Complete with ideas and 26 challenges
Children need to be challenged in various ways for them to develop their minds and their characters. That is one of the reasons why I like the Zoob Challenge set. While most building toy sets will come with some examples of things to build, or perhaps instructions for a specific model, this one takes a completely different angle.
Let’s take a closer look at this unique Zoob building set. The set was first released as the Zoob Challenge Set, but it has recently been updated and is now sold as The Zoob STEM Challenge.
The Zoob S.T.E.M. Challenge
- Suggested age: 8 years and older
- Number of pieces: 175 classic Zoob pieces (plus elastic bands, wheels, axles and other building materials)
- List price: $50.00
- 5 Instruction guides to build 40 creations (but not for the challenges)
- Amazon customer rating: 4.5 / 5
- Replay value: very high
The set comes with a good number of the classic Zoob pieces to allow for a variety of models to be built and there are building ideas included for 40 creations. It sounds no different from the myriads of other building toys out there, but this is also where the similarity stops.
Unique features
The Zoob building toys already have the unique feature that the models have movable joints. Add to this the challenge cards that offer 26 different challenges (plus 9 bonus challenges) as well as the extra items to use for these challenges and you have yourself a game-changer. The children no longer simply follow instructions to build something and then explore their own ideas. They are given a set of challenges that will stretch their imaginations and develop those critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills that are targeted by educators.
The set also teaches children teamwork and collaboration skills when they work together to solve challenges. Once a solution to a challenge has been found it can be modified and improved, typical of what happens in the real-life engineering world.
What people liked about this set:
- Enjoyed by kids off all ages, from 5 years to adult.
- Great for boys or girls.
- Useful for developing creativity and imagination
- Good quality pieces
I have not seen any negative reviews on this set, but small children can have difficulty putting the pieces together. Although younger children will be able to build some of the models, they might not be able to tackle the challenges yet.
A model from the Zoob Challenge
This set, with the 26 challenges included, is sure to keep children (and adults) busy for hours. Some teachers use this set in the classroom as a tool to develop critical thinking. Due to the children enjoying it so much it also becomes a motivator to complete tasks and be allowed to go and play. These types of constructive, mind-challenging toys are a great way to keep children busy between tasks in the classroom.
Here is a short video that shows some of the challenges and gives a few different examples of how one of the challenges can be solved.
Conclusion
This set is definitely on my list of top 10 building toys. The challenges can be solved in different ways and the children are sure to try new designs as they get older, refining their inventions as they learn how things work. It will definitely be played with over and over again. You can also increase the play options by adding one of the basic Zoob sets to have more building pieces to work with, or to have more children playing together at the same time.
Get the Zoob Challenge set and make sure your kids have it in their toy cupboard, they will learn a lot from it.
Do you or your kids have this set? Have you completed all the challenges? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.
Toys like this are brilliant. They’re fun for kid but they have a practical educational use as well. Kids can start learning about the engineering of structures and they don’t even know they are learning.
That’s what I really like about these sets as well. We need to give our kids the best opportunities to develop various skills and this is one easy way to do that.
I’m all for creativity development, and they’re not badly priced, will be checking this out.
Best wishes.
You won’t be disappointed with this one. I would love to hear how much it was enjoyed and how the challenges went.
Anything that promotes creativity is a winner in my book. The thing that I have noticed about walking down the lego aisle at the store is that you can’t buy just a bucket of legos anymore! They all come in sets, which is fine, but it creates a pre-defined structure for the child to build.
That is so true, most of the Lego sets have become very specific to a theme or a specific model. I have come across some Lego sets that don’t fall into this category, but I have never seen them on the shelves. I will be writing an article about them soon, so watch this space!
Hello Lesley,
My grandson has a birthday coming up and I have been looking for something just like this for him.
He is always building things with rocks, sticks and other things he finds laying around and he is very creative and I am hoping to spur that one for him and this looks like the ticket.
You say it is durable, cuz he is all boy and will play hard with it, can you elaborate on what durable is?
He will be building with it and using other things to build with like rocks and other hard objects just want to make sure it will hold up for him.
The Fat Guy.
The Zoob pieces are made of a touch plastic material that does not break easily. You are more likely to hurt your foot if you stand on one than breaking the piece. I did read about a customer who did manage to break a few pieces (not sure how) and they contacted the supplier and these were replaced free of charge.
I think it will hold up for him, even if he is including sticks and rocks in his projects.
Hi Lesley,
It’s a great Toy to have around for kids, and will surely test kids with their imagination and as you have mentioned as well it will help to develop some mental strength. A single toy providing 26 different challenges is a great thing to have, in a sense it is equivalent to 26 different toys.
Kunal
Yes, it is a great set to have. I think this is one that kids will keep playing with over a long period of time. The set does not include solutions to the challenges so they are able to try different solutions for each one. As they grow up their solutions will change with what they are learning and they can even start to make up their own challenges.
These kinds of toys are very good to get kids critical thinking skills working . They also just look really fun. I like the way it has challenges to complete. I’ve never heard of another building toy manufacturer that has this feature. You do an excellent job in your compare and contrast to companies like Lego and Kinect. Nice post
Most of the building sets that I have seen give instructions to complete specific models. This one is a true exception. This is the reason why I think it is a very good choice for children. As they get older they will find new ways to solve the challenges and perhaps even create their own.
They get to use household objects to help them solve the challenges and this also helps to get their imagination and thinking skills working to come up with solutions.
Brilliant review. This toy looks like a must get for most kids. I am sure they as well as us adults would all enjoy trying the challenges.
It is so nice to see some worthwhile toys out there amongst all the junk, and this one seems well priced too.
I like the fact that you need to figure the challenges out for yourself, and thus this would help the creative side of the brain.
Yes, this set definitely encourages a child (or adult) to try to find their own solutions and create their own designs. Although there are many benefits to learning to follow diagrams and instructions, there is also a huge benefit in encouraging creativity and thinking outside of the box.