November 8, 2023 • 35 mins
It's almost holiday gift giving season, so Erin and Jessi invited the Toy Association's Anna Yudina back to share tips for choosing the best STEAM toys! They are also joined by Miss Elizabeth, the Patchogue-Medford Library's STEAM librarian, to learn why introducing STEAM concepts to children through play and toys is so important.
Episode #6, November 2023
For more resources on this topic, check out our topic guide: Adventures in Parenting Episode #6 Resource Guide.
Don't forget to check out the STEAM toy tips on the Genius of Play website and of course, stop by the Library's STEAM focused Tinker Lab any time and make sure to check the Library's events calendar (Select “Event Type” STEM/STEAM) for fun STEAM programming with Miss Elizabeth!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessi (00:00):
Hey listeners and welcome to another episode of the Patchogue Medford
Library's Adventures in Parenting podcast.
I'm Jessi.
And I'm Erin.
And today we are once again joined by AnnaUdina, Senior Director of Marketing at the
Toy Association, who's going to be sharingtips for choosing toys with an emphasis
on STEAM learning for this holiday season.
And to help us better understandSTEAM and why it's so important to
(00:21):
children's educational development isMiss Elizabeth, a children's librarian
here at PML and a STEAM specialist.
Welcome ladies.
We're so happy to have you with us.
Today.
Welcome guys.
Thank you.
I'm so glad she'll be back.
Yes.
Thank you for having me, andI'm excited to participate.
Anna has been instrumental in leadingthe Toy Association's Strategic
Steam initiative, which developedthe STEAM Toy Assessment Framework
(00:42):
and launched the toy industry's firstofficial STEAM toy accreditation.
Very cool.
And Miss Elizabeth has beendeveloping and facilitating school
age programming with an emphasis on.
and hands on learning hereat the library since 2018.
She's a believer in the saying thatplay is the highest form of research
and created our new Tinker Lab righthere at the main building of Patrick
Medford Library to encourage childrento explore, create, and learn.
(01:06):
So let's get into it, ladies.
I'm so excited.
Anna's going to walk us through howwe can buy smart toys, and like we
said, with an emphasis on STEAM.
But before we get into that, let'sfind out what STEAM is, because I
feel like in the library world andthe educational world, obviously in
the toy world, we talk about STEAMa lot, but I'm not sure that it...
You know, something that's comingup in people's day to day lives.
So Ms.
Elizabeth, why don't you goahead and tell us what STEAM is?
(01:28):
What does that stand for?
Miss Elizabeth (01:29):
So STEAM is an acronym that's used a lot in education.
Like you said, it stands for science,technology, engineering, art, and math.
Some of you folks might've heard of STEM.
Which is just science, technology,engineering, and math, but STEAM
(01:50):
includes the A for art, which I thinkis important, especially in education,
because art is a great way for kids tohelp express themselves and be creative
with what they're doing, so I definitelyadvocate for STEAM more than STEM.
Jessi (02:06):
I would imagine that art as well provides an easier access point.
To some of those other concepts, maybe,you know, if you don't have a child
that's directly interested in science,maybe they would be interested in
science that helps them create art.
Miss Elizabeth (02:21):
Yeah, you know, I think that's definitely true.
I know I've had kids in my classesthat, you know, we always explain when
we're doing a program, especially ifit's a STEAM themed program, obviously,
we're going to create something, butbefore we do that, we get into the
education behind what we're doing.
And we give a little brief explanationand you see the kids, a lot of the
(02:42):
kids kind of start to glaze over.
They just want to getinto it and get going.
They're ready for the active part.
You know, I've had parents, I'm ashamedto say, I had a parent once that
say, is this a class where they'remaking something or is it just art?
Because my kid doesn'twant to just sit there.
You know, they like wanna, I did,I had a parent say that to me once.
(03:02):
Like, they don't like the learning part.
They just want to do the art part.
And I'm like, all right.
Jessi (03:07):
That's when you say, if they said the quiet part out loud, we all
know that, but you know, I have, Iknow I was, I was ashamed to have that
conversation, but I was like, sure, nowthat we kind of know what steam means.
How does the toy worldbring those things together?
How are we helping kids withtheir education through toys?
Anna Udina (03:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, the Toy Association actually dida lot of research to define the role of
toys and play specifically in teaching.
Steam and we know that parents, uh,they're interested in getting their kids
excited about steam as early as possible.
We did some survey with parents andthey told us that six and a half
(03:52):
years is the average age when they.
think they want their child to startthinking about their future career.
So you have a six and a half yearold, well, why don't you start
thinking about becoming a doctor or anengineer or six year old, no pressure.
So parents are definitely,definitely interested.
And there was a lot of interest in.
(04:14):
STEAM careers in particular.
A lot of parents in our survey alsosaid that, yeah, we would love for
our child to pursue a career in STEAMbecause obviously when you look at
the job market and the opportunities,those are lucrative careers.
There's a lot of growth in those fields.
Jessi (04:30):
So how can toys help?
Anna Udina (04:31):
Well, so we know parents are interested in getting
kids excited as early as possible.
Also, there is.
There is just child development sciencethat tells us that the earlier you start
teaching a child, the earlier you startdeveloping the better, as long as you do
it in an age appropriate way and in a waythat actually gets them actively involved.
(04:52):
Like you said, they can't waitto get their hands on this stuff.
So toys are a great way to get kids,even very young kids involved and
passionate about seeing the subject.
Um, The reason is that, uh,again, going back to the whole
genius of play, toys are fun.
And I'll probably go back tothis concept of being fun.
(05:13):
First and foremost, it is so important.
Uh, if a toy is not fun, it does notmatter how educational it is because
children will not be able to unpackthat value, but as long as it is fun
and engaging and they want to play withthat, they will get to play and they
will keep playing and the magic of.
(05:33):
Steam toys that in additionto being fun and getting kids
engaged, they're also able to guidethem to specific learning goal.
And that is where our toyassessment scene, toy assessment
framework comes into play.
And we can definitely talka little bit more about it.
But really the magic of Steam Toy shouldput it very simply, is being able to
(05:56):
combine the fun, the engagement of a toy.
And the ability to help kids learnspecific concepts, age appropriate
concepts in the areas of science,technology, engineering, arts,
and mathematics, and toys that areable to bridge fun and learning
(06:16):
in STEAM specifically together.
Those are the best ofthe best in scene toys.
Those are the toys that, that I hopeparents will be looking for and buying
for their kids because we know that theyare able to truly make a difference in,
in their relationship with those subjects.
Jessi (06:34):
It's like sneaking broccoli in the brownies.
If you have a kid that doesn'twant to eat the vegetables,
like you have to get them engaged somehow.
And this is a, toys are, seem likethe best way to do that, um, to
help them develop in this way.
And it also, I feel like forparents, you know, I'm a.
I'm a Xeniel, I guess.
I don't know.
(06:54):
I'm in my 40s and like, I didn't growup with steam concepts, so I'm not
as familiar, but I can handle a toy.
Um, so what is an exampleof a steam toy look like?
What does that mean?
What would that be?
Anna Udina (07:05):
Yeah, so we actually did a lot of research to define
what it means should be a steam.
T toy and we came up with a list ofcharacteristics and ultimately it's
sort of like a three step model that theToy Association and our accreditation
partner, the good play guide use inorder to accredit and evaluate toys.
(07:27):
So the first part of it has to dowith characteristics of a good toy.
So before we even get into.
Steam, a toy needs to be a good toy.
So what does it mean should be a good toy?
Well, one thing I already mentioned,it needs to be fun and engaging.
That is, you know, themothership of everything.
And then it also needs to be easy to use.
(07:49):
So kids of the target age group,they should be able to figure
out how to play with the toy.
pretty much on their own, maybe witha little bit of adult supervision,
depending on the age of the child.
But it should not require like acomedian scientist or, you know,
a parent who is a scientist shouldfigure out how to play with a toy.
It should be easy to use.
