Encouraging Girls in STEM: The Power of Educational Toys.

UNESCO data on girls’ and women’s participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) suggests that women make up only 35% of STEM graduates. This figure has remained largely unchanged in the last 10 years. There is a huge gap indeed. Some of the reasons for this gap are stereotypes, unconscious bias, and a lack of visible role models.

How do we close this gap? It begins with encouraging our young girls to explore the STEM field confidently. As parents, teachers, and guardians, it becomes our responsibility to dispel the stereotypes associated with STEM fields.

Today, we will be sharing some tips on encouraging girls in STEM through toys and otherwise.

1. Promote Role Models

If you ask your child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “Who inspires you?” chances are that they will tell you about the person they look up to. Role models. Children often develop interests based on the people they watch, read about, or look up to.

Apply this same logic to STEM. The issue is that STEM role models may not be popular online, or that your children hear names regularly, like those of a film star or an Instagram influencer. So, you will have to consciously strike up conversations and introduce these role models to your daily conversation.

Some of the role models you can talk about are Marie Curie, Sarah Gilbert, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, pioneers whose stories spark curiosity and motivation.

2. STEM Toys

Many girls are subtly steered away from STEM activities early in life due to unconscious biases, societal norms, and gender stereotypes. STEM toys break through all of these barriers. These toys challenge those notions by showing that building, experimenting, and problem-solving are for everyone.

Furthermore, the hands-on learning experience makes complex concepts approachable. They can explore these ideas at their own pace, try out solutions, and build things from scratch. This early feeling of “I can do this” sets the foundation for confidence in STEM subjects later on.

Many of these toys promote asking questions, experimenting, and thinking outside the box — these are core skills in the STEM fields.

Skillmatics has a variety of STEM toys for your children. Take a look at them below:

Science Snippets Kit

Make learning fun with 70+ colourful, double-sided cards that answer the "what," "why," and "how." This educational tool fosters the development of essential skills, including reading, critical thinking, mental processing, and reflective thinking, for curious kids ages 7 and up.

There are three variants for this toy:

Magnetopia

Build a world with 9 large puzzle pieces to create the backdrop for magical fun. Start by connecting the jigsaw pieces to build the magnetic board. Then, explore the enchanting magnetic pieces to design your land by arranging the pieces on the board to create a sparkling world.

It is designed to foster the development of essential skills in young children, including creative thinking, spatial reasoning, decision making and fine motor skills. Additionally, you can teach your children about magnets, how they work, and their properties.

You will be pleased to know that there are three variants of this toy as well. These variants are concept-based and include:

Guess in 10

Guess in 10 is a trivia game designed for 2-6 players for ages 6 and above. The players take turns asking up to 10 'yes' or 'no' questions, to figure out what’s on the game card. Think fast, ask intelligent questions, use your clue cards wisely, and be the first to collect 7 game cards to win.

There are a lot of different themes or variants to choose from for this game, including:

Piece & Play: Space

Piece & Play is a fascinating space-themed floor puzzle that goes beyond conventional gaming. This thoughtfully designed space-themed kids' puzzle game lets your child explore the vast universe of astronauts and space travel.

There are two other variants available in this game:

Pick the one you think your child will love the most, or pick all!

Seek & Splash | Underwater Search and Find Math Game

Seek & Splash is an action-packed underwater diving game! Remember what's on the card, dive in to find the number gems that match the card either by finding the same digits, or by adding or multiplying different numbers. Be the first one to bolt back up to win a point.

Space Explorers

Space has always fascinated young minds! Space Explorers will allow your child to learn about the wonders of space while ensuring they have a lot of fun along the way. With innovative and repeatable activities ranging from learning about gravity to designing your spaceship, girls are going to enjoy hours and hours of fun learning!

3. Lead With Experiments

The good news about the STEM field is the practical application of its concepts. Some of its concepts can be demonstrated in real time with the help of an easy DIY experiment.

Below are some experiment ideas you may want to explore:

Volcano eruption: Watch a chemical reaction in action
Plant respiration: A hands-on way to explore photosynthesis
Density of oil, water, and other liquids: Understand the science behind layering liquids
Acids, bases, and their pH levels: Introduce basic chemistry using kitchen ingredients

Read our blog, 10 Exciting Science Experiments for Kids During British Science Week – Skillmatics UK, to find more inspiration.

Tips for Using STEM Toys

STEM toys come with a set of instructions on how to play with them. However, there is always a chance for you to enhance the overall gaming experience. Here are some tips for using STEM toys:

Discuss the science behind the toy with your children. Ask what they know about it and share more information with them.
Connect the toys to movies. For instance, you can show your girls an age-appropriate movie or documentary based on space and connect it to the toy. Draw links about what they have explored in the game, and if similar things are shown in the movie.
Get as practical as you can. For example, if your girls are playing with magnets, then teach them about poles and attraction between the poles. Show them what kind of materials a magnet attracts. It will pique their interest.

Conclusion

We have been told time and again that STEM is tedious and theoretical, but it does not have to be this way. There is a good chance for you to spice things up and bring STEM to life with games, experiments, and stories.

Who knows, a little more effort today can inspire girls to be a WO-STEM (Women in STEM) professional!

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