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Last month Damian and I made sure to have a bit of 1-1 time with the older children – Damian and Daniel headed off for a cafe trip one morning, and the next day I took Emma to the town centre to choose a gift for her brother’s birthday as well as a treat in a cafe.
Whilst the boys were at home, Harry had a nap so Damian and Daniel set about building a new GeoMags Gravity set that we had been sent. This set is aimed at 8+ and I think that’s a reasonably accurate age range for this. Daniel was able to do it with Damian’s assistance and certainly enjoyed watching the metal balls travel around.
The set comes with various pieces (some 200+ pieces in fact) and a good set of instructions to help you to build it all up. Building the GeoMags set is intricate in places and it’s best done on a clear, flat surface (the boys used the dining room table). It does take a little time to piece it all together but when it’s done it’s certainly impressive. I think that it is best to put it together without too much distraction as some of the plastic pieces can be quite fiddly to fit together – there’s definitely a knack to it.
The kits contains 11 magnetic rods, 36 steel spheres and 196 plastic mechanical elements – some of these are small so we are always really careful to keep these sets away from Harry – whilst he doesn’t mouth too much there steel balls represent too much of a choking risk for him at the moment, so this is definitely a set for older children.
What we liked about the set
What I like about the Geomags set is that the instructions are clear enough to follow, although there are some bits that are tricky to put together and do require concentration. As you build it up you can see the structure coming together nicely. Daniel did get a little impatient at times, and some of the pieces he struggled fitting together, so Damian helped him with those. However, once it was built and Emma and I came home he was keen to show us what they’d been working on. As I’ve noted before, it is definitely a set that slightly older children will get more benefit from, but younger children will certainly be able to manage it was assistance.
The Geomags sets are always good for exploring STEM ideas with children, and this one uses some ideas children will have learnt (or will learn) – in this instance gravity and magnets. The set, when built and working is very clever in how it shoots the balls around. Daniel isn’t yet at a point where he can articulate what the gears and various magnets are doing and why they are doing it, but he likes experimenting and playing with it, and the understanding will come, in time.
Items like this that encourage play and are hands-on are always great ways to engage children in STEM work – it’s hard to teach such ‘big’ ideas and concepts to them at times, but seeing science in action through STEM toys such as GeoMags is perfect for sparking curiosity.
You can be in with a chance to win this GeoMags Gravity Shoot and Catch Set (RRP £70) by completing the Rafflecopter entry below
We love STEM toys here. Geo mags are great, obviously Lego and we are really into k’nex at the moment 🙂
We havent really had much experience with stem design toys…………you have me quite interested now, many thanks
my son loves science experiments and making slime
My daughter loves science kits and making slime too
Any science related activities are a favourite if ours
We love science, with the other half being a scientist we can usually come up with some cool things!
We havent really had much experience with stem design toys but love the sound of this set!
Geomags, Magformers and Lego
My boys love anything to do with science related activities
Building blocks etc are a favourite
My daughter loves science kits like building volcano
Lego and building projects appeal to my little Grandson
It has to be slime and building volcano’s they really enjoy
We like Lego and doing experiments such as making a volcano
They have an Ozobot which is really cool and good for learning coding
Definitely science kits are a favourite in our house
We love the Geomag Mechanics Gravity Catch and Shoot System and the Geomag Magicube.
Has to be Lego! timeless, so many choices!
he says Lego and doing experiments
That would be any lego kits
Lego
Definitely Lego. My boys are obsessed x
Definitely Lego
I have never seen these toys before but I’m certain my kids would love them
My son’s home ed and we use loads of STEM kits. I think his favourite is a Tech Will Save Us dough kit
Anything to do with building, lego, scalectric.
My Nephew has a Microscope which is very cool, he looks at EVERYTHING under it 😉
would love for Ava to try
Making slime and glittery playdoh
Playing with lego and marble run
Mine love the little tikes fountain factory water table although now the weathers turned it’s packed away for winter!
lego – H loves designing monsters and cities
At the moment I can’t think of any toys that qualify. She does love Duplo though, which is quite close.
My children love making slime and experiment things. Thank you for this chance.
My daughters love making slime
he has a set for making electric circuits. The one that plays happy birthday is a big hit, as is the one where you set the fan upside down and the blade takes off like a helicopter 🙂
lego and knex at the moment
Lego is the obvious choice, my children love to create with it
Lego and Playmobil are firm favourites in our house
my son loves anything that involves taking apart and building
it has to be slime, my granddaughter loves it
My little boy has just started to learn to build with mega Bloks and stickle bricks. He’s just turned 1 and he loves already seeing how things work and are put together
I have little scientist who loves experiments … so is currently enjoying science kits alone with Lego and K’Nex
My son loves playing with Lego but I would like to introduce him to other educational toys
my daughter loves making bath bombs and beauty products 🙂
Geomags, Magformers and Lego
My daughter loves Geomags 🙂
My grandson loves his LeapFrog Count Along Till
My daughter had a crystal growing kit for her birthday and loves it! So far we have 2 crystals on the go and when we have made them all the kit comes with a little display stand. She cant wait to show them off!
The K’NEX STEM Explorations Roller Coaster Building Set is a firm favourite
My grandaughters love the science labs and slime!
Any experiements / science toys