(08:10):
It should obviously support skilldevelopment and it should be inclusive.
So I'm very happy that thatis part of our toy assessment
framework model that we have.
So.
Toys that are designed for children ofvarying abilities, toys that utilize
packaging and marketing with likeimages that represent diverse groups and
(08:31):
things like that, especially in steam.
If you think about it, thereare so many stereotypes of
like, who is a scientist, right?
And we can talk about womenin steam and girls in steam.
And there are definitely stereotypesthat exist, and toys can help
break those stereotypes down.
So, which is why inclusivity is important.
So that's the first part, the good toy.
(08:52):
Now, with the second part, we get intowhat we call the prime theme attributes.
And those are things like, real worldrelevance, uh, active involvement, the
arts, logical thinking, re exploration,and also step by step learning.
So does the toy allow a child tostart with something simple and
(09:15):
gradually build more advancedskills in, uh, in those disciplines?
So all of those attributes.
And then finally, the third step, this iswhere the learning part comes into play.
So the toy association work with thegood play guide should define specific
learning goals that are appropriateof kids of different age groups.
(09:38):
So it goes age by age, you know, two tothree, uh, four to six, and so on and so
forth, all the way up to twins and teens.
Obviously, the goals are different atevery stage, and we define them by area.
So they're set for science, technology,engineering, and mathematics.
And what's really important here,that in order to be a STEAM toy,
(10:02):
it needs to be interdisciplinary.
So it can't be just amath toy or a science toy.
It needs to combine at leastto disciplines like science and
technology, for instance, orengineering and mathematics.
So that is super important.
So only toys that help kids buildspecific age appropriate learning
skills in at least two STEAM areas,they get to qualify as seen toys.
(10:28):
So that's kind of like a lengthy answerof what it means to see a toy, but it
just goes to show, I think, The rigor thatthe Toy Association is putting into the
process because we really want to makesure that the toys that we accredit, uh,
that has this valuation process, theytruly represent the best of the best and
(10:50):
that parents, when they spend money onthose toys, they really will be buying.
a toy that is educational, that ishigh quality, age appropriate, and
that will really help kids masterthose age appropriate learning
goals in science, technology,engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Jessi (11:07):
That's amazing, and I appreciate that you guys did all
that groundwork for us parents.
Miss Elizabeth (11:12):
Even for me as an educator, you know, when I'm shopping for
items to include here in the library'scollection, I'm looking for those high
quality toys that I could include inthe collection or use in a program.
So I thank you for all thatwork that you do because it
definitely makes my job easier.
Anna Udina (11:29):
And that was exactly the point.
We wanted to make it easy forparents, for anybody who shops.
For toys, like you said, educators, weknow that a lot of, a lot of teachers
use toys in the classroom and, butit's, there's so many steam toys out
there, or rather, there are so many toysout there that maybe claim should be
steam or, you know, you're wondering,you know, could that be a steam toy?
(11:53):
So the problem of buying smart, right.
And making the smart choice,uh, definitely exists.
So the accreditation makesit easier for, for toy buyers
to invest into high quality.
I'm actually on right now.
I just went on to the genius of play.
org and then with the forward slash forsteam and you have all the steam toys
(12:14):
listed right there on your website.
So as we're talking, I'm like, well, whatdoes this look like in the real world?
Like what are these toys?
And at parents it'smagnet tiles, it's Legos.
Some of them are more complicated andyou know, you can tell just by looking at
it, that there is a focus on science orengineering, but for the most part, this
one is a national geographic craft kit.
So if you have a child that's moreinterested in art, you can still make
(12:36):
crafts, but it has a science background.
It's things that you see all the time,but you don't realize the value to them.
Jessi (12:43):
Thank you for putting this together.
Cause it's very build a bubble.
Sorry.
Now I'm just reading toys out, but theseare just so such rad toys and toys that
I would feel good about buying my kids.
Like I said, like the one timeuse toy is just not for me.
I really.
Like them to be getting somethingout of it more than once.
I
Erin (13:00):
feel like I used to be very intimidated by the Steam label
when I would see it on toys.
It's a lot easier now to find things,Steam, that seem like way more fun.
I don't know when thattransition happened.
Steam's been around sincelike the early 2000s, right?
So.
Like, when did this accreditation comeabout and like, why did it take so long?
Anna Udina (13:19):
That is actually a great question.
And the reason is we really wantedto take the time to define the
criteria and come up with a modelthat has been tested, that has been
validated, that is rooted in research.
So, uh, there were some otheraccreditations that were being offered
(13:40):
when the toy association embarked.
on our multi year STEAM,uh, strategic initiative.
And we looked at those programs thataccredited toys and nobody could really
tell us, well, what are the criteria?
How are you accrediting toys?
What are you evaluating them against?
Right?
So everybody that, that we looked attheir websites, we spoke with people
(14:03):
and nobody was really transparentabout the characteristics and the
criteria in the evaluation process.
So right there, we realizedthat there was an issue.
So there were some accreditations goingon, but, uh, they were not transparent.
It was not clear what kind ofresearch was backing them up.
And we just decided to do thingsdifferently rather than just
(14:26):
create another accreditation withno transparency, no set criteria,
no research based process.
We wanted to approach itthoughtfully, like you said before,
and it literally several yearsand several stages of research.
I remember that at the very first stage,we just wanted to define what it is,
(14:48):
STEM and STEAM, what exactly it means.
At the second stage, we wanted todefine the characteristics of toys.
specifically, and what is the roleof toys and play in teaching STEAM?
So everything that I talked about inthe beginning of our conversation,
that came as a result of that research.
(15:09):
And then finally, at the final stage,we partnered with the GoodPlay Guide
to develop the framework that, uh,that I have just told you about.
And that also took a lot of time.
The GoodPlay Guide hasdecades of experience.
experience in the toy evaluation space.
They have child development experts.
They are a research companyspecifically, and they obviously
(15:31):
did not want to take it lightly.
They wanted to test what theycame up with, to test the
theory, make sure that it stands.
So it just took a little bit oftime to get it all done, but, uh, we
launched the accreditation program.
It's been around for over twoyears now, and we have over 200
toys that have been accredited.
(15:52):
So Jesse mentioned the genius of play.
org slash steam.
So this is where you can seeall 200 steam accredited toys.
And we also now have apartnership with Amazon.
So I know a lot of peoplelike to shop on Amazon.
Uh, it's so convenient.
So there is a steam accredited toys.
storefront on Amazon that has thematurity of our STEAM accredited toys.
(16:16):
So as long as they have any presenceon Amazon, basically they will be in
that STEAM accredited toy storefront.
Jessi (16:22):
Wow.
That's awesome.
Erin (16:24):
Yeah, that is awesome.
Was there a particular study thatkicked all this off with STEAM?
Because I didn't have STEAMgoing through school either.
It was a relatively newthing that was introduced.
I would hear about it or see it on, youknow, labels of toys and things like that.
And be like, Oh, okay, Iguess this is something new.
Miss Elizabeth (16:41):
Well, I guess in general, I know I remember hearing,
I mean, STEM really wasn't athing when I was in school either.
I think, like you said, it's beenmore post 2000 as a buzzword.
Um, I know there was this movementto kind of, you know, Americans, I
think we're falling behind in math andsciences, you know, on the global front.
(17:03):
So educators in America wereat the drawing board trying
to think, okay, how can we.
Get kids to pursue these careers.
How can we get them moreinterested in these topics?
Because we want to compete on theglobal level and it's only natural.
I think, you know, you got tostart them when they're young.
How else are you going toget the start with toys?
You got to, you know, kidsplay with toys all the time.
(17:24):
So you got to start with a fun.
toy and get them interested.
And like Jessi said before, it's likeputting the broccoli in the brownie.
Like you, they don't alwaysrealize they're learning
something when they're playing.
She mentioned Legos before.
Legos are my favorite thing in the world,you know, as an adult, I wasn't, I'm
more into Legos now as an adult than Iwas as a kid, but Legos are fabulous.
