How we use CONNETIX to spark STEAM learning and educational play
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STEAM play stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, so STEAM play is simply a way of incorporating these into the everyday play of children. Children are naturally inquisitive, so open-ended play combined with STEAM learning provides vital childhood development opportunities. These types of activities encourage the development of core life skills such as creativity, problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, understanding of mathematical concepts and understanding of real-world concepts.
It has been known for a while that science, technology, engineering, and mathematical development are important for preparing children for the world of the future. It is only recently that the arts have made it into the acronym as studies have shown that children who take part in artistic activities actually perform better academically.
CONNETIX are suitable for children from age 3+ but this is the sort of toy that gets better as the child gets older. It will also be useful for young kids to aid them in their development of fine motor skills. My children are 5 and 10 and they both absolutely love playing with them and to be perfectly honest, so do I! CONNETIX are a perfect open-ended resource for cognitive development and, when playing with another child, for developing important social skills.
The great thing about CONNETIX is that the older the child gets, the more complicated their creations can become. My youngest started out by making flat designs on the floor like a dinosaur, a fish, and a repeating pattern and then as he started to play with his older sister, he started to make 3-dimensional designs like cubes and small towers. Eventually, they worked together to build a large tower which was lovely to watch, especially as it kept them engaged, communicating, and working together for an hour and a half. This has quickly become one of their favourite toys and I’m looking forward to creating more steam learning opportunities for them with our Pastel Mega Pack.
The Pastel Mega Pack contains 202 pieces so there is plenty to share. The set is made up of 48 small squares, 32 equilateral triangles, 32 scalene or right-angled triangles, 32 isosceles triangles, 8 small rectangles, 8 square frames, 8 square ‘window’ frames, 8 small ladder shapes, 16 large squares, 8 large hexagons and 2 vehicle bases with real rubber wheels. As this was our first time playing with CONNETIX, the Pastel Mega Pack has been a perfect first purchase to give us a really good feel for the potential, but the Pastel Mini Pack (which contains 32 pieces) would be a good introduction to the range and would also make a great grab-and-go toy for packing in your bag.
Read more about Nikki’s family, life and play ideas at unicornsdinosaursandme.com.
Nikki Knight is a former teacher turned content creator, sharing her family’s daily life and activities following a childhood cancer diagnosis. She is passionate about making learning fun, especially when it must happen at home or in the hospital rather than at school.
We have been playing with the CONNETIX Pastel Mega Pack, a 202-piece set of transparent bevelled magnetic tiles. I’ve already got my eye on the 80 Piece Pastel Ball Run Expansion Pack to increase our STEAM magnetic tile play possibilities!
CONNETIX can be used in a whole host of ways that incorporate STEAM learning, these are some of our favourite ways to play:
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They are so much fun! I love all the colours and I like playing with my brother with them.
I like to build castles with them, they are really easy to stick together and the little triangles are really good for making turrets at the top!
I really like the big square ones. They are fun to make cubes with. I like to lay them on the floor in a net and then fold the net together to make them jump together into a cube shape.
The purple ones because purple is my favourite colour. They look really good when the light shines through them.
I would like some smaller car pieces so that I can make a ramp for them to go down. I would also like doors so that I can build dollhouses with the tiles. I built a big house but had to take the roof off to get the people in and out.
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I like the magnets because they stick together like magic!
I like to make dinosaurs and towers. My sister helps me build big towers with them. My Mummy plays with me, and we do different dinosaur things. One time she put pictures of the dinosaur life cycle on them so I could show her how a dinosaur grows because she forgot.
The triangles because they are spiky like a dinosaur.
Blue because it’s my favourite.
Eyes and claws so that I can make better dinosaurs!
I think CONNETIX are a brilliant toy for both my children. As there is quite a big age gap between them, finding something that is not electronic that they will play with together is a challenge. Every time I get the CONNETIX out for them to play with, they will happily sit and play together for an hour or more without arguing. I love watching them work together to build things and show each other what they have discovered. It is wonderful to see Unicorn taking the time to explain things to her brother and help him when he’s stuck and trying to copy her builds. It’s also great seeing him making discoveries and getting so excited to tell his sister and me what he’s found. The look of joy on his face the first time he built his own domino track with them was wonderful. He’s even found pleasure in just carrying one tile about with him so that he can look for magnetic objects when we’re out and about. That’s the beauty of CONNETIX, they are so sturdy they can withstand spending the day being whipped in and out of the pocket of a lively five-year-old boy while he’s trying to stick them to any flat surface he encounters.
To find out where CONNETIX can be purchased near you, head to www.connetixtiles.com/store-locator
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