STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and has been all the rage lately. Goldie Blox STEM kits help with at least Science and Engineering. If you’d like to introduce your preschool or early elementary student to STEM topics, Goldie Blox can be a great way to do that!
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on it and make a purchase I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please check our Privacy Policy and Disclaimers and Disclosures.
Okay, the Goldie Blox STEM kit series isn’t a game, but it is a fun learning experience for younger kids. The box says from 4-9, but I think that kids as young as 3 could use them, particularly with supervision or help. There are several kits in the series, including Goldie Blox and the Parade Float, Goldie Blox and the Best! Pet! Ever!, Goldie Blox and the Movie Machine, and Goldie Blox and the Builder’s Survival Kit. However, the two that we’ve had the pleasure of playing with are Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine, and Goldie Blox and the Dunk Tank.
Readily available used
These kits don’t seem to be in production anymore, but many do seem to be very available on eBay. You might luck out and find one at your local thrift store. If you can pick them up for a bargain, and you have kids the right age, then they’re a definite win.
My son was trying to create something (not following the instructions) with both our kits the other night. He was having a really hard time with it. I thought it was just that he was doing something oddball with it; trying to ignore the laws of physics, and was really tired. Then I had to build the dunk tank for these photos, and that was definitely a challenge! We’d never had any problems with the spinning machine, and assumed the dunk tank would be of the same quality. Well, apparently, they’re not all the same quality. The spinning machine is definitely a much better kit, and much less frustrating. I can’t speak to the other kits that we haven’t tried yet, of course.
Each Goldie Blox STEM kit comes with a storybook
Each kit comes with a book that combines instructions with a sweet little story. As your kiddo follows along with the story, they’ll be instructed on how to build the engineering toy using the provided pieces in the kit. Each kit seems to have its own engineering concept to go along with it. Some books, however, seem to be better produced than others. The book in the Spinning Machine kit is a real book, while the one in the Dunk Tank kit is more like a folded pamphlet.
While the company as a whole is geared toward girls, both my son and daughter loved playing with these kits. Personally, I wouldn’t be willing to pay the prices I saw on eBay (some over $50!), but I was more than happy to pay a couple of dollars at the thrift store. If you want to see our kits in action, head to our YouTube channel to check out our play-through video.