(17:47):
Because you could do somany things with them.
Erin (17:49):
So funny that you say that because I too enjoy Legos way more now
as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
The variety of sets thatthey have now are amazing.
And I don't think I had thepatience as a kid to sit there
and go through the booklets andbuild these complicated structures.
Miss Elizabeth (18:08):
I don't think they really.
Yeah, I don't think they really,those crazy sets that they have
now, I don't think that was somuch a thing even a few years ago.
I think they've really, I mean, I rememberbasic Legos when I was a kid, you know,
and maybe they had some basic, like,I remember, you know, in middle school
when Harry Potter came out, They hadlike all the different Harry Potter sets
(18:30):
that You could build the train, you couldstart building the castle, but they've
really, I think, exploded in the last fewyears because they have so many topics.
Star Wars, Disney, Jurassic Park ones.
Erin (18:43):
They're fabulous.
That's helping the parentsbecome that role model.
When you're getting excited about thesekits and you're getting excited about
steam toys and STEM toys for grownups,your kids are seeing that and they're
like, okay, so it doesn't have to bejust a school thing and it doesn't
have to be just, Oh, what, you know,what's the science lesson for today?
It is, it's back to the play andsharing these moments with your kids.
(19:07):
And yeah, it's, it's gettinginto play with your child.
Miss Elizabeth (19:11):
Yes.
Jessi (19:11):
So important.
And I think it's important too that,um, like we're talking about Legos
and I had mentioned on the Genius ofPlay, there's Magnetiles and all these
toys and everything Anna was sayingbefore about what you should look for
in a STEAM toy specifically, they'reall active engagement STEAM toys.
They really put the kidin the driver's seat.
Miss Elizabeth (19:29):
Absolutely.
Jessi (19:29):
And with Legos, it could be the parent.
And that is just leadingto like hands on learning.
So.
So Elizabeth, like what have you seenhere at the library about, you know, hands
on learning and why is that important?
Miss Elizabeth (19:39):
Well, I really like hands on learning because I feel like
hands on learning is a great way tobring all kinds of learners together.
You know, when you're in school andyou're taking any kind of education
class, I think the big three typesof learners they talk about, you have
visual people that need to see it.
(20:01):
You have People that areauditory learners, so they need
to kind of listen and hear it.
And then you have kinesthetic,which is basically learn by doing.
You have to do the thing inorder to understand how it works.
And that's, I think that's the typeof learner that I am personally, I'm
definitely, you know, you can explainto me how to build something, but until
(20:26):
I get in there and I start tinkeringwith something, that's the only
way I really understand what to do.
So when you have a hands on learningproject, I think it incorporates
all three of those things.
Like when I do a program here at thelibrary, like I said before, for instance,
we last week had a program about Circuitsand the kids got to make a little circuit.
(20:50):
We called it circuit bugs, soit was a little close pin that
had pipe cleaners and LED lightsthat were powered with a battery.
So we did a lesson, what is a circuit?
So we explained what a circuitis, we drew on the board.
You know, it starts at the power source,it runs through the wire into the light
bulb, and then it runs back in a circle.
So think.
(21:11):
I like to, you know, you'vegot to bring it down on a
level that they'll understand.
So that's good for the visualperson because they're seeing it.
We're explaining it, so that's goodfor the auditory people, but then
the kids all had the chance to getin and make their own circuit bug.
So that was for the kidsthat learn by doing.
So it's that lesson incorporatedall three of those things.
(21:35):
And if you think back to when you werea kid, how many days did you spend
in a classroom where the teacher wasjust talking, writing on the board?
And how many, how many.
Hours, did you spend in lessons like that?
And can you really recall any one ofthose in particular, but you probably
remember the days where you were ina class and you did some sort of fun
(21:57):
activity that helped explain that topic.
Like I was,
those are the best, some ofthe best memories that I have.
From those kinds of classes.
Absolutely.
Yes.
In eighth grade tech class, we did awhole like bridge building unit and.
You know, so we built our own littlebridges out of balsa wood and I learned,
maybe I'm not a very good engineer becausemy bridge broke after holding only 10
(22:21):
pounds, but but you know, you, you got inthere and, and you remember doing that.
You remember building and being activelyengaged and just doing the thing, you
know, also a side note, if I can mention,I read an article about why hands on
learning is good for English languagelearners, because, which is great for
(22:46):
our community because we have a very highSpanish speaking population and a lot
of English language learning students,but hands on learning benefits these ELL
learners, because they're, they don't haveto sit and actively listen to a teacher
because there's a language barrier therefor them, you know, the teacher can sit
(23:06):
with them and kind of guide them, but Thebulk of the lesson is them being actively
engaged in doing whatever the project is.
And that's, you know, if you're buildingLegos, that's across all languages.
If you're building blocks or makinga marble maze or something, that's.
That's it.
There's no language required.
(23:27):
It's all visual.
It's all right in front of you.
There's not a lot of explanation needed.
Jessi (23:32):
That's such a good point.
I really, I'm always on here talkingabout how I don't have the time.
I don't have the energy.
I don't, I don't know what to do and like,you know, how do I help develop my kids?
And I think that's whatyou want as a parent.
You know, you want to do your bestby Your kid in the easiest way
possible, unless that's just me.
Erin (23:49):
I feel like they have all of these mail order.
Like every month you get another steamkit just automatically sent to you.
So I was just wondering if therewere any like pros and cons to, if
you're overwhelmed at how to pickthese things out yourself, maybe
that's kind of an option for somepeople, if it's not too expensive.
Jessi (24:04):
Yeah.
Anna, what about those?
Are like, are those accredited?
Anna Udina (24:07):
Yeah, we currently do not have any sort of like
subscription kits accredited.
That's not to say that theymay not be helpful, but I would
just encourage parents shoulddefinitely get some validation.
I can tell you how we checkthe toys that we accredit.
The process consists ofkids playing with the toys.
So, uh, it's very importantthat kids of the target age,
(24:31):
they get their hands on the toy.
It's really not just adults lookingat the toy through their adult lens,
but it's the kids that it is intendedfor that they get to play with a toy.
So that's a big part of the process.
But the second part is we have,uh, or our accreditation partner,
rather the good play guide.
They have trained childdevelopment experts who are.
(24:54):
Observing how kids are playing,and they are making notes of,
are they actively exploring?
Are they using their imagination?
Are they learning?
Are they using any science ormath or technology concepts?
What is really going on?
In addition to all the fun, theengagement, what is the learning
(25:17):
that's happening in the process?
So all that framework, all thosedifferent criteria that I described,
They're basically making a checklistand they're checking it off, you
know, like, okay, yes, it is fun.
They are engaged.
It's easy to use because they wereable to figure it out on their own.
It supports free exploration becauselook, we gave them a bunch of blocks and
(25:37):
they build a tower or a castle from it.
Uh, and yes, they're using weightand size and different measurements.
So they're, you know, burningthose foundational age
appropriate science concepts.
So just all of the examples of how theygo about it in a very methodical way.
So in the end, every toy needs topass that checklist and we rank
(26:00):
them poor, good, or excellent.
So on every criteria, so only toysthat rank either good or excellent.
On all of the criteria, they getaccredited and they, they earn this
stamp of approval that we're so proud of.
Hopefully parents willsee it on toy packaging.
Definitely look for it, uh, whenyou're shopping in the store or
(26:24):
even online because, um, companies.
They, they're adding the sampleapproval, the seal on product
pages, as well as the packaging.
So we know that we stand behindthat and there is real science
and a lot of research, a lot ofrigor that goes into that process.
Jessi (26:42):
Where else can parents find.
Accredited steam toys.
I know you had mentioned Amazon.
Are there any toys that you can, are youallowed to recommend toys to our audience?
Or is that like a no, no.
Cause you're supposedto be neutral on toys?
Anna Udina (26:57):
Well, it would, it would be hard to recommend because it all depends
on your child's age and their interests.
So there's so many different, right.
