Crowdfunded Toys
Watch out for this next year! Marbleocity from Tinkineer is the most awaited new toy on Kickstarter right now, and it teaches engineering and physics concepts (but it needs your help).
From a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning perspective the roller coaster is a classic classroom tool used to communicate lessons about conservation of energy.
There are a lot of awesome coaster toys like:
Thames and Kosmos Amusement Park Engineer
Wall Coaster
K’NEX Crossfire Chaos Roller Coaster
and of course a million great marble runs…
but the Dragon coaster reads more like an involved, step-by step engineering project; albeit a “substantial yet palatable” project broken down into “a series of bite-sized sit-downs”. Not to mention that when they are completed they look like a beautiful piece of art to display proudly on the mantle.
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Meanwhile, on IndieGoGo:
Attocube – the newest physical-digital augmented toy.
What does that mean, exactly? A reflector mirror attachment is clipped to the top of a tablet (iOS or Android), prompting kids to arrange wooden blocks in progressively harder challenges. The included app can detect correct matches, and notifies kids of their success.
“Attocube was created to help train the minds of young children, boosting creativity, problem solving, concentration and team work.”
AttoCube integrates timeless classic wooden blocks with technology to create a smart toy that provides fun & entertaining educational games for children.
The CEO Ethan Han noticed that although his niece would often choose to play with a smartphone over the plentiful wooden blocks that were available to her in her house. This, combined with what he describes as parent’s “growing concern” over too much screen time, gave him the desire to merge digital games and physical toys in a way that is actually beneficial to brain development.
Their goal is to encourage creativity, collaboration, problem-solving skills, and play that integrates physical toys into the digital space.
“Attocube offers physical, mental and creative stimulation to users”. According to the founders, other systems that integrate physical and digital play rarely engage all three of these areas.
The company was founded in March of 2014 and launched on IndieGoGo in October 2015. You can support their project, donate, or pre-order here.
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Did you know?
These companies were once launched as successful Kickstarters, and their awesome toys are available for purchase right now.
GoldieBlox – From exceeding their $150,000 goal in just 4 days to disrupting the pink aisle with girl-friendly engineering toys for future female builders.
Yoxo – The sustainable, recyclable, made in the USA, invent anything you can imagine toy company. What does that mean? Their Y, O, and X-shaped links connect in countless ways with everyday household materials like paper towel rolls and cereal boxes.
Wonder Workshop – Raised an incredible $1.4 million to create Dash and Dot, a duo of robots that are programmable to build, make music, and drive around.
LightUp – Circuitry kit with batteries, LED lights, and buttons that teach kids programming
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