Thames and Kosmos Barbie STEM Kit Review

I first discovered the Barbie STEM kit by Thames and Kosmos this summer at Blogger Bash and immediately fell in love with this entire concept. As a mom of daughters, I think it’s super important to foster that love of science in young girls, particularly in a way that fun and non-intimidating. The Barbie STEM kit is a wonderful way for children to experiment with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math all in one kit.

If you’re considering including this on your gift list this year, here’s my real deal review of the Barbie STEM Kit:

The Ideal

Kids get a head start into the world of STEM at an early age

The Barbie STEM KIT comes with 122 plastic building pieces and a 32-page illustrated book. The kit includes a colorful storybook which guides through a story what Barbie and her friend Nikki need to do to complete their tasks. The guidebook is completely illustrated and complete instructions are provided on how to carry out various experiments. With this kit, your child will get to build a good spinning closet rack, washing machine, jewelry holder, hammock, dress designer platform, greenhouse, and a shoe rack. Also, every girl’s favorite activity is to play dress up and now they can create the chromatography and leaf-print dress, plus optical illusion origami dresses too.

Children develop problem-solving skills

What’s particularly exciting about this kit is the fact that it shows Barbie and Nikki stuck in situations where they have to use logic, science, and smarts to solve problems. The learning process through this kit is very encouraging since it explains how different types of mechanisms work for different models. The various concepts of a building are not applicable to all models, so children get to think what they are doing, how they are going to do it, and how one modeling structure differs from another.

Hours of Fun

The Ordeal

The Barbie STEM kit does require a bit of parental guidance. Younger children will definitely need some assistance while they’re playing with the kit, so it’s certainly not the toy you get to leave your kids with while you tend to your household chores.
Also, I’ve heard quite a few parents express concern with the fact that this is a product geared only towards girls. I think that’s pretty unfortunate, as I can think of many toys (i.e. airplanes, trains, helicopters, ships etc.) that, while girls are perfectly able to play with these, they might not find them as exciting as some boys.

The Real Deal

With the many STEM kits available in the market that, let’s face it, are mainly designed with boys in mind, it’s really refreshing to offer girls this opportunity to enjoy STEM projects in a fun and unassuming way. The Barbie STEM kit is an ideal set for girls who are looking for a challenge and enjoy STEM. You can find it on Amazon HERE for under $30.

Have you tried the Barbie STEM kit for yourself? Share your reviews in the comments below.