There are so many different toys.
So really, you know what yousaid, the Amazon store, steam
accredited store on Amazon is great.
Great.
Uh, the genius of play.
org slash steam.
Um, that has all of thesteam accredited toys.
(27:19):
And another website, uh, that Imay mention, let's say, you know,
you're like, okay, I get it withsteam, but I just want, you know,
I don't want to see you in toy.
I just want a fun toy or,you know, I want a doll.
I want.
You know, a game.
So we also have awebsite called toyawards.
org.
So that is, um, separate and apartfrom any STEAM accreditation.
(27:42):
This is the Toy Association'sannual awards program, kind of like
the Oscars of the toy industry.
We have the year awards andwe have different categories
from preschool and infant toys.
So best game of the year,best, um, construction set of
the year and things like that.
So, uh, the winners and finalists and all17 categories, they're all on toy awards.
(28:07):
org.
So that is also a great resourcefor parents as they are thinking
about doing their holiday shopping.
Cause not everybody's going tobe buying the steam toys, you
know, after all it's holidays.
It's, it's all about fun andfamily and time together.
So maybe you want to do Legos, but maybeyou want to play a game, you know, that
the entire family can play togetherand it doesn't have to be steam, but
(28:31):
everybody is still going to have funand kids are still going to be learning
because again, uh, it's not all about.
Steam it's, you know, we talkedabout in another conversation
on this podcast, we talked aboutthe six benefits of play, right?
The physical, cognitive, social,emotional, creativity, and communication.
So there's so much that kids canlearn from toys, even if it's
(28:54):
not necessarily a steam toy.
Jessi (28:56):
The toy awards.
org that website is amazing.
There's just so many different.
And like I said earlier, I justreally, and I don't think I'm
alone in this, I just really wantto buy my kids worthwhile toys.
I just, I can't take the stuff thatjust comes and they play with it once.
And I mean, obviously you can nevertell the children what they're
(29:17):
going to take to where they're not.
It's just so great to be able to haveaccess to lists like this at your
fingertip, you know, to like help youwith that process of picking the toy.
Well, as always, this hasbeen great and I feel.
more informed than I did at the start.
So thank you, Anna.
And thank you, Elizabeth.
Um, is there anything else you feellike our listeners need to know
about buying toys and Steam Toysspecifically or not or anything else?
Miss Elizabeth (29:41):
I mean, I don't know.
Can I mention Lakeshore Learning oris that like not a plug we can do?
I don't.
See why not?
Well, I know I've
Erin (29:51):
As long as Lakeshore Learning's okay with it.
Jessi (29:54):
Yeah, I'm sure they are.
Miss Elizabeth (29:55):
I mean, I don't know if they'll have, they might
list if they're accredited or not.
I'm not sure,
you know, based on Anna's guidelines,but I know I've gotten a lot of
STEM STEAM toys for our library fromLakeshore Learning, and I like their
website because you can search by topic.
And you could also break it down by age.
(30:18):
So I've done that when I'm looking, causeI do a lot of K to two or, you know,
kindergarten to second grade classes.
I've done tween fourththrough seventh grade classes.
Some classes I do a broader age range.
So I like having that ability tospecify what age I'm looking for.
And I also find Lakeshore'stoys are pretty durable.
(30:40):
They're that they'll last a longtime, especially in a library
where they're getting a lot of use.
I like that feature too.
Jessi (30:46):
Yeah.
Kids are rough.
Erin (30:47):
Um, how about you?
Anna?
Is there anything that you want totalk about before we sign off today?
Anna Udina (30:52):
So 1 final resource on.
Steam for parents, Steam Playbook,because you can do Steam exploration
and learning even with materialsthat you have around the house.
So for that purpose, the genius of playhas put together a Steam Playbook with
activities like marshmallows, culture, forinstance, all you need is marshmallows and
(31:15):
toothpicks and you can actually eat it.
Miss Elizabeth (31:18):
I love that.
Jessi (31:19):
Yeah.
I actually did that with my kidsrecently, um, inspired by both.
Elizabeth and Anna.
Yes, I love that.
I was home with them andI didn't know what to do.
We went to the dollar store.
We bought a bunch ofpacks of marshmallows.
And then toothpicks and that was it.
And they did that for like an hour.
And it was
-awesome.- Beautiful.
Erin (31:39):
Then everybody was hopped up on sugar for the next 5 hours.
Jessi (31:43):
That is true.
Miss Elizabeth (31:44):
I've done that.
I did that exact kind of project in ascience in a, um, excuse me, not science.
Well, science, a, um, space program wherethe kids had to make constellations.
Using marshmallows andtoothpicks, so yeah, that's,
that's a very fun thing to do.
We just had a program candyscience here at the library and
(32:08):
instead of marshmallows, we usegumdrops and I gave every table,
a bowl of gumdrops and toothpicks.
And I said, whichever table canbuild the tallest tower using
these supplies as the winner.
So that was fun to see what they as ateam could create and build together.
Jessi (32:26):
Yeah, yeah, I really like that.
I'm glad that you brought upthat the steam guide because.
Yeah, that the playbook, I mean, um,times are tough out there and it would
be fantastic if you could buy yourchildren everything that they want, but
sometimes that's just not in the cards,but the playbook does offer so many.
(32:49):
You know, examples of things that youcan do with household items, like you
were saying, Anna, and like, maybeit's just putting those things together
in a bag, you know, and that's thegift, you know, so I really like that.
That's available too.
And it's not just aboutconsuming and buying it.
Also, it's just about creating.
Erin (33:07):
Inspiring creativity, taking all these kind of random things
and seeing where they go andit's thinking outside the box.
Jessi (33:13):
That's right.
Crucial skill.
Miss Elizabeth (33:14):
And never estimate.
Yeah.
I always say never underestimatea kid because they're
so creative and they're so resourceful,you know, you might ask the teacher.
Give them supplies to build something andthink, okay, you have to build a bridge
from here to here and here's your stuff.
And you're thinking you're going to doit one way, but then the kid comes in
(33:34):
and builds it a completely differentfashion than you've ever even imagined.
So they're, they're amazing.
I feel like we, uh, we, I got reallyexcited about the marshmallow thing.
Um, so I didn't mean to cut you off.
What else?
The playbook.
Is there anything else youthink parents should know?
Anna Udina (33:50):
No, no, that's it.
That's it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The playbook, uh, that'son the genius of play.
org and the play ideas and games tab.
So you can, parents candownload it from there.
Um, you know, also think about it.
Holidays are coming.
That means gifts, but that also meanssome downtime, some free time, right?
Kids are not gonna have school.
(34:10):
There's going to be school breaks,vacations, you know, a lot of family time.
So some of those activities, youknow, like Elizabeth was saying,
like you could get competitive.
You could be like, who is going tobuild the tallest marshmallow sculpture.
Right.
So I actually was at an eventonce where there were adults.
It was an adult workshop and theydid this activity with adults.
(34:31):
And it's amazing how they got intothat and how they got competitive.
They could, they couldgo on and on and on.
Jessi (34:39):
Well, if you liked our podcast today, please let your
friends and family know and us.
We would love to hear from youwith your thoughts on upcoming
topics or just general feedback.
You can email us at podcast@pmlib.org
Erin (34:52):
you can also visit us at our new website, adventures in
parenting pml dot pod bean.com.
Um, you can find resource guides fortoday's episode and all of our previous
episodes if you'd like to dig a little.
deeper into any of the topicsto learn more about Anna and her
amazing work with Genius of Play.
Find them on facebook.
(35:13):
com forward slash Genius of Play.
They're also on Instagram as Genius ofPlay and on YouTube as TI Association.
Jessi (35:20):
And please stop by PML to say hi to Miss Elizabeth and be on
the lookout for her amazing STEAMprogramming here at the library.
You can find them all on ourevents calendar at PMLIB.
org.
And if you haven't been to the libraryin a while, check out our Tinker Lab.
It's free.
Parents, the mess is here atthe library, not at your home.
