2015 Engineering Gift Guide

Gift ideas that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design

To learn how these gifts support engineering thinking and design go to:

inspire-purdue.org/EngineeringGiftGuide

Purdue University does not endorse such products contained herein, but only recommends them solely due to their engineering education value.

You asked.We answered! 1 2
6
My daughter and son love to build and create 5
things with their building toys. How do I help 9
foster their engineering thinking?
14
Have them solve an engineering design problem.
Below we have outlined how you can help your
children identify a problem and solve it.

Define the problem Identify an engineering

design problem to solve. Set criteria (desired attributes)
and constraints (limits). Recognize who the client (who
has asked you to find a solution) and users are (who will
use the end product).

Learn about the problem Research to see

what, if any, solutions have already been created to solve
the problem or one similar to it. Read different texts
about the science and mathematics skills, knowledge and
tools that will help them solve the problem.

Plan a solution to the problem Have them

generate many ideas before deciding which one they
would like to try. Encourage them to make a design plan.
They may need to go back and learn something new
before they can finish their plan. That is ok!

Try the solution Have them use their plan to

create a prototype (a testable model that may be smaller
or larger than the final design).

Test the solution Help your children conduct fair

tests to see if their plan is a good solution for the
problem.

Decide Use the test results to make decisions about

their solution. Did the solution solve the problem and
meet the constraints? Should they try other ideas they
previously brainstormed or brainstorm new ideas to
achieve a better solution?

Communicate/deliver Have them make claims 13

(use evidence to support what they believe is true) about
their solution so the client knows why they should use or
select it. Have them communicate their idea to the client.

Where does your family find
design challenge ideas?

My kids and I look
around our home. We
find ways to make life
easier for us or our pets.

We get ideas from My daughter and I get
books, television inspiration from the
shows and movies. community—things we
see or hear about on
the news.

4 1. WEDGNETIX 32-pc Magnetic
3 Construction Toy. Ages 8+;
wedgits.com
7 8 $69.99
10 2. Z-Strux Z-Lift Sky Crane. Ages 8+;
poof-slinky.com $149.99
12 11 3. ZOOB Inventors’ Kit. Ages 6+;
15 16 poof-slinky.com $34.99
4. YOXO Fyre Dragon. Ages 8-14;
yoxo.com $29.99
5. Melissa & Doug 100 Piece Wood
Blocks Set. Ages 3+;
melissaanddoug.com $19.99
6. Lincoln Logs 100th Anniversary
Tin. Ages 3+; knex.com $44.99
7. Ideal 105 piece Amaze ‘N’
Marbles. Ages 5+; poof-slinky.com
$129.99
8. Magna-Tiles Clear Colors 32 Piece
Set. Ages 3+; magnatiles.com $51.50
9. Melissa & Doug Construction Set
in a Box. Ages 4+;
melissaanddoug.com 29.99
10. WEDGITS Imagination 50-pc
Building Block. Ages 3+; wedgits.com
$49.99
11. K’Nex Education Intro To
Structures: Bridges. Ages 8+;
knex.com $39.99
12. K’Nex 35 Model Ultimate
Building Set. Ages 7+; knex.com
$27.99
13. Geomag Panels 180 pieces. Age
3+; geomagworld.com $100
14. K’NEX Thrill Rides Sky Sprinter
Roller Coaster Building Set. Ages 9+;
knex.com $129.99
15. Tinkertoy 150 Piece Essentials
Value Set. Ages 3+; knex.com $49.99
16. CitiBlocs 100 piece Natural
Wooden Building Blocks. Ages 3+;
poof-slinky.com $29.99
17. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo
Cardboard Blocks—40 Pieces. Ages
2+; melissaanddoug.com $39.99

17

1. Ubongo. Ages 8+; 1 4 7 2
thamesandkosmos.com $39.95 3 12 10 5
2. Laser Pegs Tinted Race Car.
Ages 5+; laserpegs.com $29.99 6 8
3. Lucky’s High Roller. Ages 6+;
goldieblox.com $9.99 13
4. Craft-Struction Box. Ages 6+;
goldieblox.com $39.99
5. Remote-Control Machines
Animals. Ages 8+;
thamesandkosmos.com $49.95
6. Aircraft Engineer. Ages 3+;
thamesandkosmos.com $44.95
7. Nacho’s Rocket Ride. Ages
6+; goldieblox.com $9.99
8. Suspend Family Game. Ages
8+; melissaanddoug.com
$16.99
9. Twiddler Double Dilemma.
Ages 10+; hapetoys.com $24.99
10. Twiddler Triple
Temptation. Ages 10+;
hapetoys.com $32.99
11. LightUp Edison Kit. Ages 5+;
lightup.io $49.99
12. GolideBlox and The
Builder’s Survival Kit. Ages 7-
12; goldieblox.com $59.99
13. Benjamin’s Cat Nook. Ages
6+; goldieblox.com $9.99
14. Katinka’s Dream Racer.
Ages 6+; goldieblox.com $9.99
15. Dimension. Ages 8+;
thamesandkosmos.com $49.95

