How to Build a City with Magnetic Adventure Set
By Magnetic Building Blocks & Tiles for Kids | Published: 2026-10-27
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to build a colorful city with the PicassoTiles Magnetic Adventure Building Set. Step-by-step guide for creating a toy store, parking lot, and more.
Quick answer
Start with the PicassoTiles 60 Piece Toy Store Shop Theme Magnetic Building Set to build a city that includes a toy store, parking lot, and connecting roads.
Why this set works for city building
The PicassoTiles Toy Store Adventure Building Set includes 60 pieces with shop-themed tiles, making it easy to create a recognizable storefront. The magnetic edges snap together quickly, so kids can focus on layout and design rather than struggling with connections.
Because the set is themed around a toy store, you get a natural anchor for your city. You can expand outward with additional magnetic tiles from other sets to add houses, a school, or a park.
Planning your city layout
Before you start snapping tiles, decide on the basic shape. A simple grid works best: one main street with the toy store at the center, a parking lot on one side, and a few smaller buildings on the other.
Leave space for roads between buildings. Magnetic tiles can form flat roads by laying them edge-to-edge on a table or floor. This gives the city a realistic feel and makes it easier to drive toy cars through.
Steps to build your magnetic tiles city
- Build the toy store base: Use square magnetic tiles to create a rectangular base about 4 tiles by 3 tiles. Attach wall tiles vertically around the edges, leaving a gap for the front door. Use the shop-themed tiles from the PicassoTiles set for the front wall. Common mistake: forgetting to leave a door opening. Mark the entrance before attaching walls.
- Add the roof and sign: Place triangular tiles on top of two opposite walls to form a peaked roof. Use two flat tiles as the roof surface. Attach a small tile above the door as a store sign – you can write the store name with a dry-erase marker if the tiles are white on one side. Check that the roof tiles sit flush. If they wobble, adjust the wall height by adding or removing a row of tiles.
- Create the parking lot: Lay four flat magnetic tiles in a 2x2 square next to the toy store. Use a contrasting color for the parking lot surface. Add small tile strips as parking space lines by placing them perpendicular to the road. If the parking lot feels too small, expand it by adding a row of tiles on one side. The set's 60 pieces give you enough for a compact lot.
- Connect buildings with roads: Place magnetic tiles end-to-end in a straight line from the toy store door to the parking lot. Use two rows of tiles for a two-lane road. Add a few tiles branching off to where you plan to place other buildings. A common mistake is making roads too narrow. Two tiles wide lets toy cars pass each other easily.
- Add extra buildings and details: Use leftover tiles to build small houses or a school. Keep them simple: a square base with four walls and a flat roof. Place them along the roads you created. Add a tree by stacking a green tile on a brown tile column. Don't try to fill every space. Leave some open area for a park or playground – kids can use small toys to populate the city.
Product used in this guide
- PicassoTiles Toy Store Magnetic Adventure Building Set - 60 Pieces: The PicassoTiles 60 Piece Toy Store Shop Theme Magnetic Building Set (SKU: PTQ50) includes shop-themed tiles and invites kids to design their own toy store while exploring STEM concepts. The shop-themed pieces give you a ready-made centerpiece for your city, so you can start building a recognizable storefront immediately without needing extra decorations.
PicassoTiles Toy Store Magnetic Adventure Building Set - 60 Pieces