Thank you so much, Anna.
Thank you, Elizabeth.
This has been illuminating andhelpful, and we appreciate your time.
Anna Udina (35:44):
Thank you, Jessi and Erin.
Thank you.
Yes.
We'll talk to you guys soon.
Miss Elizabeth (35:47):
Thanks for having me on.
Bye ladies.
Thank you
Hey listeners and welcome to another episode of the Patchogue Medford
Library's Adventures in Parenting podcast.
I'm Jessi.
And I'm Erin.
And today we are once again joined by AnnaUdina, Senior Director of Marketing at the
Toy Association, who's going to be sharingtips for choosing toys with an emphasis
on STEAM learning for this holiday season.
And to help us better understandSTEAM and why it's so important to
(00:21):
children's educational development isMiss Elizabeth, a children's librarian
here at PML and a STEAM specialist.
Welcome ladies.
We're so happy to have you with us.
Today.
Welcome guys.
Thank you.
I'm so glad she'll be back.
Yes.
Thank you for having me, andI'm excited to participate.
Anna has been instrumental in leadingthe Toy Association's Strategic
Steam initiative, which developedthe STEAM Toy Assessment Framework
(00:42):
and launched the toy industry's firstofficial STEAM toy accreditation.
Very cool.
And Miss Elizabeth has beendeveloping and facilitating school
age programming with an emphasis on.
and hands on learning hereat the library since 2018.
She's a believer in the saying thatplay is the highest form of research
and created our new Tinker Lab righthere at the main building of Patrick
Medford Library to encourage childrento explore, create, and learn.
(01:06):
So let's get into it, ladies.
I'm so excited.
Anna's going to walk us through howwe can buy smart toys, and like we
said, with an emphasis on STEAM.
But before we get into that, let'sfind out what STEAM is, because I
feel like in the library world andthe educational world, obviously in
the toy world, we talk about STEAMa lot, but I'm not sure that it...
You know, something that's comingup in people's day to day lives.
So Ms.
Elizabeth, why don't you goahead and tell us what STEAM is?
(01:28):
What does that stand for?
Miss Elizabeth (01:29):
So STEAM is an acronym that's used a lot in education.
Like you said, it stands for science,technology, engineering, art, and math.
Some of you folks might've heard of STEM.
Which is just science, technology,engineering, and math, but STEAM
(01:50):
includes the A for art, which I thinkis important, especially in education,
because art is a great way for kids tohelp express themselves and be creative
with what they're doing, so I definitelyadvocate for STEAM more than STEM.
Jessi (02:06):
I would imagine that art as well provides an easier access point.
To some of those other concepts, maybe,you know, if you don't have a child
that's directly interested in science,maybe they would be interested in
science that helps them create art.
Miss Elizabeth (02:21):
Yeah, you know, I think that's definitely true.
I know I've had kids in my classesthat, you know, we always explain when
we're doing a program, especially ifit's a STEAM themed program, obviously,
we're going to create something, butbefore we do that, we get into the
education behind what we're doing.
And we give a little brief explanationand you see the kids, a lot of the
(02:42):
kids kind of start to glaze over.
They just want to getinto it and get going.
They're ready for the active part.
You know, I've had parents, I'm ashamedto say, I had a parent once that
say, is this a class where they'remaking something or is it just art?
Because my kid doesn'twant to just sit there.
You know, they like wanna, I did,I had a parent say that to me once.
(03:02):
Like, they don't like the learning part.
They just want to do the art part.
And I'm like, all right.
Jessi (03:07):
That's when you say, if they said the quiet part out loud, we all
know that, but you know, I have, Iknow I was, I was ashamed to have that
conversation, but I was like, sure, nowthat we kind of know what steam means.
How does the toy worldbring those things together?
How are we helping kids withtheir education through toys?
Anna Udina (03:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, the Toy Association actually dida lot of research to define the role of
toys and play specifically in teaching.
Steam and we know that parents, uh,they're interested in getting their kids
excited about steam as early as possible.
We did some survey with parents andthey told us that six and a half
(03:52):
years is the average age when they.
think they want their child to startthinking about their future career.
So you have a six and a half yearold, well, why don't you start
thinking about becoming a doctor or anengineer or six year old, no pressure.
So parents are definitely,definitely interested.
And there was a lot of interest in.
(04:14):
STEAM careers in particular.
A lot of parents in our survey alsosaid that, yeah, we would love for
our child to pursue a career in STEAMbecause obviously when you look at
the job market and the opportunities,those are lucrative careers.
There's a lot of growth in those fields.
Jessi (04:30):
So how can toys help?
Anna Udina (04:31):
Well, so we know parents are interested in getting
kids excited as early as possible.
Also, there is.
There is just child development sciencethat tells us that the earlier you start
teaching a child, the earlier you startdeveloping the better, as long as you do
it in an age appropriate way and in a waythat actually gets them actively involved.
(04:52):
Like you said, they can't waitto get their hands on this stuff.
So toys are a great way to get kids,even very young kids involved and
passionate about seeing the subject.
Um, The reason is that, uh,again, going back to the whole
genius of play, toys are fun.
And I'll probably go back tothis concept of being fun.
(05:13):
First and foremost, it is so important.
Uh, if a toy is not fun, it does notmatter how educational it is because
children will not be able to unpackthat value, but as long as it is fun
and engaging and they want to play withthat, they will get to play and they
will keep playing and the magic of.
(05:33):
Steam toys that in additionto being fun and getting kids
engaged, they're also able to guidethem to specific learning goal.
And that is where our toyassessment scene, toy assessment
framework comes into play.
And we can definitely talka little bit more about it.
But really the magic of Steam Toy shouldput it very simply, is being able to
(05:56):
combine the fun, the engagement of a toy.
And the ability to help kids learnspecific concepts, age appropriate
concepts in the areas of science,technology, engineering, arts,
and mathematics, and toys that areable to bridge fun and learning
(06:16):
in STEAM specifically together.
Those are the best ofthe best in scene toys.
Those are the toys that, that I hopeparents will be looking for and buying
for their kids because we know that theyare able to truly make a difference in,
in their relationship with those subjects.
Jessi (06:34):
It's like sneaking broccoli in the brownies.
If you have a kid that doesn'twant to eat the vegetables,
like you have to get them engaged somehow.
And this is a, toys are, seem likethe best way to do that, um, to
help them develop in this way.
And it also, I feel like forparents, you know, I'm a.
I'm a Xeniel, I guess.
I don't know.
(06:54):
I'm in my 40s and like, I didn't growup with steam concepts, so I'm not
as familiar, but I can handle a toy.
Um, so what is an exampleof a steam toy look like?
What does that mean?
What would that be?
Anna Udina (07:05):
Yeah, so we actually did a lot of research to define
what it means should be a steam.
T toy and we came up with a list ofcharacteristics and ultimately it's
sort of like a three step model that theToy Association and our accreditation
partner, the good play guide use inorder to accredit and evaluate toys.
(07:27):
So the first part of it has to dowith characteristics of a good toy.
So before we even get into.
Steam, a toy needs to be a good toy.
So what does it mean should be a good toy?
Well, one thing I already mentioned,it needs to be fun and engaging.
That is, you know, themothership of everything.
And then it also needs to be easy to use.
(07:49):
So kids of the target age group,they should be able to figure
out how to play with the toy.
pretty much on their own, maybe witha little bit of adult supervision,
depending on the age of the child.
But it should not require like acomedian scientist or, you know,
a parent who is a scientist shouldfigure out how to play with a toy.
It should be easy to use.
(08:10):
It should obviously support skilldevelopment and it should be inclusive.
So I'm very happy that thatis part of our toy assessment
framework model that we have.
So.
Toys that are designed for children ofvarying abilities, toys that utilize
packaging and marketing with likeimages that represent diverse groups and
(08:31):
things like that, especially in steam.
If you think about it, thereare so many stereotypes of
like, who is a scientist, right?
And we can talk about womenin steam and girls in steam.
