News

April 28, 2021

Smithsonian: The Ten Best STEM Toys to Give as Gifts This Year (2018)

At Purdue University's INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering, Cardella and Gajdzik work with pre-school, school-age, college undergrads, engineers and parents to test and rate science- and tech-themed products that companies submit for review each year. Highly recommended toys, games and books make it into the institute's annual Engineering Gift Guide; this year's edition includes 128 products, mostly released in 2018 and 2017.

November 01, 2018

These Kid-Approved Holiday Gifts Will Actually Help Your Kids Learn Something

You don’t need to spend hours researching, because the non-profit, no-hidden-agenda team at INSPIRE, an engineering research institute at Purdue University, has just released its annual gift guide for toys that hit all those marks. The guide was developed using National Science Foundation research, and it’s a testament to the fact that giving kids a leg up on coding and STEM skills more broadly doesn’t have to mean more screen time.

November 22, 2017

Smithsonian: The Ten Best STEM Toys of 2017

At Purdue University’s INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering, Monica Cardella and Elizabeth Gajdzik plucked 10 stand-out gifts from a suite of more than 130 toys either submitted by toymakers and publishers for evaluation or requested by the researchers. After rigorous testing by dozens of kids, parents, college students and engineers, the group compiles an annual Engineering Gift Guide.