Our visit to Toy Fair this year included a stop at Blue Marble, a leader in STEM toys and a licensee of National Geographic. We were immediately delighted by the wide variety of products that help kids foster a love of learning through play.
As a dinosaur fan for life, I was really excited by the Dino Fossil Dig Kit because it comes with a real dinosaur fossil! Or if they prefer sharks, they can might like the Shark Tooth Dig Kit to find a real shark tooth. Kids get to learn about archeologists as they brush away compounds to find their fossilized reward. Kids can learn about Leonardo DaVinci with the Da Vinci’s Battalion kit.
For kids who like things ooey and gooey, the Slime Lab kits are sure to be a big hit. Another fun tactile experience is Magnetic Putty, or you can get a combo pack that includes both the slime and magnetic putty.
Kids can build their own Mars Rover and Moon Buggy, or dig for ocean animals or fool’s gold.
Learn about how rocks become shiny over time, and make some pretty cool decorations or gifts for friends, with the National Geographic Rock Tumbler Hobby Edition.
Learn chemistry while making beautiful glowing crystals with the Crystal Glowing Lab.
Gravity and physics become play in the Glow-in-the-Dark Marble Run kit.
Kids can explore the world around them and uncover lost treasure with the Junior Metal Detector.
If your kids love animals, dinosaurs, or both, they’ll go crazy for the Wildlife Wow! line of soft collectable toys that interact with an app for a VR experience.
While visiting Blue Marble at Toy Fair, we also discovered that rubber duckies may be out of a job. They weren’t happy about it, protesting in front of their booth on the show floor.
The reason is Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Builders, a new junior STEM toy that’s perfect for toddlers who love to build. These soft magnetic blocks connect to build anything.
They float in water, but aren’t necessarily a water toy. The magnetic connector is flush with the foam surface with no hard protrusions to worry about.
The other thing parents and preschool teachers should know is that they are easy to clean, designed to hold up against bleach sprays when used in communal settings. And since they’re soft, they won’t hurt if thrown. And with the magnetic connectors, their creations are harder to break apart when knocked over.
It was great getting to see and try out some of the wonderful products from Blue Marble at Toy Fair. From National Geographic to Blockaroo, they’re giving kids new and innovative STEM play opportunities that should surprise and delight kids and parents alike. Don’t miss any of our Toy Fair discoveries by checking out the rest of our coverage from the annual event.