And there are definitely stereotypesthat exist, and toys can help
break those stereotypes down.
So, which is why inclusivity is important.
So that's the first part, the good toy.
(08:52):
Now, with the second part, we get intowhat we call the prime theme attributes.
And those are things like, real worldrelevance, uh, active involvement, the
arts, logical thinking, re exploration,and also step by step learning.
So does the toy allow a child tostart with something simple and
(09:15):
gradually build more advancedskills in, uh, in those disciplines?
So all of those attributes.
And then finally, the third step, this iswhere the learning part comes into play.
So the toy association work with thegood play guide should define specific
learning goals that are appropriateof kids of different age groups.
(09:38):
So it goes age by age, you know, two tothree, uh, four to six, and so on and so
forth, all the way up to twins and teens.
Obviously, the goals are different atevery stage, and we define them by area.
So they're set for science, technology,engineering, and mathematics.
And what's really important here,that in order to be a STEAM toy,
(10:02):
it needs to be interdisciplinary.
So it can't be just amath toy or a science toy.
It needs to combine at leastto disciplines like science and
technology, for instance, orengineering and mathematics.
So that is super important.
So only toys that help kids buildspecific age appropriate learning
skills in at least two STEAM areas,they get to qualify as seen toys.
(10:28):
So that's kind of like a lengthy answerof what it means to see a toy, but it
just goes to show, I think, The rigor thatthe Toy Association is putting into the
process because we really want to makesure that the toys that we accredit, uh,
that has this valuation process, theytruly represent the best of the best and
(10:50):
that parents, when they spend money onthose toys, they really will be buying.
a toy that is educational, that ishigh quality, age appropriate, and
that will really help kids masterthose age appropriate learning
goals in science, technology,engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Jessi (11:07):
That's amazing, and I appreciate that you guys did all
that groundwork for us parents.
Miss Elizabeth (11:12):
Even for me as an educator, you know, when I'm shopping for
items to include here in the library'scollection, I'm looking for those high
quality toys that I could include inthe collection or use in a program.
So I thank you for all thatwork that you do because it
definitely makes my job easier.
Anna Udina (11:29):
And that was exactly the point.
We wanted to make it easy forparents, for anybody who shops.
For toys, like you said, educators, weknow that a lot of, a lot of teachers
use toys in the classroom and, butit's, there's so many steam toys out
there, or rather, there are so many toysout there that maybe claim should be
steam or, you know, you're wondering,you know, could that be a steam toy?
(11:53):
So the problem of buying smart, right.
And making the smart choice,uh, definitely exists.
So the accreditation makesit easier for, for toy buyers
to invest into high quality.
I'm actually on right now.
I just went on to the genius of play.
org and then with the forward slash forsteam and you have all the steam toys
(12:14):
listed right there on your website.
So as we're talking, I'm like, well, whatdoes this look like in the real world?
Like what are these toys?
And at parents it'smagnet tiles, it's Legos.
Some of them are more complicated andyou know, you can tell just by looking at
it, that there is a focus on science orengineering, but for the most part, this
one is a national geographic craft kit.
So if you have a child that's moreinterested in art, you can still make
(12:36):
crafts, but it has a science background.
It's things that you see all the time,but you don't realize the value to them.
Jessi (12:43):
Thank you for putting this together.
Cause it's very build a bubble.
Sorry.
Now I'm just reading toys out, but theseare just so such rad toys and toys that
I would feel good about buying my kids.
Like I said, like the one timeuse toy is just not for me.
I really.
Like them to be getting somethingout of it more than once.
I
Erin (13:00):
feel like I used to be very intimidated by the Steam label
when I would see it on toys.
It's a lot easier now to find things,Steam, that seem like way more fun.
I don't know when thattransition happened.
Steam's been around sincelike the early 2000s, right?
So.
Like, when did this accreditation comeabout and like, why did it take so long?
Anna Udina (13:19):
That is actually a great question.
And the reason is we really wantedto take the time to define the
criteria and come up with a modelthat has been tested, that has been
validated, that is rooted in research.
So, uh, there were some otheraccreditations that were being offered
(13:40):
when the toy association embarked.
on our multi year STEAM,uh, strategic initiative.
And we looked at those programs thataccredited toys and nobody could really
tell us, well, what are the criteria?
How are you accrediting toys?
What are you evaluating them against?
Right?
So everybody that, that we looked attheir websites, we spoke with people
(14:03):
and nobody was really transparentabout the characteristics and the
criteria in the evaluation process.
So right there, we realizedthat there was an issue.
So there were some accreditations goingon, but, uh, they were not transparent.
It was not clear what kind ofresearch was backing them up.
And we just decided to do thingsdifferently rather than just
(14:26):
create another accreditation withno transparency, no set criteria,
no research based process.
We wanted to approach itthoughtfully, like you said before,
and it literally several yearsand several stages of research.
I remember that at the very first stage,we just wanted to define what it is,
(14:48):
STEM and STEAM, what exactly it means.
At the second stage, we wanted todefine the characteristics of toys.
specifically, and what is the roleof toys and play in teaching STEAM?
So everything that I talked about inthe beginning of our conversation,
that came as a result of that research.
(15:09):
And then finally, at the final stage,we partnered with the GoodPlay Guide
to develop the framework that, uh,that I have just told you about.
And that also took a lot of time.
The GoodPlay Guide hasdecades of experience.
experience in the toy evaluation space.
They have child development experts.
They are a research companyspecifically, and they obviously
(15:31):
did not want to take it lightly.
They wanted to test what theycame up with, to test the
theory, make sure that it stands.
So it just took a little bit oftime to get it all done, but, uh, we
launched the accreditation program.
It's been around for over twoyears now, and we have over 200
toys that have been accredited.
(15:52):
So Jesse mentioned the genius of play.
org slash steam.
So this is where you can seeall 200 steam accredited toys.
And we also now have apartnership with Amazon.
So I know a lot of peoplelike to shop on Amazon.
Uh, it's so convenient.
So there is a steam accredited toys.
storefront on Amazon that has thematurity of our STEAM accredited toys.
(16:16):
So as long as they have any presenceon Amazon, basically they will be in
that STEAM accredited toy storefront.
Jessi (16:22):
Wow.
That's awesome.
Erin (16:24):
Yeah, that is awesome.
Was there a particular study thatkicked all this off with STEAM?
Because I didn't have STEAMgoing through school either.
It was a relatively newthing that was introduced.
I would hear about it or see it on, youknow, labels of toys and things like that.
And be like, Oh, okay, Iguess this is something new.
Miss Elizabeth (16:41):
Well, I guess in general, I know I remember hearing,
I mean, STEM really wasn't athing when I was in school either.
I think, like you said, it's beenmore post 2000 as a buzzword.
Um, I know there was this movementto kind of, you know, Americans, I
think we're falling behind in math andsciences, you know, on the global front.
(17:03):
So educators in America wereat the drawing board trying
to think, okay, how can we.
Get kids to pursue these careers.
How can we get them moreinterested in these topics?
Because we want to compete on theglobal level and it's only natural.
I think, you know, you got tostart them when they're young.
How else are you going toget the start with toys?
You got to, you know, kidsplay with toys all the time.
(17:24):
So you got to start with a fun.
toy and get them interested.
And like Jessi said before, it's likeputting the broccoli in the brownie.
Like you, they don't alwaysrealize they're learning
something when they're playing.
She mentioned Legos before.
Legos are my favorite thing in the world,you know, as an adult, I wasn't, I'm
more into Legos now as an adult than Iwas as a kid, but Legos are fabulous.
(17:47):
Because you could do somany things with them.
Erin (17:49):
So funny that you say that because I too enjoy Legos way more now
as an adult than I ever did as a kid.
The variety of sets thatthey have now are amazing.
And I don't think I had thepatience as a kid to sit there
and go through the booklets andbuild these complicated structures.
Miss Elizabeth (18:08):
I don't think they really.
