures from the day, hear K’NEX president & CEO, Michael Araten’s speech, and here President Obama’s remarks. Watch it here:
Did you make it a “Made in the USA Holiday”?
Many viewers recently took ABC World News’ challenge to buy 1 thing American Made this holiday season—several of them chose K’NEX. Check out this segment from ABC World News and find out how your K’NEX purchase has made a difference.
K'NEX Atomic Coaster featured on "Anderson Live!"
Named one of Good Housekeeping Magazines best toys of 2012, the K'NEX Atomic Coaster, was recently featured on Anderson Live! and demonstrated by Good Housekeeping Magazines' Rachel Rothman. Check out the clip for more details: here.
TINKERTOY named one of Entertainment Weekly’s top 10 retro toys of 2012!
Entertainment Weekly loved the fact that newly redesigned Tinkertoy pieces snap together and stay together for long-lasting play. Check out the article here:
K’NEX President & CEO Michael Araten featured on Bloomberg Business Report
After hosting President Obama and giving him a tour of the K’NEX manufacturing facility, K’NEX President & CEO, Michael Araten, is interviewed about his opinion of the fiscal cliff on Bloomberg Business Report. Watch it here:
Eagles fan knocks down life-size Angry Birds Building Set!
Jonathan from Hatfield, NJ was the lucky winner who got a chance to knock down a life-size K’NEX Angry Birds Building Set on the field during half-time at a Philadelphai Eagles game. If he knocked down all the pigs he won season tickets and the entire K’NEX Angry Birds product line. Check out this clip to see if he won!
2013 K’NEXperts’ named!
K’NEX was pleased to welcome our 2013 K’NEXpert award winners to our factory recently. As part of tyheir prize our 3 Grand prize winners were treated to a tour of our factory and a lunch with K’NEX designers. Check out pics of their award-winning designs here:
Mario Kart Wii Building Set recently featured on Canada AM
Canada AM, Canada’s hottest morning news show, recently featured the K’NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Set as a great toy for the 2012 holiday season! Watch the segment here!
K’NEX featured on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer
K’NEX was recently mentioned as an American toy company that is making a difference this holiday season, check out the clip at about 2 minute in and see for yourself!
President Barack Obama visits K’NEX Manufacturing facility, The Rodon Group
K'NEX & The Rodon Group president & CEO, Michael Araten, was honored and excited to show President Obama how we make K’NEX bricks, rods & connectors as he toured the Hatfield, Pa based manufacturing facility on Friday, November 30th. After his tour, President Obama spoke to the crowd about the fiscal cliff. Check out our photos from the event here and the video of President Obama’s speech here.
K’NEX Angry Birds: Mission May’Ham Building Set named one of the Top Toys of 2012 by Parenting Magazine
K’NEX is pleased to announce that the K’NEX Angry Birds Mission May’Ham building set has been named one of the top toys of 2012 by Parenting Magazine. Check out the article here.
Today Show features great Black Friday Deals, including the Phoenix Fury Coaster!
Toy Insider Mom, Laurie Schacht, shows Kathie Lee & Hoda some of the hottest deals for Black Friday 2012, including the Phoenix Fury Coaster from K’NEX! Watch now: msn.com
Toy Insider Mom Laurie Schacht shows World News Now the hottest toys for Holiday 2012
"Toy Insider Mom" Laurie Schacht shows off this season's top toys that kids will be asking for, including K'NEX Angry Birds building sets. Check it out: abcnews.com
Angry Birds building sets featured in Woman's Day hot holiday construction toys!
Toy Insider Mom & Woman's Day's go-to Toy Expert, Laurie Schacht, and WD Deputy Editor, Sara Lyle, preview the hottest Construction & Activity toys of the holiday season, including K'NEX Angry Birds building sets! Click here to watch.
Toy Insider mom, Laurie Schacht, talks hot holiday toys on WGN Chicago
The K'NEX Atomic Coaster is nuclear fun and according to Toy Insider Toy expert, Laurie Schacht, a great gift for your builder this holiday season! Laurie was recently featured on WGN showcasing the must haves this holiday season!
Bucktown Bargains Mom, Jenna Urban
Bargain mom, Jenna Urban was on PA Live talking about great gifts this holiday season including what K'NEX sets to keep your eyes on when shopping for the kids. Check it out: here! For more about Jenna, log on to: bucktownbargains.com
Good Housekeeping Magazine names the K’NEX Atomic Coaster one of the “Best Toys of the Year”
Good Housekeeping Magazine recently announced their picks for “Best Toys of the Year” and the K’NEX Atomic Coaster was one of them! Check it out here!
Beatles: Yellow Submarine buildable figures get a shout out in Parents Magazine
K’NEX was excited to see that our Beatles: yellow Submarine buildable figures were included in the December 2012 edition of Parents Magazine. Check it out here!
K’NEX Angry Birds Building Sets named one of the Top Toys of 2012 by Parents Magazine
K’NEX is pleased to announce that our new Angry Birds Building Sets have been named one of the top toys of 2012 by Parents Magazine Check out the article here
KID K’NEX Undersea Friends Building set named Toy of the Year by Family Fun Magazine
Family Fun Magazine reccenrlty announced their TOTY’s awards (Toy of the Year) and the Kid K’NEX Undersea Friends Building set was named of the top toys of 2012! Check out the article here
3 K’NEX Employees named as finalists in the 9th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business
K’NEX is pleased to announce three finalists in the 9th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business; Barb Rentschler, Kristen Krikorian and Kate Loffio. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. To read more about the women who have been nominated click here.
K'NEX Cosmic Twist Coaster nominated as “Best Construction Toy of the Year” by Timetoyplaymag.com
K’NEX is pleased to announce that the Cosmic Twist Coaster has been nominated as best construction toy of the year by Time to Play Magazine’s People’s Play Awards—the premier online awards program for the toy industry! Voting closes on November 26th and is open to everyone! As a bonus Time to Play Magazine is offering voters a chance to win toys—simply by voting. Click here to cast your vote for K’NEX today!
