STEM toys, books for toddlers, preschool

My apologies for the lack of posts. It's been busy here, though I do hope to get some STEM historical posts out soon (work that I did with Laser Classroom).

Engineer's Playground has been working with some friends in Indianapolis as they start on the nuts and bolts of their very interesting STEM program for Elementary Education majors. Meantime, here is an update on what's been happening behind the scenes here at Engineer's Playground.

TOYS: Circuits for Toddlers

Engineer's Playground proudly worked with Mindware Toys to develop Start-Up Circuits for toddlers in the switch-phase. Portable, with three different switches and actuators (actions), this toy tries to leverage toddler persistence and curiosity to develop the basic idea that "a circuit is a circle": When the circle is complete, amazing things happen. When it is broken, things stop working. Available on Mindware.com

BOOKS: Technology for Toddlers

Mechanisms in a Steam Engine (and Reverse Engineering)

Engineer's Playground is proud to announce that founder Yvonne Ng is working with Amicus Ink, a new imprint of The Creative Company, to publish a book about how steam trains work. Scheduled for publication in Fall 2018.

Road Construction Design Considerations and Phases and Construction Machines

Yvonne leveraged her civil engineering internship experience in Pittsburgh and her friends and family in the road construction business to write this book to explain to her 4 yr old why the nearby street was being torn up. Amicus Ink has this scheduled to be published in Fall 2019.

I hear there is a video coming out for Start-Up Circuits from Mindware, but until then, you can see it in action on this video:

.@robinwasserman This *mumble*-year-old also enjoyed playing with it. pic.twitter.com/gKka64LwQE — Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) August 29, 2016