9

11

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15

Purdue University does not endorse such products contained herein, but only recommends them solely due to their engineering education value.

12 1. Wonder Pack. Ages 6+;
makewonder.com $279.99
3 4 (Individual prices: Dot $49.99, Dash
5 6 $169.99, Building Brick Connectors
$19.99, Dash’s Xylophone $39.99,
7 8 Accessories Pack $39.99)
9 10 2. Puzzlets. Ages 6+;
12 13 digitaldreamlabs.com $99.99
3. Ozobot Bit 2.0. Ages 8+;
ozobot.com $59.95
4. Thinkrolls 2. Ages 3-9;
avokiddo.com $2.99
5. Tangible Play’s Osmo. Ages 6+;
playosmo.com $99.99 (or $79.99
without the Numbers pack)
6. Thinkrolls. Ages 3-8;
avokiddo.com $2.99
7. Robot School. Programming for
Kids. Ages 9-11; itunes.apple.com
$3.99 (HINT: iTunes has a bundle
that includes both the Robot School
and Move the Turtle apps for just
$3.99!)
8. Move the Turtle. Ages 5-12;
movetheturtle.com $3.99 (HINT:
iTunes has a bundle that includes
both the Robot School and Move
the Turtle apps for just $3.99!)
9. BLOX 3D. Ages 4-8;
appymonkeys.com $2.99
10. BLOX 3D Junior. Ages 2-5;
appymonkeys.com $2.99
11. BLOX 3D World Creator. Ages 6
-8; appymonkeys.com $2.99
12. Infinifactory. Ages 10+
zachtronics.com $24.99
13. TIS-100. Ages 10+
zachtronics.com $6.99
14. SpaceChem. Ages 10+
zachtronics.com $9.99

11

14

1. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea 1 2 3
Beaty. Ages 5-7; abramsbooks.com 7 8 9
$16.95 13 14
2. Engineering the ABC’s by Patty 19 20 15
O’Brien Novak. Ages 4+; 25 21
barnesandnoble.com $10.07 26 27
3. Rocks, Jeans, and Busy Machines by
Alane & Raymundo Rivera. Ages 4-8;
engineering-kids.com $9.95
4. The Little Engineer that Could by
Micah and Jeanette Stohlmann. Ages 8
-11; amazon.com $6.99
5. Engibear’s Dream by Andrew King.
Ages 3-10; littlesteps.com $24.95
6. Engibear’s Bridge by Andrew King.
Ages 3-10; littlesteps.com $24.99
7. Yes I Can! I’m Clover Anne! by
Cheryl A. Cunningham, P.E. Ages 5-9;
icanbeanengineer.com $10.95
8. I Can Find a Way! I’m Lucy Kay! by
Cheryl A. Cunningham, P.E. Ages 5-9;
icanbeanengineer.com $10.95
9. Dream Invent Create Engineer the
World: An introduction to the
inspiring possibilities of engineering.
Ages 7-12; start-engineering.com
$5.95
10. Anything is Possible by Giulia
Belloni and Marco Trevison. Ages 4-7;
owlkids.com $16.95
11. The Fort on Fourth Street by Lois
Spangler and Christina Wald. Ages 4-9;
arbordalepublishing.com $17.95
12. Newton and Me by Lynne Mayer.
Ages 4-8; arbordalepublishing.com
$16.95
13. Start Engineering A Career Guide.
Ages 13-15; start-engineering.com
$6.95
14. What’s Engineering? Color &
Discover!: A Coloring and Activity
Book for Ages 4-6. Ages 4-6; start-
engineering.com $4.95
15—25, 30. Engineering in Action
Series. Ages 10-13; crabtreebooks.com
$9.95 (paperback) $27.60 (hardcovers)
26. Engineers Solve Problems by
Reagan Miller and Crystal Sikkens.
Ages 5-8; crabtreebooks.com $7.95
27. How Engineers Find Solutions by
Robin Johnson. Ages 5-8;
crabtreebooks.com $7.95
28. Engineering in our Everyday Lives

by Reagan Miller. Ages 5-8;

crabtreebooks.com $7.95

29. Engineers Build Models by Reagan
Miller. Ages 5-8; crabtreebooks.com
$7.95

4 5 6 How to discuss engineering
with your child

Recommendation 1: Use the word

“engineer” in everyday talk as repeated
exposure will allow a child to use it in everyday
conversations. Point out the word if you hear it
in a commercial or see it in a book or on
television.

