So are STEM toys the equivalent of Baby Einstein 2.0? How can parents tell
which products making STEM claims are worthwhile? Some are very expensive,
but are they worth the cost?
One organization that’s been paying attention to this category is The Toy
Association, an industry trade group. But paying attention isn’t easy, as there
are no established criteria for what makes a STEM toy. Toy makers are free to
use the term for any toy they like, although they do tend to group STEM toys
into categories: puzzles, science kits, electronics construction sets, coding toys,
robotics, and logic and problem-solving games.
“It’s been happening for a few years now, and more and more toy companies are
starting to look at it, embrace it, and in some cases, label it,” says Ken Seiter,
executive vice-president of marketing communications for The Toy Association.
“Unfortunately, [they] label it without clear criteria of what makes a toy STEM.”
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set of guidelines for members on creating STEM toys, scheduled to be published
this year. Among its list of questions are these: “Does this product get kids
thinking about STEM subjects? Does this product feel fun for the kids? Does
this toy encourage brain play by calling for problem-solving, critical thinking,
or reasoning?”
In the absence of hard data, The Toy Association recently surveyed parents to
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are over-programmed and overscheduled, this survey won’t help allay those
fears. For instance, STEM toys are often purchased by parents who see them as
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important to foster STEM skills.
“Parents know STEM/STEAM skills are key to their child’s success and
overwhelmingly want their child to end up in a STEM career. The majority
acknowledge that toys are the primary way to encourage these skill sets,” the
report concludes.