Yeah, I don't think they really,those crazy sets that they have
now, I don't think that was somuch a thing even a few years ago.
I think they've really, I mean, I rememberbasic Legos when I was a kid, you know,
and maybe they had some basic, like,I remember, you know, in middle school
when Harry Potter came out, They hadlike all the different Harry Potter sets
(18:30):
that You could build the train, you couldstart building the castle, but they've
really, I think, exploded in the last fewyears because they have so many topics.
Star Wars, Disney, Jurassic Park ones.
Erin (18:43):
They're fabulous.
That's helping the parentsbecome that role model.
When you're getting excited about thesekits and you're getting excited about
steam toys and STEM toys for grownups,your kids are seeing that and they're
like, okay, so it doesn't have to bejust a school thing and it doesn't
have to be just, Oh, what, you know,what's the science lesson for today?
It is, it's back to the play andsharing these moments with your kids.
(19:07):
And yeah, it's, it's gettinginto play with your child.
Miss Elizabeth (19:11):
Yes.
Jessi (19:11):
So important.
And I think it's important too that,um, like we're talking about Legos
and I had mentioned on the Genius ofPlay, there's Magnetiles and all these
toys and everything Anna was sayingbefore about what you should look for
in a STEAM toy specifically, they'reall active engagement STEAM toys.
They really put the kidin the driver's seat.
Miss Elizabeth (19:29):
Absolutely.
Jessi (19:29):
And with Legos, it could be the parent.
And that is just leadingto like hands on learning.
So.
So Elizabeth, like what have you seenhere at the library about, you know, hands
on learning and why is that important?
Miss Elizabeth (19:39):
Well, I really like hands on learning because I feel like
hands on learning is a great way tobring all kinds of learners together.
You know, when you're in school andyou're taking any kind of education
class, I think the big three typesof learners they talk about, you have
visual people that need to see it.
(20:01):
You have People that areauditory learners, so they need
to kind of listen and hear it.
And then you have kinesthetic,which is basically learn by doing.
You have to do the thing inorder to understand how it works.
And that's, I think that's the typeof learner that I am personally, I'm
definitely, you know, you can explainto me how to build something, but until
(20:26):
I get in there and I start tinkeringwith something, that's the only
way I really understand what to do.
So when you have a hands on learningproject, I think it incorporates
all three of those things.
Like when I do a program here at thelibrary, like I said before, for instance,
we last week had a program about Circuitsand the kids got to make a little circuit.
(20:50):
We called it circuit bugs, soit was a little close pin that
had pipe cleaners and LED lightsthat were powered with a battery.
So we did a lesson, what is a circuit?
So we explained what a circuitis, we drew on the board.
You know, it starts at the power source,it runs through the wire into the light
bulb, and then it runs back in a circle.
So think.
(21:11):
I like to, you know, you'vegot to bring it down on a
level that they'll understand.
So that's good for the visualperson because they're seeing it.
We're explaining it, so that's goodfor the auditory people, but then
the kids all had the chance to getin and make their own circuit bug.
So that was for the kidsthat learn by doing.
So it's that lesson incorporatedall three of those things.
(21:35):
And if you think back to when you werea kid, how many days did you spend
in a classroom where the teacher wasjust talking, writing on the board?
And how many, how many.
Hours, did you spend in lessons like that?
And can you really recall any one ofthose in particular, but you probably
remember the days where you were ina class and you did some sort of fun
(21:57):
activity that helped explain that topic.
Like I was,
those are the best, some ofthe best memories that I have.
From those kinds of classes.
Absolutely.
Yes.
In eighth grade tech class, we did awhole like bridge building unit and.
You know, so we built our own littlebridges out of balsa wood and I learned,
maybe I'm not a very good engineer becausemy bridge broke after holding only 10
(22:21):
pounds, but but you know, you, you got inthere and, and you remember doing that.
You remember building and being activelyengaged and just doing the thing, you
know, also a side note, if I can mention,I read an article about why hands on
learning is good for English languagelearners, because, which is great for
(22:46):
our community because we have a very highSpanish speaking population and a lot
of English language learning students,but hands on learning benefits these ELL
learners, because they're, they don't haveto sit and actively listen to a teacher
because there's a language barrier therefor them, you know, the teacher can sit
(23:06):
with them and kind of guide them, but Thebulk of the lesson is them being actively
engaged in doing whatever the project is.
And that's, you know, if you're buildingLegos, that's across all languages.
If you're building blocks or makinga marble maze or something, that's.
That's it.
There's no language required.
(23:27):
It's all visual.
It's all right in front of you.
There's not a lot of explanation needed.
Jessi (23:32):
That's such a good point.
I really, I'm always on here talkingabout how I don't have the time.
I don't have the energy.
I don't, I don't know what to do and like,you know, how do I help develop my kids?
And I think that's whatyou want as a parent.
You know, you want to do your bestby Your kid in the easiest way
possible, unless that's just me.
Erin (23:49):
I feel like they have all of these mail order.
Like every month you get another steamkit just automatically sent to you.
So I was just wondering if therewere any like pros and cons to, if
you're overwhelmed at how to pickthese things out yourself, maybe
that's kind of an option for somepeople, if it's not too expensive.
Jessi (24:04):
Yeah.
Anna, what about those?
Are like, are those accredited?
Anna Udina (24:07):
Yeah, we currently do not have any sort of like
subscription kits accredited.
That's not to say that theymay not be helpful, but I would
just encourage parents shoulddefinitely get some validation.
I can tell you how we checkthe toys that we accredit.
The process consists ofkids playing with the toys.
So, uh, it's very importantthat kids of the target age,
(24:31):
they get their hands on the toy.
It's really not just adults lookingat the toy through their adult lens,
but it's the kids that it is intendedfor that they get to play with a toy.
So that's a big part of the process.
But the second part is we have,uh, or our accreditation partner,
rather the good play guide.
They have trained childdevelopment experts who are.
(24:54):
Observing how kids are playing,and they are making notes of,
are they actively exploring?
Are they using their imagination?
Are they learning?
Are they using any science ormath or technology concepts?
What is really going on?
In addition to all the fun, theengagement, what is the learning
(25:17):
that's happening in the process?
So all that framework, all thosedifferent criteria that I described,
They're basically making a checklistand they're checking it off, you
know, like, okay, yes, it is fun.
They are engaged.
It's easy to use because they wereable to figure it out on their own.
It supports free exploration becauselook, we gave them a bunch of blocks and
(25:37):
they build a tower or a castle from it.
Uh, and yes, they're using weightand size and different measurements.
So they're, you know, burningthose foundational age
appropriate science concepts.
So just all of the examples of how theygo about it in a very methodical way.
So in the end, every toy needs topass that checklist and we rank
(26:00):
them poor, good, or excellent.
So on every criteria, so only toysthat rank either good or excellent.
On all of the criteria, they getaccredited and they, they earn this
stamp of approval that we're so proud of.
Hopefully parents willsee it on toy packaging.
Definitely look for it, uh, whenyou're shopping in the store or
(26:24):
even online because, um, companies.
They, they're adding the sampleapproval, the seal on product
pages, as well as the packaging.
So we know that we stand behindthat and there is real science
and a lot of research, a lot ofrigor that goes into that process.
Jessi (26:42):
Where else can parents find.
Accredited steam toys.
I know you had mentioned Amazon.
Are there any toys that you can, are youallowed to recommend toys to our audience?
Or is that like a no, no.
Cause you're supposedto be neutral on toys?
Anna Udina (26:57):
Well, it would, it would be hard to recommend because it all depends
on your child's age and their interests.
So there's so many different, right.
There are so many different toys.
So really, you know what yousaid, the Amazon store, steam
accredited store on Amazon is great.
Great.
Uh, the genius of play.
org slash steam.
Um, that has all of thesteam accredited toys.
(27:19):
And another website, uh, that Imay mention, let's say, you know,
you're like, okay, I get it withsteam, but I just want, you know,
I don't want to see you in toy.
