NEW YORK, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toy Association™ today unveiled its "Summer Learning STEAM Toy List," which includes 30 officially accredited STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) toys that will support learning and keep young minds sharp over the summer.
Families can now shop the list of toys below, which includes an ant tunneling kit, a light-up dinosaur terrarium, an electrical circuit-building set, and many more innovative STEAM products that inspire creativity and teach children about life sciences, mathematics, engineering, and more.
Each product on the list has passed a rigorous evaluation process to earn an official "STEAM Stamp of Approval," and meets the strict criteria set in The Toy Association's STEAM Toy Assessment Framework, developed in partnership with The Good Play Guide™. The toys were first tested by children under professional observation, before being evaluated by The Good Play Guide, which uses a scientifically proven toy evaluation method backed by Dr. Amanda Gummer, who has a PhD in neuropsychology and more than 20 years of experience working with kids and families.
"Each of the carefully curated STEAM toys on the list can offer children hours of educational fun," said Anna Yudina, senior director of marketing initiatives at The Toy Association. "Parents can feel confident in knowing these are quality toys that will invite kids to be actively and independently involved in their learning, while teaching them fundamental STEAM skills in creative and exciting ways. We encourage families to take advantage of all the excellent options featured on our list as they look to keep children engaged in their learning over the summer months!"
The "Summer Learning STEAM Toy List" is below (listed alphabetically by product name):
The Toy Association's STEAM toy accreditation program was launched in 2021 in partnership with the Good Play Guide, following years of research to identify and detail specific characteristics of a good STEAM toy for various age groups. To learn more about The Toy Association's ongoing STEAM initiative, visit toyassociation.org/STEAM or contact steam@toyassociation.org.
About The Toy Association™ www.toyassociation.org / www.thegeniusofplay.org / www.playsafe.org
Founded in 1916, The Toy Association, Inc. is the trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages. The Toy Association leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry, which has an annual U.S. economic impact of $102.4 billion, and is the nation's most effective resource and influential advocate for hundreds of companies including manufacturers, retailers, licensors, and others who are involved in the youth entertainment industry. Toy Association manufacturing members account for 93% of U.S. toy and game sales driving the annual $40 billion U.S. domestic toy market. The Toy Association serves as the industry's voice on the developmental benefits of play and promotes play's positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media. The organization has a long history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and remains committed to working with medical experts, government, consumers, and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. As a global leader, The Toy Association produces the world-renowned Toy Fair®; advocates on behalf of members around the world; sustains the Canadian Toy Association; acts as secretariat for the International Council of Toy Industries and International Toy Industry CEO Roundtable; and chairs the committee that reviews and revises America's widely emulated ASTM F963 toy safety standard.
About the Good Play Guide™ www.goodplayguide.com
The Good Play Guide™ is the official accreditation body for the STEAM Accreditation Program. Founded by Dr. Amanda Gummer, who has a PhD in neuropsychology and over 20 years of experience working with children and families, the Good Play Guide uses a scientifically proven method to evaluate toys. Every toy submitted for evaluation is firstly tested by the important people – children. While the children play, they are observed by professionals who have been trained to carry out research with children in a robust and ethically responsible way. The toys are then evaluated by the Good Play Guide's team of experts to ensure they meet the strict criteria set in The Toy Association's "STEAM Toy Assessment Framework."