STEM toys: why magnetic building blocks help kids learn

Magnetic building blocks help children learn shapes, balance, counting and planning while they play. Because the pieces snap together from any side, even young children can build something that stands, and that early success keeps them building and learning.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and maths. It sounds like school, but for a young child it starts on the floor of the living room, with a pile of blocks.

Why magnets make building easier

Plain plastic blocks need careful stacking. A small push and the tower falls, and a three year old gives up.

Magnetic blocks hold on to each other from any face. The child can place a piece slightly crooked and it still sticks. That means the first tries succeed, and success is what makes a child try again.

What children learn while building

Shapes and space. Children learn which pieces fit where, how a square becomes a cube and how walls make a room.

Balance. A tall tower needs a wide base. Children find this out themselves after the third collapse, which teaches it better than any explanation.

Counting and patterns. How many blocks for each wall? Can the roof alternate two colours? Maths appears without anyone calling it maths.

Planning. Before building a house with a door, the child has to think about where the door goes. Planning ahead is a skill they will use everywhere.

Patience. When something falls, they rebuild it a little differently. That is how engineers work too.

The Build World set

The Build World Magnetic Building Blocks set has 100 chunky blocks in a pixel style that older children recognise from building games. It builds houses, towers, characters and whole landscapes, then comes apart in seconds.

It costs ৳2,000, suits ages 3 to 10 and includes a bag of extra parts. It contains small parts, so keep it away from children under three.

• Build World Magnetic Building Blocks

How to play together

Start with a challenge, not instructions. Ask: can you build a house for this doll? Can you make a tower taller than the chair?

Build next to your child, not for them. Make your own small model and let them copy or change it.

Talk about what happens. Why did it fall? What if we make the bottom wider? Questions teach more than answers.

Keep a photo of the best builds. Children love seeing what they made last week, and it gives them ideas for the next one.

How long children play with it

A three or four year old will usually build for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. By six or seven, many children build for an hour or more, and start telling stories with what they built.

Delivery

The set is delivered across Bangladesh. Delivery is 80 taka in Dhaka and 150 taka elsewhere, and free on orders over 3,000 taka. You can pay cash on delivery or by bKash.