I just want a fun toy or,you know, I want a doll.
I want.
You know, a game.
So we also have awebsite called toyawards.
org.
So that is, um, separate and apartfrom any STEAM accreditation.
(27:42):
This is the Toy Association'sannual awards program, kind of like
the Oscars of the toy industry.
We have the year awards andwe have different categories
from preschool and infant toys.
So best game of the year,best, um, construction set of
the year and things like that.
So, uh, the winners and finalists and all17 categories, they're all on toy awards.
(28:07):
org.
So that is also a great resourcefor parents as they are thinking
about doing their holiday shopping.
Cause not everybody's going tobe buying the steam toys, you
know, after all it's holidays.
It's, it's all about fun andfamily and time together.
So maybe you want to do Legos, but maybeyou want to play a game, you know, that
the entire family can play togetherand it doesn't have to be steam, but
(28:31):
everybody is still going to have funand kids are still going to be learning
because again, uh, it's not all about.
Steam it's, you know, we talkedabout in another conversation
on this podcast, we talked aboutthe six benefits of play, right?
The physical, cognitive, social,emotional, creativity, and communication.
So there's so much that kids canlearn from toys, even if it's
(28:54):
not necessarily a steam toy.
Jessi (28:56):
The toy awards.
org that website is amazing.
There's just so many different.
And like I said earlier, I justreally, and I don't think I'm
alone in this, I just really wantto buy my kids worthwhile toys.
I just, I can't take the stuff thatjust comes and they play with it once.
And I mean, obviously you can nevertell the children what they're
(29:17):
going to take to where they're not.
It's just so great to be able to haveaccess to lists like this at your
fingertip, you know, to like help youwith that process of picking the toy.
Well, as always, this hasbeen great and I feel.
more informed than I did at the start.
So thank you, Anna.
And thank you, Elizabeth.
Um, is there anything else you feellike our listeners need to know
about buying toys and Steam Toysspecifically or not or anything else?
Miss Elizabeth (29:41):
I mean, I don't know.
Can I mention Lakeshore Learning oris that like not a plug we can do?
I don't.
See why not?
Well, I know I've
Erin (29:51):
As long as Lakeshore Learning's okay with it.
Jessi (29:54):
Yeah, I'm sure they are.
Miss Elizabeth (29:55):
I mean, I don't know if they'll have, they might
list if they're accredited or not.
I'm not sure,
you know, based on Anna's guidelines,but I know I've gotten a lot of
STEM STEAM toys for our library fromLakeshore Learning, and I like their
website because you can search by topic.
And you could also break it down by age.
(30:18):
So I've done that when I'm looking, causeI do a lot of K to two or, you know,
kindergarten to second grade classes.
I've done tween fourththrough seventh grade classes.
Some classes I do a broader age range.
So I like having that ability tospecify what age I'm looking for.
And I also find Lakeshore'stoys are pretty durable.
(30:40):
They're that they'll last a longtime, especially in a library
where they're getting a lot of use.
I like that feature too.
Jessi (30:46):
Yeah.
Kids are rough.
Erin (30:47):
Um, how about you?
Anna?
Is there anything that you want totalk about before we sign off today?
Anna Udina (30:52):
So 1 final resource on.
Steam for parents, Steam Playbook,because you can do Steam exploration
and learning even with materialsthat you have around the house.
So for that purpose, the genius of playhas put together a Steam Playbook with
activities like marshmallows, culture, forinstance, all you need is marshmallows and
(31:15):
toothpicks and you can actually eat it.
Miss Elizabeth (31:18):
I love that.
Jessi (31:19):
Yeah.
I actually did that with my kidsrecently, um, inspired by both.
Elizabeth and Anna.
Yes, I love that.
I was home with them andI didn't know what to do.
We went to the dollar store.
We bought a bunch ofpacks of marshmallows.
And then toothpicks and that was it.
And they did that for like an hour.
And it was
-awesome.- Beautiful.
Erin (31:39):
Then everybody was hopped up on sugar for the next 5 hours.
Jessi (31:43):
That is true.
Miss Elizabeth (31:44):
I've done that.
I did that exact kind of project in ascience in a, um, excuse me, not science.
Well, science, a, um, space program wherethe kids had to make constellations.
Using marshmallows andtoothpicks, so yeah, that's,
that's a very fun thing to do.
We just had a program candyscience here at the library and
(32:08):
instead of marshmallows, we usegumdrops and I gave every table,
a bowl of gumdrops and toothpicks.
And I said, whichever table canbuild the tallest tower using
these supplies as the winner.
So that was fun to see what they as ateam could create and build together.
Jessi (32:26):
Yeah, yeah, I really like that.
I'm glad that you brought upthat the steam guide because.
Yeah, that the playbook, I mean, um,times are tough out there and it would
be fantastic if you could buy yourchildren everything that they want, but
sometimes that's just not in the cards,but the playbook does offer so many.
(32:49):
You know, examples of things that youcan do with household items, like you
were saying, Anna, and like, maybeit's just putting those things together
in a bag, you know, and that's thegift, you know, so I really like that.
That's available too.
And it's not just aboutconsuming and buying it.
Also, it's just about creating.
Erin (33:07):
Inspiring creativity, taking all these kind of random things
and seeing where they go andit's thinking outside the box.
Jessi (33:13):
That's right.
Crucial skill.
Miss Elizabeth (33:14):
And never estimate.
Yeah.
I always say never underestimatea kid because they're
so creative and they're so resourceful,you know, you might ask the teacher.
Give them supplies to build something andthink, okay, you have to build a bridge
from here to here and here's your stuff.
And you're thinking you're going to doit one way, but then the kid comes in
(33:34):
and builds it a completely differentfashion than you've ever even imagined.
So they're, they're amazing.
I feel like we, uh, we, I got reallyexcited about the marshmallow thing.
Um, so I didn't mean to cut you off.
What else?
The playbook.
Is there anything else youthink parents should know?
Anna Udina (33:50):
No, no, that's it.
That's it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The playbook, uh, that'son the genius of play.
org and the play ideas and games tab.
So you can, parents candownload it from there.
Um, you know, also think about it.
Holidays are coming.
That means gifts, but that also meanssome downtime, some free time, right?
Kids are not gonna have school.
(34:10):
There's going to be school breaks,vacations, you know, a lot of family time.
So some of those activities, youknow, like Elizabeth was saying,
like you could get competitive.
You could be like, who is going tobuild the tallest marshmallow sculpture.
Right.
So I actually was at an eventonce where there were adults.
It was an adult workshop and theydid this activity with adults.
(34:31):
And it's amazing how they got intothat and how they got competitive.
They could, they couldgo on and on and on.
Jessi (34:39):
Well, if you liked our podcast today, please let your
friends and family know and us.
We would love to hear from youwith your thoughts on upcoming
topics or just general feedback.
You can email us at podcast@pmlib.org
Erin (34:52):
you can also visit us at our new website, adventures in
parenting pml dot pod bean.com.
Um, you can find resource guides fortoday's episode and all of our previous
episodes if you'd like to dig a little.
deeper into any of the topicsto learn more about Anna and her
amazing work with Genius of Play.
Find them on facebook.
(35:13):
com forward slash Genius of Play.
They're also on Instagram as Genius ofPlay and on YouTube as TI Association.
Jessi (35:20):
And please stop by PML to say hi to Miss Elizabeth and be on
the lookout for her amazing STEAMprogramming here at the library.
You can find them all on ourevents calendar at PMLIB.
org.
And if you haven't been to the libraryin a while, check out our Tinker Lab.
It's free.
Parents, the mess is here atthe library, not at your home.
Thank you so much, Anna.
Thank you, Elizabeth.
This has been illuminating andhelpful, and we appreciate your time.
Anna Udina (35:44):
Thank you, Jessi and Erin.
Thank you.
Yes.
We'll talk to you guys soon.
Miss Elizabeth (35:47):
Thanks for having me on.
Bye ladies.
Thank you
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