K'NEX Amusement Park Series Ferris Wheel featured in “Toys that Teach” segment on the TODAY SHOW
K'NEX was honored to be included in Stephanie Oppenheim's "Toys that Teach" segment on the TODAY Show on Tuesday October 2nd! Click here to watch the segment
K'NEX® Host MARIO KART™ Wii Building Set Event At New York City's NINTENDO WORLD Store
K'NEX recently celebrated the addition of new K’NEX Mario Kart™ Wii Building Sets to the wildly successful and award winning building line with a fun-filled, in-store event for fans. The celebration will be held at the Nintendo World Store in New York City’s Rockefeller Center and allowed fans to learn more about the new products through a series of hands-on activities, including building stations, product demonstrations, and photo opportunities with Mario and Luigi. Pictures of the event can be seen here:
K’NEX® Takes Part in Philadelphia Eagles Flight Night!
K'NEX Brands participated in the Philadelphia Eagles Flight Night, an evening of family friendly fun hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles, benefiting the Eagles Youth Partnership on Sunday August 26th. In addition to watching the entire Eagles team practice, there were loads of prizes, and surprises, including the K’NEX tent for fun and games! The K’NEX tent showcased the K’NEX Angry Birds line of building sets and featured building stations where children were able to build, play and launch their favorite characters from the popular app through goal posts. Check out pictures from the event here:
K'NEX® & Philadelphia Eagles Build Giant Angry Birds™ Set!
K'NEX Brands has teamed up with the Philadelphia Eagles in celebration of their mutual partnerships with Rovio and Angry Birds, and, together have created a giant-size version of the K’NEX Angry Birds Hammin' Around building set! Eagles, Angry Birds and K’NEX fans were invited to Love Park in Center City Philadelphia on Tuesday September 4th to try their hands at this bigger than life-size Angry Birds set. Fans also had a chance to meet Eagles Players, cheerleaders and Swoop. The event celebrated the September 4th launch of the new Eagles' branded Angry Birds Facebook game, with new levels releasing after every Eagles game and the launch of the new K’NEX Angry Birds Building Sets! Check out pictures from the event here:
K'NEX is pleased to announce the following award winners:
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold
KID K'NEX Build A Bunch
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum
Tinkertoy Transit Building Set
K’NEX Amusement Park Series: Corkscrew Coaster & Ferris Wheel
2012 P.A.L. Award Tinkertoy Transit Building Set
Learn more about
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio here:
The P.A.L. Awards here:
Michael Araten interviewed on the Big D & Bubba Radio show
Nationally syndicated morning radio show, “Big D & Bubba”, recently interviewed K’NEX president & ceo Michael Araten for their Made in America segment. Listen to the interview here.
What makes K’NEX a SmartCeo 100 Best Run Company?
K’NEX was recently named a Best Run company by SmartCeo magazine. In this video clip K’NEX & Rodon Group president & CEO, Michael Araten, talks about what makes us a best run company.
K’NEX Global Corporate Challenge participation covered on ABC 6 news!
Recently, health & wellness reporter, Ali Gorman, from WPVI ABC Channel 6 news visited the K’NEX complex! Ali spent some time with the K’NEX staff and interviewed some of us for her nightly news cast! Check out the video!
K’NEX founder nominated for induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame!
K’NEX is pleased to announce that its founder, Joel Glickman, has been nominated for induction into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame! Joel is one of 5 nominees chosen out of 38 applicants, and voting is underway to determine who the 2013 inductees will be. Join K’NEX in wishing Joel good luck!
K’NEX announces more award winners!
K’NEX is pleased to announce the following award winners:
K’NEX President & CEO Michael Araten interviewed by Smart Business Philadelphia!
Michael Araten was recently interviewed by Smart Business Philadelphia and asked about his tips for success. Check out the interview here
K’NEX Classics 50 Model Building Set featured in “Toys made in America” segment on the TODAY SHOW
K’NEX was thrilled to see the K’NEX Classics 50 Model Building Set featured in a “Made in America” segment on the TODAY Show on Friday July 6th! Click here to watch the segment.
K’NEX 20th Anniversary story featured in Lansdale Reporter newspaper article
Recently, the K’NEX story was featured in the Lansdale Reporter. K’NEX & Rodon are pleased to have been featured in this article and is honored to bring attention to made in the USA manufacturing initiatives! Check out the story here.
K’NEX® To Host MARIO KART™ Wii Building Set Event At New York City's NINTENDO WORLD Store
K’NEX and Nintendo World are throwing a huge bash to celebrate the launch of the new Mario Kart Wii building sets. If you are in the New York area, we invite you to be one of the first fans to see these awesome new sets in action!
DATE: Thursday, August 23rd, 2012 TIME: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EDT PLACE: Nintendo World, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 (48th St between 5th and 6th avenues) WHAT: Product demonstrations, contests, building stations, character photos and MORE!
K’NEX® & Rodon Group featured in Made in the USA Documentary
Earlier this summer K’NEX president & CEO, Michael Araten, was pleased to welcome documentarian, Josh Miller, and his crew to our factory for a tour. Josh set out on a 30 day journey across the United States during which he lived off of USA made products only! We were pleased to show Josh around our manufacturing facility and show him how K’NEX rods, bricks and connectors are made in the USA during his tour. Check out the official move trailer for “Made in the USA: the 30 Day Journey” here.
K’NEX announces more award winners!
K’NEX is pleased to announce the following award winners:
Learn more about the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio & the Parents Choice Foundation awards by clicking on their names!
K’NEX named 100 Best Run Company by SMART CEO Magazine
K’NEX and its sister company, the Rodon Group, are honored to announce that they have been named a 2012 SmartCEO 100 Best-Run Company, a program run by SmartCEO magazine. One hundred companies that have experienced consistent growth and are leaders in their industries are awarded this prestigious accolade. “We are humbled to have been named a 100 Best-Run company by SmartCEO magazine,” said Michael Araten, president and CEO of K’NEX Brands. “The hard work and dedication set forth by our outstanding team is what makes K’NEX & Rodon run so smoothly. The distinction of being a SmartCEO Best-Run Company goes as much to them as it does to our management.”
