If you build it, they will fly.
HEXBUG‘s line of VEX Robotics is full of STEM-based activity kits that let kids build their own toys, but also learn about the inner workings of engineering, physics, and whatnot that goes into making them work (hi, I’m a writer, hence the “whatnot”). In the case of the VEX Robotics Zip Flyer, kids are getting a super cool gadget that sends propellers shooting up to 30 feet in the air, using a zip-cord stick. The faster and harder kids pull on the zip cord, the higher the propellers fly. The launcher can be handheld, or set to launch off a tabletop.
The cool part about this gadget is that it comes in pieces—and yes, that’s on purpose. The whole kit is set so that kids can actually build up the whole contraption. Then, once they’re done, they understand how the propellers launch into the sky. It inherently gives kids insight on the foundations of STEM concepts through play, which is much better than learning it by staring blankly at textbook pages (or iPad screens—kids these days).
This toy combines multiple play patterns, from the active play involved in the Zip Flyer itself to the time spent building up the toy in the first place. It gives kids a bit of mental exercise before the physical exercise from chasing the propellers around. And Mom and Dad don’t have to worry—the propellers are made of thin, light plastic, so if one is launched in your house, you won’t be cleaning up broken lamps in your living room.
In addition to the Zip Flyer, the VEX Robotics line has a bunch of other build-ups, including a catapult and the Snap Shot ball launcher. The VEX line also has more intricate robotic build-ups in its VEX IQ line, where kids can build up R/C robots. Looking to add some stealth learning into playtime? VEX has you covered.
*HEXBUG VEX Robotics Zip Flyer made The Toy Insider’s 2016 STEM 10 list.
