By now you’re likely aware of STEM – the emphasis being placed on science, technology, engineering, and math in the American school system. The STEM program originated as a governmental effort to produce future employees able to compete in these fields in the global marketplace and it’s been going strong for nearly a decade. But STEM doesn’t stop at school!
STEM learning is all around us and with a little effort, parents can easily incorporate STEM-filled activities into their children’s everyday play. For example, building with Brackitz engineering toys is a great way to introduce and practice key STEM skills. How? Well…
Science
Building with Brackitz provides an opportunity for kids to experiment with basic scientific principles including cause and effect, gravity, weight, balance, and more while building structures like simple towers and bridges. Subconsciously, they’ll also be making a hypothesis (if I do this, then this will happen), observations (what actually happened?), and gathering data – key scientific activities.
Technology
Experimenting with construction toys develops the skills kids will need later to work with and create new technologies, including the creation of systems that work together, such as two structural towers supporting a bridge.
Engineering
Block play also builds a solid foundation for basic engineering and architectural principles. Building with Brackitz requires problem-solving and decision making, critical thinking, and planning while instilling an understanding of concepts including stability, symmetry, and balance. Brackitz building systems also introduce the Engineering Design Process through play: kids envision a design, make a plan, try it out, make adjustments, and try again until they’ve got the results they need.
Math
Counting, measuring, estimating, and ordering by size and length are all critical early math skills. And they’re all skills acquired naturally and easily through block play! Plus, building develops spatial reasoning skills needed for complex problem-solving in higher-level math. STEM skills are just one (important) benefit of block play. Building also develops fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, concentration and focus, perseverance, resilience, collaboration, communication, language and vocabulary, and so much more. So what are you waiting for?
Get out those Brackitz and start building with your little one today!toys are the only construction toys that let kids design any structure they can imagine - anything. Our unique, connect-anywhere Brackitz enables kids to create large scale, portable, 3-D structures – with no instructions or limitations – all while learning real-life math, science, engineering, and architecture skills.