K’NEX named GOLD Stevie Award winner at 2012 American Business Awards
K’NEX took home the Gold at the 2012 American Business Awards for the category of Consumer Marketing Campaign of the Year in regards to the K’NEX Mario Kart Wii Building Set product launch campaign. The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. Stevie Award winners were selected by more than 270 executives nationwide who participated in the judging process this year. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists and Winners in all categories are available here.
Positive change is afoot at K’NEX!
56 K’NEX & Rodon Group employees have signed up for the world’s largest corporate health initiative. Beginning May 24, K’NEX & Rodon employees joined over 180,000 employees worldwide in the Global Corporate Challenge® (GCC), a workplace program designed to reverse the sedentary lifestyle of the full time workforce and encourage sustained health, morale and productivity perks to the workplace. Over 16 weeks, participating employees will team up and work together to boost their daily physical activity levels both in the workplace and out. K’NEX & the Rodon Group are one of the more than 1,500 organizations world-wide that have stepped up for this year’s Global Corporate Challenge®.
Check out the August 4th edition of Nintendo Week, featuring LIVE footage from our Mario Kart Wii building set launch event at Nintendo World NYC on July 21st! Watch the video here.
K'NEX Launches KISS Buildable Figures Set
Rock fans, collectors and kids will soon be able to build, play and rock with the K'NEX KISS buildable figure packs! Featuring Starchild, The Demon, Spaceman and The Cat, each figure features the band's iconic black and white makeup, big hair and platform boots. Each set includes all four KISS band members, their instruments and the package doubles as a stage! Recommended for kids ages 5 and up, sets will be available this fall exclusively in Target stores, target.com and knex.com.
Music lovers, young and old, will soon be able to build and play with characters from their favorite iconic rock band, The Beatles, with new licensed buildable figure packs from K’NEX. The buildable figures will bring John, Paul, George & Ringo to life in a new and exciting way. Each figure will feature authentic costumes from the Yellow Submarine movie, a black mop-top unique to the 1968-era of Beatles history and faces that capture the look and persona specific to each Beatle. Sets also include instruments, such as guitars and drums to recreate the full band experience, and packaging that doubles as a stage. Recommended for kids ages 5 and up, sets will be available this fall exclusively in Target stores, target.com and knex.com.
Join K’NEX and NASCAR in Supporting Military Families
NASCAR® Unites is a summer long initiative celebrating America and US Military families and begins Memorial Day weekend. Top racers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., will showcase special patriotic paint schemes on their cars during the 6 week long program. Concluding 4th of July weekend, NASCAR Unites and the NASCAR foundation will work with charities that support military families. Click here for more info.
K’NEX named as finalist in 2012 American Business Awards
K’NEX is pleased to announce that the 2012 American Business Awards program named K’NEX as a finalist and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award winner. The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program and finalists are chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide. The award ceremony will be held in New York City on June 18th, and K’NEX is excited to attend. Details about the American Business Awards and the list of finalists can be found here.
Happy 100th Birthday Irving Glickman!
Irving Glickman, The founder of K’NEX sister company; The Rodon group, turned 100 years old on April 25th! Check out his facebook page and wish Irving a Happy Birthday! Irv's Facebook Page
K’NEX wins awards!
The 2012 award season has just begun and K’NEX is pleased to announce the following award winners:
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys of 2012: K’NEX Classics 30 Model Building Set
2012 PAL AWARDS
Roary Canister Maxi Canister Tin Top Canister Sesame Street Best Friends on the Farm Building Set Kid K'NEX Undersea Friends Building Set K'NEX Classics 30 Model Building Set
Learn more about Dr. Toy & the PAL awards by clicking on their name!
Great Thrill Ride Build Off Winners Announced!
The winners of the Cedar Point and K'NEX Great Thrill Ride Build off have been announced! Was your school a winner? Winning models can be seen at Cedar Point during Math & Science week, May 14-18th
and will be displayed in the park all season long! To see pictures of the 5 winners, including the fan favorite, click here:
K'NEX participates in Education Extravaganza!
If your school is attending Education Extravaganza on Friday, May 18th at Hurricane Alley, Corpus Christ's newest water park, be sure to visit the K'NEX booth and enter for your chance to win great prizes! Students grades K-12 can check out our exhibit to learn about Math & Science concepts as only K'NEX can teach them.
Click here for more info!
K’NEX: Imagine the possibilities!
Check out this video and see how K'NEX helped one young fan finish his chores! How has K'NEX helped you?
"Take Steps" with K'NEX!
If you plan on being in the Philadelphia area on May 19th Team K’NEX invites you to join them as they band together and walk to raise vital fund to fight Chron’s Disease and Colitis. Click here for more information or to find a walk in your area.
K'NEX participates in Party in the Pits at Monster Jam World Finals!
On March 23rd and 24th K’NEX hosted a tent at the Monster Jam World Finals Pit Party in Las Vegas, NV. Visitors were able to view new Monster Jam items and play at fund building stations. Check out the photo gallery here:
K'NEX participates in the "Champions of Charity" Summit!
K’NEX President and CEO, Michael Araten, will join the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Philanthropy Summit: Meet the Champions of Charity on April 26, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA. The summit’s keynote message will be by Shane Victorino, of the Philadelphia Phillies. To register and learn more about the summit, visit: http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/event/62921
K'NEX to be featured in "How I Made My Millions"
The CNBC crew recently visited The Rodon Croup and K'NEX world headquarters here in Hatfield, PA to film footage for an upcoming episode of their hit show, "How I Made My Millions", hosted by Tyler Mathison. Scheduled to late this summer, we will let you know as soon as we have an airdate.
K'NEX participates in PBS 39 37th annual auction
K'NEX is pleased to once again support our local PBS station during their annual fundraiser. Log on to www.wlvt.org or tune into PBS 39 from April 13th through April 29th to bid on great product from many companies, including K'NEX.
K'NEX® Featured in "Made Right Here" Segment on WFMZ Evening News
K'NEX and its sister company, manufacturing facility; The Rodon Group, were recently featured in a WFMZ "Made Right Here" television segment that aired during the 6pm edition of the evening news. Click here to check out the segment!
