Target is another one of my favorite stores because not only do they make it easy to support CodeCrew, but they are creating inclusive experiences for shoppers. CodeCrew is listed for Community Support Votes on your Target Circle Dashboard. As much as I love Target, and this pains me to state, Target fell short on the tech toy selection in the Toy Book. On the website, it's an entirely different story, but if you are not a technologist, you don't know what to look for; as a shopper, you would be lost. My best advice outside of this list is to go to the Target.com website and type "stem toys" in the search and sort by age; there's a gold mine of toys hidden in the Target Website. For those with the tangible book, here are Audrey's Favorite Tech Things:
Magna-Tiles have certainly evolved a great deal since their first introduction. There are dinosaurs, safari, and farm animal kits to expand imaginary play, communication, and storytelling. Magna-Tiles are created for ages three and up; there are some small pieces, and because they are magnets, I strongly advise you to keep them away from toddlers. I rate this Level 1 on the Engagement Scale; no assembly is required, and no instructions. These tiles can keep little hands and idol minds busy for hours.
This is one of the best kid-friendly physics toys for little learners. The recommendation is four and up, but we started playing with Marble Run when my son was about five. Initially, he wanted a lot of assistance, but I think it was more of a result of the inability to build the tracks he saw other children making on YouTube. So we started him off with small ways with a few pieces here and there, and progressively, we added more and more elements while pulling out of his playtime. Now at 6, he builds on his own with no assistance, and he even incorporates toys and objects to build and leverage his base.
For ages five and up, I rank this toy Level 2 on the Engagement Scale; some adult engagement is involved.
The child will need to understand the different elements and how they interact with each other. My favorite pieces are the centrifugal funnels and jumps, but for a five-year-old, it may require an explanation from an adult so that the alignment is correct or the correct amount of momentum is added.
"STEAM Play... In a Culturally Affirming Way". I learned some things beyond past STEAM concepts with this toy and expanded my Swahili beyond "Jambo Means Hello" (Still a relevant book, and I have to thank the Memphis in May Committee for bringing Kenya to Memphis in 1989). This toy series is based on a fictional crew at the Dadisi Academy in the ATL. Dadisi in Swahili means curious, and this curiosity is what guides the play and the bases of all of the kits. Target has six of the 21 kits available on their site, and all other kits can be ordered from https://browntoybox.com/, where there are instructional notes for parents and educators.
For ages 5 - 8, I rant this toy Level 3 on the Engagement Scale. An adult will be required to explain a lot of the concepts. The Coding Kit, for instance, is mainly focused on binary numbers. Although the idea of binary numbers is broken down for a child to understand, it will require an adult to help them understand the application. "If/Then/Else" and loops are covered, and because these can be new elements for even adults, I advise sitting with the child and working through the kit.
The Osmo Genius Start Kit is at the top of my list of toys that I am buying my son. For those that have children that have taken classes from CodeCrew, think of MIT App Inventor and LEOGs merging. This Coding Starter Kit teaches kids basic coding skills like loops and logic with tangible blocks. The caveat is that an iPad is required for gameplay. Within the app, there are lessons for children and an opportunity for children to have free space to extend the concepts they are learning.
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