10 11 12 Recommendation 2: If you are a

STEM professional, talk about your own work.
Parents are the major source of occupational
knowledge. It is never too early to start talking
about STEM professions; if you feel that the
topic is too complex, talk about where you
work, what you work on, who you work with
and what kinds of things you do (e.g., work
outside, use a computer, draw, talk with
others, etc.).

Recommendation 3: Too often

children associate engineers with train drivers/
mechanics/construction laborers. Address
these inconsistencies early. For example, if

16 17 18 children read that “an engineer drives the

train”, help them understand that there are
other types of engineers who design things to
help people, or that engineers design engines
but mechanics are the people who fix cars.
These beliefs are often hard to mitigate later
down the line and those that are not interested
in these associations may not consider
engineering as an ample field of study.

Recommendation 4: Increase

interactive strategies for reading: ask

questions, make eye contact, allow your

22 23 24 children to hold the book or turn the pages,

etc.

Gender bias in the purchase
of STEM-related toys

A recent study conducted by Jacob Inman

and Dr. Monica E. Cardella on gender bias

in the purchase of STEM-related toys

indicates that toys that promote the

development of math, science, and

28 engineering skills are given to boys twice
29 30 as frequently as they are given to girls. This

idea of stereotypical “boys’ toys” may

contribute to the lack of women in

technical engineering fields. The study

demonstrated the importance of

purchasing toys linked to the development

of STEM skills for all children to promote

the participation of women in STEM fields.

1. Dynamo Dominoes. 1 2
Ages 3+; hapetoys.com 3 4
$39.99
2. Mighty Makers 7
Inventor’s Clubhouse
Building Set. Ages 7+;
knex.com $59.99
3. Cool Circuits. Ages 8+;
sciencewiz.com $24.95
4. YOXO Orig Robot. Ages
6-12; yoxo.com $19.99
5. Weird & Wacky
Contraption Lab. Ages 8+;
smartlabtoys.com $39.99
6. Crazy Forts! Ages 5+;
crazyforts.com $49.95
7. Geomag Mechanics
222- pieces. Age 5+;
geomagworld.com $129

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Nine ways engineers help their children learn about engineering

In one study, over 80 engineers were interviewed or surveyed about what they do to help their children learn about engineering.
Below are 9 of their most common responses.

Play hands-on with everyday items Play with puzzles Challenge your Build with blocks Ask your children
While playing with everyday items, children to find several ways to solve questions about what they are
puzzles and to explain the different building: What are you building? Who is it
encourage your children to imagine new processes they used. for? How will they use it? Why did you…?
uses for them.

Encourage them to ask questions Visit science centers or children’s Develop mathematics and science
skills Visit your local library or store to
Foster your children’s natural curiosity museums They will allow your find software, videos, books and kits that
allow your children to practice mathematics
by encouraging them to ask you questions children to explore STEM concepts at their and science skills in a fun and engaging way.

and helping them figure out how and where own pace, often through hands-on Attend summer camps and special
activities Build interest in STEM by
to find the answers. experiences that are enhanced through taking advantage of camps, programs and
special activities hosted in your community.
Let them take things apart Provide signs that provide more explanation of the
your children with the tools to take concepts.

things apart and put them together again Read books Read fiction and non-

(as long as there are no choking, electric, or fiction STEM books with your

other hazards!). children.

Project Lead: Elizabeth Gajdzik, M.S.  Project Assistants: Nadia Aljabi, Baylee Bunce  Content Contributors: Dr. Monica E. Cardella, Dr. Tamara J. Moore, Elizabeth Gajdzik, M.S., Baylee Bunce, Jacob Inman  Special Thanks to: New
Community School, Imagination Station, Patty Jischke Early Care and Education Center, INSPIRE/ENE students, and all of the children, parents, and engineers who helped review and provide feedback on the gifts submitted this year.