Young Angry Birds fans will soon be able to build and play with characters from their favorite App with new licensed building toys by K'NEX®. Building sets will include the most popular characters, buildable launchers and other recognizable elements from the game. Designed for ages 5+, the building sets will bring the fun of the video game to life!
K'NEX integrates with Virtual Piggy’s parent approved purchasing system
Free for all parents, the idea behind Virtual Piggy is to provide technology that gives kids the ability to shop online in a controlled manner while providing the safeguards they need, and that parents demand. Kids will be able to manage their online budgets and buy products from approved companies like K’NEX by clicking on the Virtual Piggy icon at checkout. For more information on Virtual Piggy click here:
K'NEX Atomic Coaster wins Best in Play Award at Toy Fair 2012!
The K'NEX Atomic Coaster was one of 25 toys awarded with the first annual "Best in Play" Award from Parenting Magazine! Check out all the winners here:
RSVP of Montgomery County visits K'NEX
RSVP of Montgomery County, a non-profit agency benefiting regional senior citizens, recently took a tour of the K’NEX and Rodon facilities
with a group of at risk children whom the seniors’ mentor. The kids learned how K’NEX is made and the reward that comes with a hard day’s work!
OPERATION BIG BUILD REVEALED!
K'NEX in conjunction with Monster Jam® revealed a life-size replica of the Grave Digger® 30th Anniversary monster truck on Saturday January 14th in the Party in the Pits at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The truck body was built entirely with approximately 226,000 K'NEX parts and took a professional team of builders from the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) over 1000 hours to build! Can you guess how many pounds of pieces were used? http://www.monsterjam.com/thebigbuild/
K’NEX president Michael Araten honored by the North Penn United Way
United Way representatives costumed as Captain America® and Super Girl® dropped by K'NEX headquarters to present Michael Araten, President & CEO of K'NEX brands, with a special award package that contained important information about North Penn United Way's Super Heroes Unite for Kids event. Mr. Araten is one of 20 "Super Heroes" who will be celebrated at the Pine Crest Country Club in Lansdale, PA during a formal event to be held on the evening of April 20th. For more info log on to: http://www.npuw.org/
20 years of Building Worlds Kids Love!
2012 is an exciting year for K'NEX, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary and as we celebrate, we invite you to celebrate with us! To thank YOU, our loyal fans, we will be hosting
a variety of contests & sweepstakes all year long. For more details or to enter check out our 20th anniversary page!
Rodon Group named finalist for Processor of the year award; Ceremony to take place Janaury 31st
The Rodon Group, K'NEX's sister company, has been named as a finalist for the 16th Annual Processor of Year Award presented by Plastics News. This prestigious award will be presented at the end
of January at the Plastics News Executive Forum in Tampa, FL. Read more about it here:
K'NEX says THANK YOU for your C.H.O.P. donations!
We donated 10% of sales from KNEX.com to pediatric gastroenterology research at CHOP this holiday season and thanks to you we have donated $20,194.06 to CHOP!
Ultimate Bowser's Castle Building Set one of Toys R Us' HOT Holiday Toys!
K'NEX is pleased to be among the manufacturers included in the annual Toys "R" Us Holiday Hot Toy List. The Holiday Hot list features the 36 most exciting new items from around the world that are sure to WOW kids on Christmas morning.
Inspired by Mario Kart™ Wii, one of the most popular titles for the Wii™ console, the K'NEX Mario Kart Wii Bowser's Castle Ultimate Building Set™ lets young
Nintendo® fans build and play with their favorite video game characters Mario™ and Luigi™ and build the Bowser's Castle track. Check it out here
K'NEXosaurus Rex named one of the Best 100 Toys of 2011
"I spend a great deal of time reviewing a large quantity of products created by a myriad of manufacturers and designers.
I make sure my selections meet the criteria of my high standards of excellence," according to Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Toy. K'NEX is honored to be amongst the top 100 toys of 2011.
The K'NEXosaurus Rex stimulates your child's imagination and creativity as he builds a walking dinosaur!
Mario and Standard Kart Building Set named an Honors Winner in 2011 NAPPA competition!
"This year's Children's Products winners represent an exciting combination of traditional children's
toys, books and games along with virtual products like video games, ebooks and apps," said Julie Kertes, National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) general manager. NAPPA's independent expert judges evaluated hundreds of
submissions for their innovation, entertainment and education values and quality. Learn more about this award-winning new set, plus the rest of the Mario Kart™ Wii line, by clicking here
K'NEX Plays Part in Creating a Children's Museum in Rutland, Vermont
The Rutland Creative Economy initiative to create a children's museum for the small city of Rutland, Vermont took a step forward with the July opening of a six week rotating set of exhibits for children that engages the community in hopes of a permanent future for the museum.
Opening day exhibits about energy in motion featured an educational display of K'NEX donated by the Hatfield, PA building toy company. Over 350 adults and children in the small city of Rutland visited the exhibits on opening day.
The exhibits are open on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 8 thru August 13. For more information please visit www.WonderfeetKidsMuseum.org.
K'NEX Toy Designer Featured in NASCAR Program
Michael Klitsch, senior toy designer leading the development of the K'NEX NASCAR building sets was interviewed in the NASCAR
Pocono Raceway souvenir program. Learn more about what goes into creating these fun NASCAR sets from the designer himself.
K'NEX Facebook Page Reaches 10,000 Fans
On July 5th the K'NEX Facebook page reached 10,000 fans and lucky fan Christine from Valdosta, GA was chosen randomly to
win $1,000! If you haven't joined this vibrant fan community you're missing out. "Like" us today to meet other builders and enjoy special offers, product news, and fun contests.
K'NEX Sister Company The Rodon Group Launches Blog
K'NEX bricks, rods and connectors are manufactured by The Rodon Group , our sister company, at their
eco-friendly facility in Hatfield, PA. Check out Rodon's cool new blog for more information on how K'NEX are made, American manufacturing and our commitment to sustainability.
Monster Jam Driver Tour K'NEX/Rodon
On July 22nd John Seasock, driver of Monster Jam's Grinder visited K'NEX headquarters in Hatfield, PA to meet with staff, sign autographs and tour The Rodon Group manufacturing facility where he saw K'NEX being made. Thanks for visiting, John!
