Construction set | play set:Blox + Bits

Debbie Sterling, a U.S. engineer, developed GoldieBlox sets to encourage girls to consider careers in engineering and construction. Sterling noted that women make up just 11 percent of the engineering profession and that girls lose interest in science as young as age eight. She designed GoldieBlox to incorporate components that appeal to girls. Because girls like to read, Sterling combined building and reading into her toy set. The set takes the form of a storybook and construction set. In the stories, Goldie faces a number of engineering challenges that girls then construct with the pieces of the set."It appeals to girls," Sterling said, "because they aren't just interested in the 'what' they're building, they want to know the 'why.' Goldie's stories related to girls' lives--the machines she builds solve problems and helps her friends."