Do you like open-ended toys? Do your children love to make up their games? Then the Bilibo Game box is for you. We loved our Bilibo minis set for years, and I have somehow misplaced them (we played a lot and took them everywhere). I knew I had to replace them, but then I saw the Bilibo Game box, and it is so much better!
Our story with Bilibo
When my daughter was 16 months old, her fabulous godmother got her the Bilibo and the minis for Christmas (this was over five years ago). At first, I had no idea what it was, and my face must have been like a puzzle.
She explained what open-ended toys were and how this toy was an incredible door to children’s creativity. I might have been skeptical at first, but she knew what she was talking about (she is a children’s psychologist and specializes in children with autism).
A couple of months later, I was a complete fan of Bilibo, and I still am today. My daughter has grown, we have another child, and Bilibo has grown with them. We’ve used it for so many things, and we still are. But this is for some other time. Because today, I’m here to talk about the Game Box and how we are playing with it (but you can check out my post about Bilibo here if you wish 😉 ).
About Bilibo
Bilibo was invented by Swiss designer Alex Hochstrasser in 2001 in consultation with experts for child development. This shell-shaped toy was designed for children of various ages to sit in whilst controlling movements by touching the ground with their hands and feet.
The Bilibo was initially produced in six different colors, but now their color palette has expanded to black, white, pastels, and even metallics. The Bilibo Game Box only comes with the minis and pixels in the six original colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink).
Since its creation, the Bilibo has received several international awards, including Spiel Gut in Germany, the Swiss Product Design Award in 2002, and Toy of the Year – the UK Good Toy Awards in 2006.
What is the Bilibo Game Box
The Bilibo game box is a set that comes with the following:
– 6 rainbow mini bilibos (red, orange, yellow, pink, green, and blue)
– 36 pixels (6 of each color). A pixel is like a very thin coin, with two holes like a button.
– 1 elastic dice. It is made of thermoplastic rubber, and you can take out the pixels that make each side.
– A bag to store the pixels.
– 1 booklet with some ideas
Things you can do with the Bilibo Game Box
The beauty of open-ended toys is that they come without instructions. So there is no right or wrong way to play with them; you do and create as you imagine. Therefore, I feel they are great resources to help us create without limits.
1. Color sorting games
Use the dice to decide which color is selected in each round. You can sort the pixels or other resources or toys you may have. For example, we like playing with our learning resources pet set, and we match the purple animals with the pink.
You can even throw the color dice and regular number dice. For example, this way, they know they have to pick up three yellow items.
2. Balancing
Have you tried balancing the pixels on your nose? Or on the bilibos? How many can you stack before they fall? Just get creative, and it can be a lot of fun.
You can also create a small Bilibo tower. Place one mini bilibo on the floor, place the dice on top without the pixels, and then try to balance a mini bilibo ball (made by combining two mini bilibos).
3. Tiddlywinks
Tiddlywinks is a classic game played with modern toys. If you have a rug or a towel, place a mini bilibo as a target in the middle. Then place a pixel chip in front, and with another pixel, press the edge making the pixel on the floor jump upwards and forward. You must get your pixels in the mini bilibo pot. Be warned; this can become addictive 😅
4. Bouncing into the Bilibos
I have another idea if you have a hard floor and nothing to play Tiddlywinks with. You must throw the pixel to the ground, trying to hit the ground with the edge, so it bounces, and have them go into the bilibo pot target. It might not be easy at first, but after a few tries, it is doable.
5. Can you guess how many there are? Hearing play
The Bilibo game box can also help to play with other senses. Grab some pixels and put them inside a mini bilibo ball without nobody else sees. Then shake it hard and see if anyone can guess how many pixels you hid inside just by listening. To make it easier, you could select between the agreed quantities. For example, how many are there, 1, 5, or 10? And as you get better at it, reduce the amounts to make it more difficult.
