{"id":2018,"date":"2018-06-09T19:47:26","date_gmt":"2018-06-10T00:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/?p=2018"},"modified":"2018-06-09T19:47:26","modified_gmt":"2018-06-10T00:47:26","slug":"superstructs-toy-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/superstructs-toy-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Superstructs Toy Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Superstructs have been around for a long time. I remember buying my nephew a set for his fourth birthday back in 2007. Superstructs stood out to me back then because they featured parts with multiple textures (foam and plastic) and fun little characters.<\/br><br \/>\nBut I wasn\u2019t looking at Superstructs through a STEM learning lens in those days. But I sure am now!<\/br><br \/>\nI decided to get my hands on a set to see if Superstructs were still as fun as I remember, if my five year old daughter would be enthusiastic about them, and if they would help promote STEM learning concepts.<\/br><br \/>\nFirst, a little background:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Superstructs are sets of building toys with panels that pop into place between colorful rods and connector pieces<\/li>\n<li> All the materials are durable and the <a href=\u201dhttp:\/\/www.superstructs.com\/about.html\u201d>Superstruct website states that the parts hold up well under \u201crough conditions\u201d<\/a>(I can attest to this: the set I gave my nephew went through a lot of rough play, both indoors and outdoors, and all the pieces are still in great shape.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Superstructs kits allow for free-building, so children can get creative with the structures they want to create. They also offer plans so kids can follow directions to create a certain machine, gadget, or object.<\/br><br \/>\nSets also grow with children\u2019s interests and abilities. Products range from basic starter sets to specialty-themed kits focused on more specific interests (even including a Bluetooth-powered vehicle).<br \/>\n<div class=\"su-row\"><div class=\"su-column su-column-size-1-3\"><div class=\"su-column-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><iframe style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&#038;OneJS=1&#038;Operation=GetAdHtml&#038;MarketPlace=US&#038;source=ss&#038;ref=as_ss_li_til&#038;ad_type=product_link&#038;tracking_id=ludologists-20&#038;marketplace=amazon&#038;region=US&#038;placement=B00S3TTA2Y&#038;asins=B00S3TTA2Y&#038;linkId=20e02f4ef303145489bcc8557fd8f613&#038;show_border=true&#038;link_opens_in_new_window=true\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-column su-column-size-1-3\"><div class=\"su-column-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\"><iframe style=\"width:120px;height:240px;\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&#038;OneJS=1&#038;Operation=GetAdHtml&#038;MarketPlace=US&#038;source=ss&#038;ref=as_ss_li_til&#038;ad_type=product_link&#038;tracking_id=ludologists-20&#038;marketplace=amazon&#038;region=US&#038;placement=B002DGSZB0&#038;asins=B002DGSZB0&#038;linkId=b3c0e94403bfeb968ef36ab0fceb6771&#038;show_border=true&#038;link_opens_in_new_window=true\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>I love letting my daughter explore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/13-dinosaur-building-sets-for-kids-who-want-to-build-their-own-terrible-lizard\/\">with building sets<\/a>. Not only do I see her creative juices flow right in front of my eyes, but I also see her focused on problem-solving and planning. These are just some of the amazing benefits of using building toys to promote STEM learning.<\/br><br \/>\nWhen children engage with building toys, they practice and develop skills in all STEM areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Science <\/strong>&#8211; physics, gravity, cause-and-effect, weight and balance<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology <\/strong>\u2013 fine-motor development, creating\/using tools, hand-eye coordination<\/li>\n<li><strong>Engineering <\/strong>\u2013 children plan a concept (or follow specific instructions) then work to actualize it<\/li>\n<li><strong>Math <\/strong>&#8211; counting, adding, subtracting, measuring<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Superstructs set my daughter used was the Starter Set with 96 pieces. This may sound like a lot of parts, but some are quite large so she was not overwhelmed. (*Safety Note: Although many pieces are large, they still pose a choking hazard for children under 3.)<\/br><br \/>\nAs she dumped the pieces on the floor, she announced, \u201cI want to build something of my own,\u201d meaning that she didn\u2019t want to try and build one of the suggested structures that came with the instructions.<\/br><br \/>\nHer first observation was, \u201cThese are really easy to connect!\u201d I was happy to hear this because I often have to help her connect the pieces on some of her other building sets which gets her pretty frustrated. I was glad she could accomplish putting the pieces together herself and focus more of her time on creating.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-1-e1528589402593.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-1-e1528589402593.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"446\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-1-e1528589402593.jpg 472w, https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-1-e1528589402593-300x283.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 472px) 100vw, 472px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After practicing with the pieces for a little while, my daughter especially loved the large foam wheels. She decided to create \u201csome sort of building with wheels, so the people that live there can roll the building from place to place.\u201d Here was her first structure; she turned it on its side to make it roll:<\/br><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-2-e1528589592524.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-2-e1528589592524.jpg\" alt=\"Girl Playing with Superstructs 2\" width=\"475\" height=\"571\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-2-e1528589592524.jpg 475w, https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-2-e1528589592524-250x300.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nThen she used the smaller wheels and shorter rods to create this rolling building:<\/br><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-3-e1528589675123.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-3-e1528589675123.jpg\" alt=\"Girl Playing with Superstructs\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2027\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-3-e1528589675123.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Playing-3-e1528589675123-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nThen she had a contest to measure how far each of her creations would roll. I asked her questions like, \u201cWhich one do you think will go farther?\u201d and \u201cWhy do you think that?\u201d to help her make predictions\u2026just like actual designers, engineers, and scientists.<\/br><br \/>\nAnd, of course, we had to add in the fun little character that is included in the set:<\/br><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Play-FIgure-e1528589728259.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Play-FIgure-e1528589728259.jpg\" alt=\"Superstructs Play Figure\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Play-FIgure-e1528589728259.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Superstructs-Play-FIgure-e1528589728259-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nWe both had a blast playing with the Superstructs set. There were just enough pieces to create two rather large structures, but the number of pieces didn\u2019t feel overwhelming. My daughter didn\u2019t complain about picking them all up either (which she often does with building kits with lots of small pieces).<\/br><br \/>\nThey were also easy for her to put together by herself, helping her feel very accomplished and independent. While we didn\u2019t use the instructions, I looked through them and found them to be very straightforward. I know my five year old will be able to follow the directions when she wants to create one of those specific structures.<\/br><br \/>\nFor next time, my daughter is looking forward to combining all of the pieces into one giant machine. I\u2019m looking forward to using that experience to help her practice more beneficial STEM concepts with Superstructs.<\/br><br \/>\nFor more information on Superstructs and their award-winning toys, visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.superstructs.com\/index.html\">Superstructs homepage<\/a>.<center><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\namzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"ludologists-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region = \"US\";\namzn_assoc_design = \"enhanced_links\";\namzn_assoc_asins = \"B000FGMA5C\";\namzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit\";\namzn_assoc_linkid = \"c36396a3788cabb75176873022b26332\";\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Superstructs have been around for a long time. I remember buying my nephew a set for his fourth birthday back in 2007. Superstructs stood out to me back then because they featured parts with multiple textures (foam and plastic) and fun little characters. But I wasn\u2019t looking at Superstructs through a STEM learning lens in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,3,15],"tags":[],"wppr_data":{"cwp_meta_box_check":"No"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Superstructs Toy Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.learningtostem.com\/superstructs-toy-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Superstructs Toy Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Superstructs have been around for a long time. 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