Champion Cyclist Visits K'NEX
Champion cyclist Matt Baranoski, son of Rodon Mold Designer Michael Baranoski, and a member of our K'NEX/Rodon family,
stopped by to present a framed jersey to K'NEX President Michael Araten and Founder Joel Glickman as a token of appreciation.
K'NEX is one of Matt's sponsors. Matt recently won the Keirin Cup. We wish him luck in upcoming races!
K'NEX and Nintendo World are throwing a huge bash to celebrate the launch of the new Mario Kart Wii building sets. Be amongst the first fans to see these awesome new sets in action!
DATE: Thursday, July 21st, 2011 TIME: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM EDT PLACE: Nintendo World, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 (48th St between 5th and 6th avenues) WHAT: Product demonstrations, contests, building stations, character photos and MORE!
Sunday night's 2011 Monster Jam® Award Ceremony, from Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, was the perfect culmination to the 2011 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals℠ weekend where drivers, crew, and sponsors were honored in front of their peers.
Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals℠ XII presented by NGK Spark Plugs concluded Saturday night at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV and the newly crowned World Racing Champion Tom Meents, driver of Maximum Destruction®, and World Freestyle Champion Jim Koehler, driver of Avenger, were the headliners.
"It is because of the fans" said Tom Meents during his speech as he held up a sign given to him by a fan "this was the best moment of the weekend."
A special tribute was made to veteran Monster Jam announcer Scott Douglas as he was presented with a new award, the Leadership Award.
2011 Monster Jam® Awards Ceremony Recipients:
George Balhan, MohawkWarrior℠
Stadium Wheelie of the Year
Daren Migues, Stone Crusher
Rising Star Award
Daren Migues, Stone Crusher
Rising Star Award
Chad Fortune, Superman™ monster truck
Arena Wheelie of the Year
Adam Anderson, Grave Digger The Legend℠
Extreme Air of the Year
Neil Elliott, Maximum Destruction®
Extreme Air - Sky High
Marc McDonald, El Toro Loco®
Donut of the Year
Bari Musawwir, El Toro Loco® & Nick Owens, Iron Outlaw
Rookie of the Year
Lupe Soza, Advance Auto Parts Grinder℠
Save of the Year
Candice Jolly, Monster Mutt® Dalmatian
Humanitarian Award
Brandon Lambert (crew chief), Maximum Destruction®
Humanitarian Award
Adam Anderson, Grave Digger The Legend℠
Arena Freestyle of the Year
Jim Koehler, Avenger
Sportsman of the Year
Tom Meents, Maximum Destruction®
Crash Madness of the Year
Charlie Pauken, Grave Digger®
Stadium Freestyle of the Year
Mark Hanson, AAP Grinder & Jon Zimmer, Shock Therapy
UTI Technician of the Year
Scott Buetow, Iron-Man™
Wow Factor of the Year
Stone Crusher/Mopar Magic (Monster Truck LTD)
Team of the Year
Tom Meents, Maximum Destruction®
2011 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Racing Champion
Jim Koehler, Avenger
2011 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Freestyle Champion
Scott Douglas
Leadership Award
Tickets for the 2012 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals go on-sale in two weeks. See below for detailed on-sale information:
April 5-11, 2011
Exclusive Double Down Fan Pre-sale All fans that purchased 2011 Double Down packages have the first chance to renew their same seats by April 11th.
April 12-14, 2011
Priority Pre-sale All fans that attended the 2011 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals, but did not attend the Double Down, will have a chance to participate in the priority on-sale. Those fans must register at www.MonsterJam.com by April 8th.
April 15, 2011
General Public On-sale Double Down packages and regular tickets will go on-sale to the general public at 1pm EST/ 10am
For more information on the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam World Finals presented by NGK Spark Plugs, log onto www.MonsterJam.com.
K'NEX Ferris Wheels Named a Best Classic Toy for 2011
"Classic toys are toys you return to from your own childhood, like the shiny, durable Radio Flyer red wagon, scooter, or tricycle," according to Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Toy. K'NEX was pleased to have its ferris wheels chosen as a Dr. Toy Best Classic Toy for 2011. K'NEX ferris wheels are a favorite of builders, including the popular new K'NEX Light Up Ferris Wheel !
Local High School Students Create K'NEX Grandfather Clock
Students from Souderton Area High School's Big Red Marching Band took on a different role recently as they constructed a grandfather clock that was donated by K'NEX. As a local business K'NEX serves as one of Souderton Area High School's Career Pathway Partners and participates in events such as the high school's Career Day and Scholars Banquet. The Big Red Marching Band toured K'NEX to learn about the business of making building toys after completing the clock.
Dennis Anderson, Driver of Grave Digger Profiled by the WSJ
The Wall Street Journal profiled Dennis Anderson, driver of Grave Digger and a "legend in the monster-truck circuit" in a recent article called "The Maestro of the Monster Truck." Did you know that at home Dennis Anderson drives a 2005 Z71 Chevrolet 4×4 pickup truck? Learn more cool facts about this popular monster truck driver in this in-depth article.
K'NEX Participates in Toy Drive for Canada's Children of the North
Thanks to the generosity of over 50 CTA members, we assembled over $30,000 worth of toys-on display for thousands of people, and many thousands more watching on television, to see-at the Santa Claus Parade free breakfast event in the heart of Toronto in Yonge-Dundas Square. Special thanks to those member companies who far exceeded the toy donations that were made by all who participated in the annual CTA Hot Toys for the Holidays event. Together they raised our forecast donation from $10,000 to $30,000+.
Formula Smiles and K'NEX Team Up Over the Holidays
This holiday season NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya and wife Connie will visit the Early Beginnings Academy Northshore to donate K'NEX toys to the children attending the school. The Montoya's will present toys on behalf of their foundation - Formula Smiles and K'NEX. K'NEX donated the 1000 building toys, including some of the No. 42 Target Car Building Sets (Juan Pablo's car) to Formula Smiles. The Academy is a charter school for children with special needs, located near Miami Shores, FL. It is part of the non-profit organization: United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida and serves approximately 80 children, ranging from ages birth to six years old with varying exceptionalities including but not limited to: Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Language Delays, Global Developmental Delays, Genetic Disorders, Blindness and Orthopedic Impairments.
