It’s no secret that in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, women are few and far between. Growing up, most girls choose to play house with Barbies and stuffed animals over building with Legos and K’nex. We find it easier to develop our artistic skills—acting, drawing, writing—not our spatial skills, and it doesn’t help that the latter type of toys are marketed almost solely toward boys.
Changing Stereotypes
But girls these days are not just pink princesses playing house, waiting to be rescued anymore, and new toy company GoldieBlox has set out to foster this belief. In a world were 89% in the engineering field are male, GoldieBlox founder Debbie Sterling is hoping to encourage and inspire the next generation of female problem solvers to be “more than just a princess.”
So how do you get young girls interested in a construction toy? GoldieBlox has come up with the ingenious solution of combining a building kit with a fun storybook series featuring Goldie, the young inventor, and her cast of animal friends. The brand is fun and upbeat; feminine but not overtly so, and shaped by months of social media research.
Check out the Kickstarter video that started it all, and perhaps buy a set for the little girl(s) in your own life!
Meg