As a mum of a girl and a student of engineering myself (where I was the only female in the room) I totally “get” what GoldieBlox hope to achieve and cheer on what they are offering with their innovative toy range.  This is construction and physics beautifully presented for the little girl market.

Cost:  Sets start at $35

Now you might be asking – why can’t girls just play with the regular construction products?  The answer is they totally can – and some will (especially those with siblings and parents who actively encourage and engage in this play).  But in reality (from my observations of my daughter and her friends) until a certain age (around 7 – 9 years) little girls are just drawn to the girlie stuff – don’t underestimate the power of the pink marketing and peer group influence when it comes to toy selection.  And I am not just talking about what they have on their birthday wish list – I am also talking about what gets pulled off the shelf at home and played with over and over.

The founder of GoldieBlox, Debbie Sterling, is a female engineer who is out to inspire the next generation of female engineers. She has made it her mission in life to tackle the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math.  Construction toys help kids develop spatial skills and get them interested in math and science. For decades it’s been a boy’s club…until now. GoldieBlox is a series of interactive books + construction toys starring Goldie, a curious girl with a love of engineering.

Immi (8) loved the aesthetics and story of the Spinning Machine set we were sent to test out.  I was impressed by the quality of the product and the attention to detail – the book that came with the set was beautifully illustrated and provided a great introduction into how to use the set (without sounding or looking like an instruction manual).  Given Immi was at the top end of the recommended age for this product I decided to send it into school to see what the Prep girls thought… here are some of their comments:

What do you like about the game

• “I like it because it’s challenging and hard.”
• “It teaches you how to make things.”
• “I like the characters because they are cute.”
• “I like the characters’ names.”

Did you enjoy the book/story/instructions?

• “You can copy ideas and it’s helpful.”
• “The story gives you ideas about how to use the things.”
• “The book shows you how to use the pieces.”
• “It shows you how to make towers”

Would you play the game by yourself or with a group?

• “ I would play it by myself.”
• “I like working with my friends. It’s fun!”

This product first launched in Australia in July 2014 and can be found in retailers like National Geographic and Kidstuff.

Check out the video.