Dover International Speedway donates K'NEX toys statewide to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware
DOVER, Del. - Children in Delaware received a special delivery last week from the Dover International Speedway pace truck. K'NEX toy sets were delivered statewide to 13 Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware. The K'NEX toys included a variety of construction sets including dragsters, sports cars, helicopters, formula cars and monster trucks.
K'NEX Featured in PA Parenting Magazine
Want to learn more about K'NEX? Check out this month's Parents Express Magazine, a regional parenting publication that highlighted K'NEX in the July issue.
Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) airs a video tour of K'NEX and Rodon headquarters
On Monday, June 27th at 6:00 pm the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) aired a video tour of K'NEX and Rodon headquarters.
K'NEX displays HUGE TD Bank Logo for the Philadelphia International Cycling Championship
Hey Philly folks - did you see the HUGE TD Bank logo we built out of K'NEX last weekend as part of the festivities surrounding the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship? It was 32 feet long and more than 300,000 pieces!
Matt Baranoski, son of long-tenured Rodon employee, Michael Baranoski a mold designer, has found increasing success as an elite track cyclist. Matt began track racing at age six along with his brother. As his father, also a cycling enthusiast explained, the goal back then was just to "still be able to enjoy riding a bike after the race was over." Not only did Matt enjoy riding even when not racing but in competition he flourished...
Earnhardt Jr. To Reach Make-A-Wish® Milestone at Charlotte
Special No. 88 paint scheme & events to commemorate 200th wish granted
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 22, 2010) - In specific terms, the wish is simple - meet Dale Earnhardt Jr., share a few laughs and stories, ask questions like "What is your favorite hobby?" or "What video games do you play?" and enjoy a NASCAR experience that on any other weekend would come through a television. Learn more about Earnhardt Jr. To Reach Make-A-Wish®
One-Hour Special of 2010 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® NGK Spark Plugs World Finals on CBS Sunday April 11
CBS Sports will provide coverage of the 2010 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® NGK Spark Plugs World Finals from Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium this Sunday, April 11 at Noon EST.
The one-hour broadcast will capture the action packed weekend from Friday's Double Down through Sunday night's awards ceremony. Fans can follow Monster Jam icon Dennis Anderson's triumphant path to his third Monster Jam World Finals Racing Championship in Grave Digger® and Charlie Pauken's awe-inspiring Monster Jam Freestyle Championship in Monster Mutt®.
"It felt great to get the championship," said Anderson. "I have not even seen the playback from the championship-winning run, so I am going to watch it this Sunday on CBS. I love Tom (Meents) off the track, but on the track, I want to win. I am starting a new decade as a champion, and there is no better place to showcase that than on national television."
K'NEX hosted a tent at the 2010 Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas to introduce the new K'NEX Monster Jam Building Sets available in July 2010. Monster Jam fans can reserve their K'NEX building sets online before the official release.
2010 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® Awards Winners Honored in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (March 29, 2010) - The 2010 Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® NGK Spark Plugs World Finals concluded Saturday in-front of a sold-out Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV while the world champions and other award winners were honored Sunday night before the Monster Jam industry, drivers, crews, and sponsors at Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Grave Digger® Tops Maximum Destruction® in Racing World Championship as Monster Mutt Fetches First-Ever Freestyle World Championship at Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® NGK Spark Plugs World Finals
LAS VEGAS (March 27, 2010) - Before a sold out crowd at the 11th Annual Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam® NGK Spark Plugs World Finals, icon Dennis Anderson, driving Grave Digger®, claimed his third Monster Jam World Finals Racing Championship and Charlie Pauken, driving Monster Mutt®, captured the first Freestyle Championship of his career at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium.
Lincoln Logs Bicentennial Edition and Lava Launch Coaster Featured on Amazon Holiday Toy List
Both the K'NEX Lava Launch CoasterTM and Lincoln Logs® Lincoln's Log Cabin Bicentennial set are included on Amazon.com's prestigious Holiday Toy List for 2009. The recently released list allows customers to easily find the season's hottest toys, video games, sporting goods, electronics, and more. The Holiday Toy List features search tools that help customers quickly narrow and expand search results to find the perfect gift based on age, gender, category, price and discount.
K'NEX Sesame Street 1-2-3 Brownstone Lauded by San Diego Family Magazine
The K'NEX Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection 1-2-3 Brownstone Building Set received a boost from San Diego Family Magazine which included the building set in its holiday toy review and awarded it a 10 out of 10 rating. The selected toys were rated by families on educational concepts, creativity, price, assembly and "fun" factor.
Zoo Buddies Building Set and Lava Launch Coaster Win Parents' Choice Awards
Two K'NEX products, the Zoo Buddies Building Set and the Lava Launch CoasterTM, were awarded prestigious Parents' Choice Awards. Established in 1978, Parents' Choice Foundation is the nation's oldest nonprofit consumer guide to quality children's media. The Zoo Buddies Building Set is Parents' Choice Recommended and the Lava Launch Coaster is Parents' Choice Approved. Fewer than 20% of the products submitted to the Parents' Choice Awards program receive any level of commendation. Parents' Choice serves as a trusted and independent source for educators and librarians, journalists and families searching for children's media and toys.
K'NEX® Dinosaurs 20 Model Building Set™ Wins T.O.Y. Award
The K'NEX Dinosaurs 20 Model Building Set was selected as one of FamilyFun Magazine's 18th annual Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Award winners. Dozens of families across the United States served as toy testers for the award. The testers assessed the quality, value, and fun factor of more than 375 toys to create a list of 30 kid- and parent-approved winners. The top ten toys were announced on Live with Regis and Kelly on Friday, October 2, 2009.
The K'NEX Dinosaurs 20 Model Building Set was hailed as "a toy 65 million years in the making" in the November issue of FamilyFun Magazine which features all the winners. The award-winning set which includes more than 300 parts and a motion-activated sound brick can be purchased at Wal-Mart® and Toys R Us® stores.
