Plus-Plus Botanica Colormix: Why It’s Still on Our Kitchen Table

You know that moment when you’re desperately googling ‘quiet activities for school holidays’ at 2am? Well, that was us six weeks ago. Then this little tube of Plus-Plus Botanica Colormix landed on our doorstep (gifted in exchange for sharing our honest thoughts with you lovely readers), and frankly, it’s barely left our kitchen table since.

The Plus-Plus Botanica Colormix isn’t just another building toy gathering dust in the toy box. It’s become our go-to for everything from rainy Tuesday afternoons to keeping the peace during those endless summer car journeys to visit the grandparents.

What Exactly Is Plus-Plus Botanica Colormix?

This particular STEM toy is essentially 240 puzzle-like pieces that all share the same unique six-sided shape, packed into a sturdy, travel-friendly tube. The Botanica version (new for summer 2025, £11.99 RRP) features gorgeous plant-inspired colours: sage, vanilla, mulberry, avocado, burnt sienna, and lemongrass. Think of it as nature’s palette, but in toy form.

Plus-Plus itself has been around since the 1980s, a Danish creation that’s won awards for sparking imagination without needing batteries, apps, or complicated instructions. The beauty lies in its simplicity: one shape, endless possibilities. Suitable for ages 5 and up, though I’ve seen three-year-olds have a fair go (with supervision, mind you).

What’s In this Tube?

• 240 interlocking pieces in six botanical shades
• A basic idea guide (more on this later)
• A reusable tube that’s actually child-friendly to open and close

First Impressions: Simple But Promising

Opening the tube felt a bit like Christmas morning, not because of fancy packaging (it’s refreshingly minimal), but because of the kids’ reactions. The colours are genuinely lovely; summery without being garish. Each piece feels solid and well-made, not like those flimsy building toys that snap if you look at them wrong.

The tube itself is brilliant. Compact enough to slip into a handbag, sturdy enough to survive being chucked about by enthusiastic six-year-olds. The twist-top opens easily without being so loose that piece’s spill everywhere, its clearly designed by people who actually have children.

What struck me immediately was how tactile everything felt. The pieces have a satisfying weight, and that clicking sound when they connect is oddly therapeutic (for parents too, if we’re being honest).

Real Life Testing: How Our Lot Actually Used It

Here’s where things get interesting. Unlike those building sets with step-by-step instructions that result in identical creations, this is proper open-ended play. Our little one started making flat patterns on the kitchen table of flowers, butterflies, abstract designs she’d frame if I let her. Meanwhile, her friends went straight for 3D constructions: wobbly towers, miniature houses, and what they insisted was a “botanical sculpture” (fair enough!).

The real test came during our week away for a break. During the Long car journey Plus-Plus came out, and suddenly the backseat arguments stopped. Beach day with unexpected rain, so the pieces emerged again, scattered across the holiday cottage table while the kids built lighthouses and sea creatures inspired by our morning rock pooling.

What surprised us the most was how the toy seemed to reflect their experiences. After visiting a little Cathedral, intricate spire-like structures appeared. A day visiting a farm resulted in various animal attempts (some more recognisable than others). It’s was cute how the pieces become a creative extension of their adventures.

The Problem-Solving Element

Don’t underestimate the mental workout this provides. Because every piece is identical, children need to really think about how to construct what’s in their imagination. It’s not like Lego where specific pieces obviously fit specific places. This requires proper problem-solving and spatial awareness, real STEM learning disguised as play.

I watched one of the kids spend twenty minutes figuring out how to make a flower stand upright. No frustration, no giving up, just determined experimenting. When they finally cracked it, the satisfaction was genuine.

The Parent Perspective: Does It Actually Work?

Storage: Brilliant. Everything fits back in the tube, and the tube fits anywhere. No more stepping on tiny pieces at midnight.

Mess factor: Minimal. Pieces are large enough not to disappear under sofas, but small enough for genuinely portable play.

Durability: Impressive. After weeks of use (and the occasional piece being trodden on), everything still looks pristine. Plus, they’re fully washable as they’re dishwasher safe up to 90°C, which is handy for those inevitable sticky finger incidents.

Attention span: This is where it really shines. Independent play sessions lasting 45 minutes to an hour weren’t uncommon. For context, our usual craft activities manage about 15 minutes before someone needs help or gets bored.

Educational value: Sneaky but effective. Fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, creativity, patience it’s all there, wrapped up in something that just feels like fun.

What We Loved vs What Could Be Better

The Good Bits:

• Colours are genuinely beautiful, sophisticated enough not to make your living room look like a nursery explosion
• Surprisingly absorbing for different ages, from three-year-old to eleven-year-old range all found their own level.
• Proper travel-friendly without being fiddly or losable
• Encourages genuine creativity rather than following instructions
• Great value for money as we worked it out at something like 5p per piece, and they’ll mix with any future Plus-Plus sets

The Not-So-Great:

• Can take a while to get your head around how to build what you’re picturing
• The basic idea guide is pretty minimal and think for some kids more inspiration would be helpful for getting started
• Younger children might need some initial guidance to understand how the pieces connect
• If you’re expecting immediate, obvious results like traditional building blocks, this might feel slow at first

Who Would Love This?

We think this STEM toy are perfect for families seeking genuine screen-free entertainment that doesn’t require constant adult input. If your children enjoy crafts, puzzles, or building activities, they’ll likely take to this naturally. It’s particularly brilliant for:

• Car journeys and travel (seriously, this saved our sanity on the M4)
• Quiet time activities
• Children who like creating rather than following strict instructions
• Mixed-age play where everyone can participate at their own level

However, if your little ones need immediate gratification or prefer toys with obvious ‘right’ answers, this might not hit the mark initially.

The Bottom Line

Few weeks on, the Plus-Plus Botanica Colormix is still earning its keep on our kitchen table. For the price it costs it’s delivering far better value than most toys we’ve tried. The pieces are still intact, the interest hasn’t waned, and we’ve genuinely enjoyed watching the children’s creations evolve.

Would we recommend it? Absolutely. Would we buy more Plus-Plus sets? Already planning to. To be fair this isn’t just a summer holiday lifesaver, it’s become part of our regular play rotation, and I can see it growing with the children as their building skills develop.

It’s funny how sometimes the simplest ideas really are the best ones. Plus-Plus proves that 240 identical pieces can provide more creative possibilities than the flashiest electronic toy, which is not bad for something that fits in your handbag.

If you’re tempted to give it a go, you can pick up the Botanica Colormix tube directly from Plus-Plus for £11.99, or check Amazon where it’s currently on special offer (always worth a look for a few pounds off). Either way, you’re looking at brilliant value for something that’ll genuinely grow with your children. Trust us, this one’s a keeper.