One of the most beloved toys in history has returned, now with an emphasis on compact crafting!
Inspired by its classic 1967 predecessor from Hasbro, Lite-Brite Mini-X Connect from Basic Fun! takes everything children loved about the original and shrinks it to a pocket-sized 5.5 inches — perfect for rendering loads of rainbow-coloured art on the go.
In the box, kids will find eight different design templates and over 170 colourful mini-pegs to create pictures with. Follow the templates or dare to let your inner artist loose and craft unique pieces of light-up art.
As the name suggests, the Mini-X Connect features a grid that can combine with other Mini-X Connects for bigger and more innovative designs. All sides are connectable and allow for maximum artistic flexibility, with the total amount of additional grids limited only by one’s creativity.
When you’re ready to watch your art glow, simply tap the pegs in the screen and watch them light up.
As mentioned, Lite-Brite is one of the most popular playthings in history. Originally released by Hasbro back in 1967, Burt Meyer’s original design consisted of a light box with small plastic pegs that fit into a panel that could be illuminated to create a lit picture. Produced to stimulate imagination, Lite-Brite went on to be named one of the top 100 toys of all time and was inducted into the National Toy Hall Of Fame in 2022.
Although it has undergone some design changes over the last 56 years, each subsequent version has held true to the original, allowing artists to create a glowing picture by placing multi-coloured translucent pegs into a screen or punching them through a sheet of opaque black paper. When lit, the pegs that conduct the light have an appearance similar to that of LEDs.
In addition to the classic light box format, the toy has been offered in a number of different forms over the last five decades. These include a flat-screen version as well as a very popular 3D cube configuration and a rather innovative FX edition that spins and plays music. In more recent years, Lite-Brite has been reinterpreted by a number of different companies, including Super Impulse. Back in 2019, the company released the World’s Smallest Lite-Brite, which measured a minuscule 3 inches wide and was powered by a 1.5-V alkaline battery.
With this latest version, Basic Fun! not only brings fans an appropriately proportioned model that fits well into a world defined by compact cars and shrunken smartphones, but also successfully revives a beloved classic with limitless artistic potential for children of all ages and skill sets.
Designed for kids four years of age and older, Lite-Brite Mini-X Connect is powered by three AAA batteries (not included) and is available for purchase now through toy retailers for $9.99 USD.
