Continuing a Love of STEM with GoldieBlox Toys {Review & Giveaway}

My eight-year-old baby girl has proclaimed that Science is her favorite subject in school for 3 of the 4 years she’s been in school. She also enjoys Math and Reading, but consistently says Science is her favorite. Unfortunately, subjects like Science and Social Studies take a back seat to Math and Reading in our local schools (most likely due to state assessment tests), so we’re always on the lookout for ways to incorporate a lot of learning in our home – we especially love talking about History, Science, and Math!

From the time my girl could speak, we’ve encouraged her to ask questions about the world around her and have never really explained things in a “baby” way. Using real terms, age-appropriate explanations, and often-times real-world examples, we’ve exposed her to topics such as Physics, Robotics, and Electricity. If we find toys or kits that will help our daughter explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) topics, then even better! (After all, this mama does have an Engineering degree and knows all too well what it’s like to be the only woman in a classroom full of men.) Which is why I was excited to partner with The Motherhood on a GoldieBlox toys review – products that aim to “inspire the future generation of female engineers?” Yes, please! Let me share the fun that my daughter and I (and her 3-year-old brother) had building with GoldieBlox toys, plus scroll down for a chance to win two GoldieBlox toys of your own!

GoldieBlox Toys Review

GoldieBlox and the Parade Float Review

In the GoldieBlox and the Parade Float kit, we were introduced to Goldie and her friend Ruby, who is competing in a pageant. (Let me note my appreciation for Ruby being dark-skinned – African-American, I presume – since diversity is important in our household.) The kit comes with a storybook, building pieces, and figurines that go along with the story. GoldieBlox and the Parade Float introduces children to the wheel & axle concept and though it’s aimed for the 4-9 year old age range, my three-year-old son was able to build Goldie’s parade float on his own as I read him the story. What I love is that with such a kit, I was able to show both my son and daughter step-by-step instructions for building a structure while using real terms such as wheels, axles, spacers, etc. Each building piece and term is explained in the storybook and there’s even a Bill of Materials at the beginning outlining all the included pieces.

My daughter really enjoyed building the parade float as she read the story, but even more so, she loved the additional design ideas included at the end. For creative kids that like to think outside the box and make things their own (such as my daughter), the additional design ideas plus the fact that all GoldieBlox toys are compatible with each other is perfect for building your own creations.

Buy GoldieBlox and the Parade Float on Amazon.com ($16.57) [aff] or directly from GoldieBlox.com ($19.99)

GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank Review

In GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank, you also get a storybook to accompany your building pieces. This time Goldie needs to figure out a way to wash her dog, Nacho, who doesn’t like water! GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank works on exposing children to the concept of hinges and levers and is also aimed for kids aged 4-9 years old. This storybook has less step-by-step guides for building the structure embedded within the actual story than GoldieBlox and the Parade Float, but instructions are included. A fun aspect is that the storybook can be flipped and used as a carnival background that attaches to the dunk tank! But, perhaps the most enjoyable part of this GoldieBlox toy for my kids was that they were able to throw the ball at the target and watch Nacho fall into the cup of water! (The 3-year-old thoroughly enjoyed dunking Nacho multiple times.)

Just like GoldieBlox and the Parade Float, GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank includes a Bill of Materials outlining all the pieces in the kit and uses real terms (wheels, axles, spacers, etc.). There are two additional design ideas enclosed and again, it’s great that all the pieces are compatible with all GoldieBlox toys, so kids can build their own creations!

Buy GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank on Amazon.com ($14.51) [aff] or directly from GoldieBlox.com ($19.99)

More About GoldieBlox

GoldieBlox currently has three GoldieBlox toys out on the market, but is about to launch three more! Here is a list of all the GoldieBlox toys, all of which you can learn more about, purchase, and pre-order on the GoldieBlox site:

1. GoldieBlox and the Spinning Machine
2. GoldieBlox and the Parade Float
3. GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank
4. GoldieBlox Zipline Action Figure (NEW)
5. GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine (NEW) – This set features GoldieBlox’s first Latina and male characters in the series!
6. GoldieBlox and The Builder’s Survival Kit (NEW)

Another fun part of the GoldieBlox company that my daughter and I have been enjoying are the #GoldieGiggles they share on their various social media platforms, particularly Instagram. They truly blend science and math with humor and are just nerdy and quirky enough to delight kids! Some of them I have to provide a little background on as to what makes them funny, but that’s what makes them great – they open up a channel of communication for my daughter and I to further explore even more math and science topics! She now regularly asks if new #GoldieGiggles have been posted! Be sure to also check out the GoldieBlox blog for DIY and science experiment ideas – I know my daughter is going to be ecstatic at the thought of making her own cloud!

GoldieBlox Toys Giveaway

We want you and your daughter (or son) to have fun building with GoldieBlox toys too! The generous folks at GoldieBlox have agreed to give one lucky reader a set of both GoldieBlox and the Parade Float and GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank. See full giveaway details below!

How to Enter

Required entry: If you’d like to enter this giveaway for a set of GoldieBlox and the Parade Float and GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank, simply leave a comment sharing how your daughter (or son) loves to explore STEM topics at home!

Extra entries (optional):

Each of the following will count as 1 extra entry. You’ll need to leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Follow @modernmami on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter name saying you followed.
2. Tweet the following (1 time only) and leave a comment with the link of the tweet: Inspire love of #STEM in girls! Enter to #win @goldieblox toys from #modernmami! http://bit.ly/goldiebloxgv #giveaway Ends 9/21! #LookAtGoldie
3. Follow modernmami on Instagram and leave a comment with your Instagram name saying you followed.
4. Follow modernmami on Pinterest and leave a comment with your Pinterest name saying you followed.
5. Receive post updates by subscribing to our RSS feed. You can do so either via email or through a RSS reader. Leave a comment saying you did so or are already a subscriber.
6. Write a blog post on your own blog sharing the details of this giveaway. Be sure to include a link back to this post. Leave a comment with your post link.

All entries must be in by Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. No purchase necessary. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.) Winner will have 48 hours to respond and claim prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. Prize will be provided and fulfilled by giveaway sponsor and modernmami™.com is not responsible for lost or damaged goods.

Disclosure: I participated in this program on behalf of GoldieBlox and The Motherhood. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™, except GoldieBlox company logo