6. Threading
One of the cool this about the pixel chips is the two little holes that allow you to thread through them. Use pipe cleaners, string, or needle and thread for this activity. It is fantastic for toddlers to practice hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
But for even younger children, maybe start by threading some rope through the mini bilibos (the holes are much bigger).
7. Jewelry
How about making some fabulous bracelets or necklaces by using the pixels? Look at this beautiful bracelet my children made me 🥰
8. Flatlay designs
You can make some wonderful creations with the pixels and the mini Bilibos. From abstract compositions to flowers, faces, and people. The sky is the limit!
9. Counting
The pixels are ideal for counting games. Use them to count, place them in a line, put a number in one mini Bilibo and place the number of pixels that match it,… the possibilities are endless.
10. Inventing
Inventing gadgets and trying to materialise our ideas through play is just fabulous, and Bilibo invites children to dream, imagine, and invent without limits. The things they’ve invented with these 😂 from phones, to secret boxes, and strange contraptions that I can’t even begin to explain. But they sometimes look like this 😅
11. Patterns and sequences
Ths pixels are great to invite to create color patterns or sequences. Have a look at some we have created. Just place the first set and suggest that they keep going.
12. Animals
Imagine they are animals. The mini bilibo turns easily into a snail, or if you line them up together they can be the very hungry Catterpillar!
13. Water play & sensory play
The mini bilibos are fantastic for water play. You can use them as bowls, scoops, boats, spoons, and they are so much fun.
14. Bowls
We’ve also used them as bowls to create shaving cream paint during bath time. Just add some soap and some food coloring, give them a brush and just let them have fun painting with it.
15. Catch
We’ve also played catch with the box! Use the mini bilibos as the “mitten” or receiver, and we toss around or even up the dice, and try to catch it before it touches the ground.
16. Small world play
Of course you can also use the minis and all the elements in small world play. You can use them for decorating, or they can be pools, beds, slides, houses, plates, food,… anything your children can dream up.
17. Pixel forward
Another game we like to play (and since I did not know how to describe it, I just called it “pixel forward”), you place a pixel on the floor, and you press the edge of it with another pixel and the force drives it forward. We try to aim it to go under the bilibo with the same color.
How to clean it?
Bilibos are very easy to clean because they are made in one seamless piece. For this reason, there are no inaccessible parts or joints where dirt or germs could hide – which is excellent, especially during pandemic times.
Wash them thoroughly with water and soap to remove any germs or dirt. If you want some extra safety, you can also use a sanitizer or disinfectant.
To clean the dice remove the pixels so there is nothing that stays dirty underneath them.
I’ve now seen they can even go into the dishwasher (although I have never done so). So the mini Bilibos should go on the top rack. Check out Moluk’s cleaning guide for more info.
Why Moluk Toys are Green
Let me share with you Moluk’s green statement:
“MOLUK toys are made of fully recyclable materials like HD-PE (same as milk bottles). No painted pieces. No composite materials that cannot be recycled. No PVC, no phthalates, no BPA. Most importantly: The toys are multifunctional and designed to grow with the kids, offering new play possibilities as they get older. The resources and energy it takes to produce a toy always stand in relation to the play value and years of use you get out of it. In this regard, MOLUK toys have a stellar track record and minimal ecological footprint.”
Where to buy?
Unfortunately, you cannot buy Bilibos directly from Moluk, but I’ve found them on Amazon and other local retailers.
I’ve found on their website a link to retailers by country, where you can buy the Bilibo (find the link here).
Bilibo Game Box is a wonderful idea
So, as you’ve been able to see, we love the Bilibo Game Box at home. It is a fantastic creative and imaginative resource with so many possibilities. I know we’ve only scratched the surface, and there is so much more that we can do with it.
It is a great gift for families with children of different ages because each child can play with it at their own level. This toy grows with your children, and it is a wonderful invitation to test things, push their limits and grow.
If you can, invite it into your home, let your children explore by themselves, and afterward you can show them some of the things they can do. Just have fun!
Happy playing!
P.S: Oh! And if you liked this post, you might like these other posts with open-ended toys that we also love! I hope they can be helpful