K'NEX Makes a Cameo Appearance in Interactive Annual Report
A K'NEX robot is one of the stars of The Johnson City Power Board's 2008 Annual Report. In the industry section of the report, entitled Experience How We Are Making Your Connection, visitors can plug in a virtual power cord and watch a K'NEX welding robot move. The JCPB decided to use the paperless annual report because it is the most environmentally friendly option available. To create a virtual K'NEX robot, the creators of the report, Stellar Studios, first built it using K'NEX parts. Using the 3-D robot as their model, they were able create the animation you see in the report. K'NEX is highlighted in the credits section of the report for providing the parts for the robot included in this inventive online piece created using both digital media and handcrafted artwork. To view the report, go to http://www.jcpb.com/annualReport/ and select Industry in the left column. Drag the power cord plug to the socket to see the robot work.
Visit Abby Cadabby's K'NEX® Giant Pumpkin at Sesame Place
For the second year in a row, K'NEX is pleased to join in the fall fun at Sesame Place's Halloween Spooktacular by providing Abby Cadabby's giant pumpkin. The massive pumpkin made entirely of K'NEX parts weighs 400 pounds and took two weeks to build. "It was pretty cool," according to Andrea Thomas, the K'NEX designer who built the pumpkin and explained, "as it got bigger and bigger it got heavier and heavier. Before I sealed the model I could fit inside it!" Andrea enjoyed creating Abby Cadabby's pumpkin, "it was fun, all the large models are fun to build" she said.
Visitors to the Spooktacular can try to win a Sesame Street Kid K'NEX® Abby Cadabby Building Set™ by correctly guessing the number of K'NEX pieces in the giant pumpkin. The Count's Halloween Spooktacular runs from September 26th to October 31st, weekends only.
K'NEX and NASCAR team up for Cool New Building Sets, coming in 2010!
Exciting news for all you NASCAR fans! In January 2010, K'NEX is introducing a brand new line of building sets, featuring 2 of the sport's most popular drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.
Check out the whole story here and be sure to keep an eye out on knex.com later this year for previews!
The 2010 K'NEXpert Search has officially begun!
This year's prizes include three $10,000 savings bonds for college, tons of FREE K'NEX and a trip to visit K'NEX Headquarters near Philadelphia, PA! Grand prizes will be awarded in three separate age groups - 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12 - so everyone has a chance!
It's easy to enter... So if you or someone you know LOVES to build, spread the word!
For more information and details check out the Official K'NEXpert page
Become a fan of K'NEX on Facebook and join the growing online community of K'NEX fans.
You'll be the FIRST to hear about exciting K'NEX news plus you'll be able to share your stories, pictures and videos with K'NEX fans across the globe!
K'NEX Workshops at National Engineering Month !
From February 28 to March 8 2009, thousands of Ontario residents came together to celebrate National Engineering Month 2009 (NEM) at various locations across the province. Created in 1992 as National Engineering Week, Canada’s largest engineering volunteer run event was re-branded to National Engineering Month in 2008. Read more...
K'NEX says THANK YOU for your help to cure Crohn's & Colitis!
Due to your online purchases and generous individual donations, over $6,000 were raised in May and June to support the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America!
In addition, a team of K'NEX employees participated in 2 Take Steps for Crohn's & Colitis Events in Philadelphia.
K'NEX gives a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported the cause!
Bridging to the future, two graduating seniors in structural engineering had fun putting their classroom knowledge to work and left a parting gift to campus and the professors that helped them along the way.
President Obama Portrait!
Rising over 8 feet tall, this incredible portrait of President Obama was recently completed by a talented and dedicated team of K'NEX designers including Andrea, Norm, Andy, Josh and David.
K'NEX 400pc Tub awarded as one of Dr. Toy's Best Classic Products for 2009!
Recognized as a toy that has delivered consistent play value over many years (Originally Introduced in 1993!), the K'NEX 400pc Tub joins the Yo-Yo and Hula Hoop among others as a Best Classic Product.
K'NEX Brands and The United Way Partner to Build a Better Community
Through a unique partnership, K'NEX Brands and The United Way created the 'Have a Heart' promotion, where 10% of all net proceeds from www.knex.com from the entire month of February were donated directy to the North Penn United Way.
Engineering.com recently released a video they produced for the Design Show after interviewing K’NEX designers on the process of designing a K’NEX Coaster. Check out this great video 
The Annual K’NEXpert Search launched this month and there is a new age group for builders 12-14 and a new prize package including cash and prizes like an iPad Mini, TRU gift card and knex.com Shopping Spree. We look forward to celebrating the amazing work of our biggest fans!
K’NEX is pleased to announce that it will be opening a UK subsidiary. Located in London, England, K’NEX UK will open its doors January 1, 2014.
K’NEX was excited to see its TiNKERTOY and Lincoln Logs products featured on the TODAY Show’s recent retro toys segment. Watch the video 
K’NEX Chief Information Office, Tony Kratowicz, was recently interviewed on his team’s innovative digital information database, KIID, for Consumer Goods Technology Magazine. Check out the interview 
The Lincoln, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, University of Nebraska School of Architecture and Lincoln’s Children’s Museum shattered the Guinness World Record for tallest Lincoln Logs Structure! The group both built the tallest Lincoln Logs structure ever (12’ 4” tall), and broke the record for most logs used (10,036 logs). The replica of the Nebraska State Capitol Building took 6 hours to build. Check out pictures from the day 
Over 100 classrooms registered for this year’s Great Thrill Ride Build-Off which expanded the contest to partnerships with Cedar Point Amusement Park (OH), Valleyfair Amusement Park (MN) and Dorney Park (PA). Models will be installed in the parks for their full 2013 Operating Seasons. You can check out the winning models 
K’NEX was thrilled to once again participate in the Philadelphia Eagles Huddle up for Autism event held in April at Lincoln Financial field. It was a successful day and a lot of fun was had by all!
K'NEX president & CEO Michael Araten was pleased to accept the "Toy Man" seal of approval for K’NEX's outstanding dedication to quality and innovation. K'NEX is committed to making high-quality, educational & fun building toys for children of all ages right here in the USA! 
