We have dipped our toes into the building/construction/design toys aimed at girls debate a few times before, and the comments section always proves to be full of impassioned opinions. In the interest of furthering the conversation, and in the interest of bringing a novel new toy to your attention, we figured we might as well go there again. Meet GoldieBlox.
Created by Debbie Sterling, an engineer trained at Stanford, GoldieBlox is a construction/design toy that is integrated with characters and a storyline. By focusing on the verbal aspects of building — explaining why each structure needs to be built, in this case to help a number of friends and animals, GoldieBlox plays to girls' strengths and their innate desire to nurture others. The concept started off as a Kickstarter campaign less than two weeks ago and has already exceeded its funding goal of $150,000. The latest update states that the toy is already entering production, and future sets are being developed.
While some may argue that no toy should be branded as gender specific, Sterling has firsthand experience with the lack of women in the the engineering field (just 10% of engineers are female) and feels one of the main factors in this imbalance is the early establishment of specific roles through play. GoldieBlox is her attempt to even out the playing field a bit, and we look forward to her further endeavors in this direction.
• See more: GoldieBlox
(Images: GoldieBlox)
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
As a girl, I loved "girl versions" of toys typically for boys. I don't mind gender specific toys either way really but yea, girls get the short end of the stick when it comes to toys other than dolls. Make em gender neutral and problem solved. There's a reason the plain, generic set of legos is still one of the most popular toys sold. Neutral. Boys and girls get the same enjoyment out of it.
That said, this toy, for boys or girls, feels like they think the kids playing with it are dummies. Its trying too hard to be an "educational toy" and not enough on functionality and fun. Its a one note toy :( I would have tossed this aside in minutes if I was little.
Love the idea, but the toy looks boring. Resembles Gears, Gears, Gears but not enough parts to do anything interesting. The animals are a good touch, though. Here is what I observed watching my 3yo daughter play with her older brother's toys: the main difference between their play was that he played with the truck by making it go or built an airplane out of lego so he could it around. Lots of "zoom." She played with the truck by finding a driver for it and built an airplane so passengers could ride in it. Whatever she played it needed a human or social aspect to interest her.
I have no opinion on THIS toy specifically, but in generally I support gender-oriented science & engineering toys for girls. Some girls are girly and like to play with girly toys. If all the engineering-oriented toys are gender neutral, then does it send a message that if you are very girly then you will not fit in. Like Angeline, I have observed in the college engineering students that I teach that the women students are more likely to be motivated by engineering applications that involve or relate directly to people or saving the world.
One of the biggest factors of attrition from engineering degree programs and engineering workplaces is the lack of a sense of "belonging" there. I am a fan of starting early in letting kids know there's a place of everybody who is interested! Even if they like pink people-oriented things.
Interesting, Amy! As my kids have grown I found my son has become more interested in the human element than he was as a toddler. My daughter has not changed.
Oddly enough, I find this new wave of "girls" engineering toys offensive. I've never considered that engineering toys were only for boys, and to me these new toys send the message to girls that they should only play with these types of toys if they are pink and have ballerinas on them.
I think like many things, this takes good parenting. No, a child should not be led to believe they can only play with gender-oriented toys. Yes, a child who wants pink and soft toys might be even more interested in engineering if there were pink and soft engineering-type toys. Is it not just a misleading to have pink and girly toys *only* for things like play kitchens and dolls and other stereotypically girly roles?