Introducing: Marble Machine!
Marble Machine is here!
Explore an endless maze of marbles, experiment with physics within an interconnected kinetic system and hone complex problem solving skills in our newest toy: Marble Machine! Introducing key STEM fundamentals, kids will experiment with gravity, learn about cause and effect, sharpen their logical thinking skills and have endless fun with our rollercoaster of marbles, tubes, switches and gears!
What is STEM?
STEM education is a teaching approach that combines science, technology, engineering and math. Rather than explore the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications.
What separates STEM from traditional science and math education is the blended learning environment and showing children how the scientific method can be applied to everyday life. It teaches children computational thinking and focuses on the real-world applications of problem-solving.
Play-learning with Marble Machine
Watch a very young child playing with Marble Machine. What are they learning? They are starting to grasp fundamental concepts about science and physics — how the marbles move, how gravity works, the cause and effects of opening different gates and levers, and so forth. These are ideas that lay the groundwork for deeper learning about science, critical thinking skills, problem solving, and trial and error.
Everyday playing is a kind of experimentation — it’s a way of experimenting with the world, getting data the way that scientists do and then using that data to draw new conclusions. By putting our children in a safe, rich environment where natural capacities for exploration, for testing and for science can get free rein, we naturally encourage a greater range of creative thought and problem solving.
The impact of starting STEM at an early age
Recent research underlines the importance of early STEM skills and knowledge for children, and the value of supporting early STEM teaching. Very young children are much more capable of learning about STEM concepts and practices than originally thought. In fact, a growing number of studies show a correlation between early experiences with STEM subjects and later success in those subjects or in school generally.
Parents have an enormous opportunity to help encourage, support, and normalise early STEM learning. Research shows that parents are a powerful force and those who engage in math and science education with their children have a consistently positive effect on their learning in those areas. Children are curious about and capable of learning STEM from an early age and by fostering those skills, you are setting the groundwork for the next generation of scientists, engineers and creative thinkers!
We’re always so inspired by the way kids interact with Pok Pok and continue to play, learn and grow, and we can’t wait to hear what families like yours think of our newest toy! We’d love to receive your feedback, see your play videos and hear your ideas — share your thoughts and say hello at hello@playpokpok.com or on social media @playpokpok.
Our new Marble Machine toy is available now in the latest update of Pok Pok Playroom!
Join our community to get insights from our educators and take a peek behind the scenes into our toy design process over on our Instagram!
