A picture from our Christmas trip. Here is Maddie with the construction set we gave her, "Goldie Blox and The Spinning Machine." And here is the product description that made me hit the "order" button on Amazon:
"GoldieBlox is a toy company out to inspire the next generation of female engineers . Girls are losing interest in math and science as young as age 8. Take a walk through a toy store and you can begin to see why; the “blue aisle” is filled with construction toys and chemistry sets, while the “pink aisle” is filled with princesses and dolls. Research shows that the earlier kids get interested in math and science, the more likely they are to go into those fields as adults. It’s time we gave girls more options. GoldieBlox is a series of interactive books + construction toys starring Goldie, a curious girl with a love of engineering. Goldie’s stories encourage girls to build, developing the spatial skills that are fundamental to engineering. While the story unfolds, girls get to build what Goldie builds. The effectiveness of GoldieBlox isn’t based on assumption. We spent a year researching gender differences, talking with Harvard neuroscientists, and observing children’s play patterns. GoldieBlox stories leverage girls’ advanced verbal skills to help develop and build self-confidence in their spatial skills. So why are female engineers important? As it stands, only 11% of engineers in the US are women, even though engineering and tech are two of the fastest growing fields in job creation. Most importantly, engineers are literally the builders and designers of our world; from the products we use, to the way we communicate, to the cities we inhabit. Gender equality in these fields will provide the balance and innovation that we all need to thrive; the female perspective is indeed a valuable one. GoldieBlox will nurture a generation of girls who are more confident, courageous and tech-savvy, giving them a real opportunity to contribute to the progress made by engineers in our society. It’s 2013. It’s about time we opened our girls’ minds beyond the pink aisle. It’s time to build a new story so our girls can help build our future."
Maddie did have fun figuring out how to put the parts together but after that, there didn't seem to be any reason to play with it again. There are other products in this line. Maybe the others would hold a girl's interest longer.
Wow! Fascinating! Those folks are on to something, and yes, I would embrace that as well! Perhaps Maddie will come back to it again later. Some years from now she will come to understand what you offered her, and I'm sure she will appreciate your efforts. Sweet picture of your little gal!
Fun shot. I love the idea of girls as budding engineers. Our granddaughter got several girls' Lego sets this year. It does sound like the designers hope that girls have more interactive fun with them (include characters to play in the structures they build). Seems like a different emphasis than with my son's Legos of 30 years ago.
I wanted to get that for A this year, but she is still a little young according to the manufacturer! next year for sure! They do have some stuff for younger kids!
January 10th, 2014
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