Meccano: as a
boy, I had a 9++ Meccano set, which I think is a fantastic toy
for encouraging creativity in an engineering context. David
Williams has an equally fantastic Meccano Home
Page. While I still have the set (in a pair of wonderful
cabinets my father made), I don't play with it much
nowadays. Sadly, neither did my sons, who much preferred
Lego. Sit transit gloria mundi!
Postscript: In
Marysville, Victoria (Oz), there is an excellent Meccano
Museum with many working models. It's called "Maniacal
Mechanicals", in Murchison St (the main street). Worth a
visit if you are in the area.
Postpostscript: Alas!
"Maniacal Mechanicals" was destroyed in the disastrous
Black Saturday bushfires (7 Feb 2009). See this
collection of photographs of the place as a
tribute.