Disclosure: We were sent a Scribbler 3D pen in exchange for an honest review. We gave it to elementary school students to test out and let them keep it for their "Maker Space". All thoughts are entirely their own. 3D Pens seem to be all the rage this year and we were delighted to work with Scribbler on their model. At first, I thought these were more like a glorified hot glue gun -- and I simply didn't see how they would "build" a 3D design. Silly me! The light weight pen has no metal parts because the nozzle is removable and it is made of ceramics. The kit comes with a charging unit (plug-in cord) and enough filament to get you started. First of all, they kept safety in mind. The heating element is enclosed in a heat-resistant plastic case so which helps prevent injuries. The pen heats up the filaments and extrudes them, but they cool quickly. That helps eliminate those burns! For those who aren't really in touch with their creative juices? There are tons of FREE … [Read more...]

In an ever changing, technology driven worlds - making sure girls are interested in STEM technology is very important. Finding things that interest them and are not geared towards boys can be a bit hard though. Thankfully Thames and Kosmos sells the Barbie STEM Kit! The Annual Animal Shelter Gala is just hours away! And With the Barbie STEM Kit you can help Barbie and Nikki prepare for the party as you learn important STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills. The full-color storybook manual guides your journey through seven building projects and more than seven experiments. Build a spinning closet rack, washing machine, jewelry holder, hammock, dress designer platform, shoe rack, and greenhouse with fan. Make a chromatography dress, leaf-print dress, and optical-illusion origami dresses. Additional Features Include: Build 7 Barbie® Dreamhouse® models and accessories. Create three unique dresses for Barbie®. Explore biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, art, and … [Read more...]

Disclaimer: We were sent this Mighty Makers product in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are entirely our own - and the elementary school students' who tested this out for us. The product was then left at the school to be part of their "maker space". Girl power building sets that model careers in STEM? I'm in! Welcome to the world of Mighty Makers. These come to us from the Amazing People at K'nex - and work in a slightly similar way. They have a huge variety of sets and are on a real mission to empower Girls in the world of STEM. Even if these toys are geared for girls, boys enjoy them too! I have a small problem with gender labeling of toys, and kind of feel that they should all be non-binary. Now, let's see what the kid's had to say about the set they worked with: As you can see, the kids liked the Mighty Makers set that they got to play with and recommend it! Other toys we tested that you might like: Anki Cozmo Limited Edition, Interstellar … [Read more...]

Rocketry is one of those things that is often said to be a great STEM project for boys, but I find that girls also love learning how engines work and fuel burns to create the energy needed for a rocket to work.  This list of best rocketry sets and guides is just what you need to begin working with rockets and your kids for added fun and STEM learning on the weekends. Best Rocketry Sets and Guides Tools to build your own rocket: These tools are what you need if you plan to build your own rocket from scratch.  You'll likely want to look at many guides and books before beginning, but these basic items are a must. I find that engines are harder to locate online than other components.  You may find great luck at your local hobby store, or specifically Hobby Lobby finding multiple sizes of engines. Rocketry guides and books: Before you blindly build a rocket with your kids, you'll want to understand how it works and what is needed.  These basic guides are ideal … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We received this set (and one to give away) in exchange for an honest review. The set was reviewed by students at Northside Elementary as they also got to keep it in a program to create a "Maker Space" for their school. The K'nex company was VERY generous in the items they sent, as you will soon be reading. I am now a life-long lover of their company! Not that kids need building ideas, but this set includes 25 of them, just in case. There are some kids who LOVE step by step instructions though and that is a nice inclusion for them. That makes the 375 pieces in this set even more versatile. Now, let's see what the kids had to say about this: While it had lots of small pieces and came in a huge variety of colors, this set for 7+ year-olds is easy to put together.  You can make interesting builds that are creative and abstract. It's super creative! It's "bendy" parts make it fun and we will say that the smaller ones are a tiny bit harder to work with. Overall, we … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We received this set (and one to give away) in exchange for an honest review. The set was reviewed by students at Northside Elementary as they also got to keep it in a program to create a "Maker Space" for their school. The K'nex company (Lincoln Logs is part of them) was VERY generous in the items they sent, as you will soon be reading. I am now a life-long lover of their company! One thing that I LOVE about this company? Made Proudly in the USA! This particular kit has 51 pieces (most are wooden) and even a cowboy figurine. Normally retailing for $19.99 it's a great starter set for the 3+ crowd. How do kids like it? Here are words from the kids themselves talking about the Forge Mill Cabin set that they sent and the kids reviewed. We built stuff with it like a tank, table, etc. It was fun and I would say this is great for kids K-5. I REALLY like it for building stuff! It's perfect for group use, individual use and perfect for schools! I learned how to … [Read more...]