How STEM toys and Unit Bricks are beneficial for kids. Kids need adventure. It is fundamental to their development to remain active. Not saying that they should be doing hang gliding or bungee jumping, but they need to have access to toys and new experiences that will help challenge them both cognitively and physically.
Our Mini Unit Beams Builder Sets hit the spot when it comes to inspiring creativity, encouraging STEM learning and engaging kids in engineering thinking and design. How can we be so sure? Earlier this month, the Mini Unit Beams Crane Builder Set and the Mini Unit Beam Bridge Builder Set received seals of approval from none other than Purdue University’s engineering research institute, INSPIRE!
Every year, the Center for Early Childhood Education, Eastern Connecticut State University conducts a survey in which researchers observe children playing with a variety of toys -nominated by teachers, parents, researchers, and children themselves - in a free play setting in preschool classrooms. They code children’s use of the toys in three areas: thinking/learning/problem solving, social interaction, and creativity.
Today, with the prevalence of technology, even adults struggle with basic addition and subtraction and must pull out their smartphones to successfully drum up an answer, unless of course they have a portable abacus on hand. That being said, the aforementioned arithmetically-challenged adults have already put in the time and could theoretically perform a simple computation exercise with a little extra thought. In younger years, their brains developed the necessary counting and mathematical skills which allowed them do well on the SATs, go onto fulfilling careers, and navigate their lives.
“Why is the sky blue?” Sound familiar? It’s a common question asked by kids as they grow up and start to inquire about the world. And it’s an unanswerable question without the aid of science. We as parents or teachers may not necessarily have all of the right answers, but how we respond fosters kids’ continual wonderment.
Get ready and set to play: You did your homework and now are in possession of a set of blocks, not just any blocks, but Unit Bricks— specially designed to aid kids’ learning and development. Give yourself a pat on the back and check the most important step off your list. But what to do with that stack of objects sitting on the floor? We’ll walk you through how to get properly set up so kids can put their block set to the best use and be on their way to building structures of their dreams!