K’NEX was pleased to introduce over 45 new products to its 2013 product line at the 110th American International Toy Fair held this past February in New York. The 2013 K’NEX product line includes inspiring additions to popular product lines such as K’NEX Building Sets, K’NEX Thrill Rides, Lincoln Logs®, Tinkertoy®, NASCAR®, Angry Birds®, Mario Kart Wii®, The Beatles Yellow Submarine® and KISS®. New York Toy Fair also marked the public debut of three exciting new product lines; Nintendo Super Mario®, Nintendo Mario Kart 7® and PAC-MAN® and the Ghostly Adventures.
For a third consecutive year K’NEX will continue its quest for future thrill ride innovators, expanding the Great Thrill Ride Build-Off competition this year to include three Cedar Fair parks!
The 2013 awards season has just begun and K’NEX is pleased to announce that the K'NEXmen Mystery Figures, K'NEX Intro Assortment, and Lincoln Logs Horsehoe Hill Station have each won a 2013 Tillywig Best Creative Fun award! Learn more about the Tilly Wig Awards: 
For the entire month of February we will donate 10% of sales from knex.com to the North Penn United Way. You can also make a donation without making a purchase.Click 
K’NEX was pleased to welcome our 2013 K’NEXpert award winners to our factory recently. As part of tyheir prize our 3 Grand prize winners were treated to a tour of our factory and a lunch with K’NEX designers. Check out pics of their award-winning designs 
K'NEX & The Rodon Group president & CEO, Michael Araten, was honored and excited to show President Obama how we make K’NEX bricks, rods & connectors as he toured the Hatfield, Pa based manufacturing facility on Friday, November 30th. After his tour, President Obama spoke to the crowd about the fiscal cliff. Check out our photos from the event
K’NEX is pleased to announce that the K’NEX Angry Birds Mission May’Ham building set has been named one of the top toys of 2012 by Parenting Magazine. Check out the article 
The K'NEX Atomic Coaster is nuclear fun and according to Toy Insider Toy expert, Laurie Schacht, a great gift for your builder this holiday season! Laurie was recently featured on WGN showcasing the must haves this holiday season!
Bargain mom, Jenna Urban was on PA Live talking about great gifts this holiday season including what K'NEX sets to keep your eyes on when shopping for the kids. Check it out: 
Good Housekeeping Magazine recently announced their picks for “Best Toys of the Year” and the K’NEX Atomic Coaster was one of them! Check it out 
K’NEX was excited to see that our Beatles: yellow Submarine buildable figures were included in the December 2012 edition of Parents Magazine. Check it out 
K’NEX is pleased to announce that our new Angry Birds Building Sets have been named one of the top toys of 2012 by Parents Magazine 
Family Fun Magazine reccenrlty announced their TOTY’s awards (Toy of the Year) and the Kid K’NEX Undersea Friends Building set was named of the top toys of 2012! 
K’NEX is pleased to announce three finalists in the 9th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business; Barb Rentschler, Kristen Krikorian and Kate Loffio. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards. To read more about the women who have been nominated 
K’NEX is pleased to announce that the Cosmic Twist Coaster has been nominated as best construction toy of the year by Time to Play Magazine’s People’s Play Awards—the premier online awards program for the toy industry! Voting closes on November 26th and is open to everyone! As a bonus Time to Play Magazine is offering voters a chance to win toys—simply by voting.
Irving Glickman, The founder of K’NEX sister company; The Rodon group, turned 100 years old on April 25th! Check out his facebook page and wish Irving a Happy Birthday! 
The winners of the Cedar Point and K'NEX Great Thrill Ride Build off have been announced! Was your school a winner? Winning models can be seen at Cedar Point during Math & Science week, May 14-18th
and will be displayed in the park all season long! To see pictures of the 5 winners, including the fan favorite, click 
If your school is attending Education Extravaganza on Friday, May 18th at Hurricane Alley, Corpus Christ's newest water park, be sure to visit the K'NEX booth and enter for your chance to win great prizes! Students grades K-12 can check out our exhibit to learn about Math & Science concepts as only K'NEX can teach them.
Click 
If you plan on being in the Philadelphia area on May 19th Team K’NEX invites you to join them as they band together and walk to raise vital fund to fight Chron’s Disease and Colitis. Click 
RSVP of Montgomery County, a non-profit agency benefiting regional senior citizens, recently took a tour of the K’NEX and Rodon facilities
with a group of at risk children whom the seniors’ mentor. The kids learned how K’NEX is made and the reward that comes with a hard day’s work!
K'NEX in conjunction with Monster Jam® revealed a life-size replica of the Grave Digger® 30th Anniversary monster truck on Saturday January 14th in the Party in the Pits at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The truck body was built entirely with approximately 226,000 K'NEX parts and took a professional team of builders from the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) over 1000 hours to build! Can you guess how many pounds of pieces were used? 
United Way representatives costumed as Captain America® and Super Girl® dropped by K'NEX headquarters to present Michael Araten, President & CEO of K'NEX brands, with a special award package that contained important information about North Penn United Way's Super Heroes Unite for Kids event. Mr. Araten is one of 20 "Super Heroes" who will be celebrated at the Pine Crest Country Club in Lansdale, PA during a formal event to be held on the evening of April 20th. For more info log on to: 
2012 is an exciting year for K'NEX, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary and as we celebrate, we invite you to celebrate with us! To thank YOU, our loyal fans, we will be hosting
a variety of contests & sweepstakes all year long. For more details or to enter check out our 
The Rodon Group, K'NEX's sister company, has been named as a finalist for the 16th Annual Processor of Year Award presented by Plastics News. This prestigious award will be presented at the end
of January at the Plastics News Executive Forum in Tampa, FL. Read more about it 
"This year's Children's Products winners represent an exciting combination of traditional children's
toys, books and games along with virtual products like video games, ebooks and apps," said Julie Kertes, National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) general manager. NAPPA's independent expert judges evaluated hundreds of
submissions for their innovation, entertainment and education values and quality. Learn more about this award-winning new set, plus the rest of the Mario Kart™ Wii line, by clicking 
The Rutland Creative Economy initiative to create a children's museum for the small city of Rutland, Vermont took a step forward with the July opening of a six week rotating set of exhibits for children that engages the community in hopes of a permanent future for the museum.
