Category: STEM

Maze-O {Review & Giveaway}

Published on by KirstynVelez- www.BurritoBuzz.com3 Comments

As a mom to a child with what seems to be 100,000 useless annoying noise making toys, I always swoon over interactive STEM toys that not only challenge small minds alike, but they don’t require batteries or electronics. I love activity type toys that keep C intrigued and interested.

The Maze-O starter set was a toy fitting that bill. It is suitable for ages starting around 2 and when asked the best age, the CEO stated “young children, starting around age 2 can begin to put pieces together. By 3-4 years old they can be deliberate about forming passageways and branches that lead to dead-ends or exits. By age 5-6 children can follow the included instruction cards to form complex mazes and creat their own complex mazes with tricky passageways”…and she’s right! While Cayden is (barely) 5, he was able to look at the card and follow the colored instructions on how to build the maze on it. He then thoroughly enjoyed driving his hot wheels cars through said maze and then promptly destroying it and finding another card to follow.

Included in the starter set is a deck of cards with instructions for 30+ mazes, plus 5 different types of tiles. The tiles are brightly colored and fit together without much effort.

The Maze-O set was a huge hit here. Cayden loves to build, loves mazes and this product is truthfully the best of both worlds. Price wise, you’re looking at just under $30 which is reasonable for such a high quality toy. You can find Maze-O on Amazon or in Barnes and Noble book stores.

Overall, 5 out of 5.

Now for the best part! Win your very own Maze-O Starter Set! All you have to do is comment below for your entry! A random winner will be chosen on May 5th, 2018 at 10pm CST. The giveaway is open to all US residents ages 18+.

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Grippies: STEM Toys for Toddlers

Published on by Katie Kuceyeski1 Comment

g8311_6-1200x1200BurritoBuzz has talked about STEM teaching before, so elaborating on STEM, we’re bringing you a review on Guidecraft Grippies. I had not heard of Grippies prior to being introduced to them, but I was fascinated by the concept.

The toddler STEM building toy, Grippies® Builders, combines tactile exploration, magnetic play and an introduction to the basic principles of engineering and geometry. Grippies® use a unique, magnetic rod and ball configuration to provide a secure, frustration-free set of construction option as children first discover the joy of building. Unique in concept and design, Grippies® provide a fun, safe, and exploratory experience for toddlers. The 30 piece set features 4 soft matte textures in exciting bright colors. Suggested age: 18 months+

  • Open-ended magnetic STEM building toy for toddlers
  • Combines tactile exploration with magnetic play
  • Provides introduction to engineering
  • 30 piece set in exciting bright colors for $59.99 or a 20 piece for $39.99
  • Over-sized ABS Plastic rod encapsulates magnets
  • Accompanying metal balls are overmolded with soft plastic, with seamless texture for secure construction
  • Exterior features 4 soft matte textures
  • Winner of the Tillywig Brain Child Award, the National Parenting Center’s Seal of –Approval, Parents’ Choice Awards Silver Honor, and the Oppenheim Gold and Special Needs Adaptable Product (SNAP) Awards

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My son is 22 months old and really fine-tuning his motor skills at this point. Upon opening up Grippies, not only was my son fully engaged, but my husband and I were enthralled with building all kinds of structures with him. He quickly caught on to the concept of magnetism, so much so that he discovered that he could stick them to theg8311_lifestyle3-1200x1200 fridge, dishwasher, and cold air return grates. And while the structures he’s building now are fairly basic, I have no doubt that he’ll be engaged with Grippies for years to come and build much more advanced structures!

I was concerned about the magnets in these products, because magnets can cause serious damage (and death) if swallowed. I’ve been cautious throughout my son’s infancy and toddler years to ensure that small magnets are always out of his reach. Thankfully, the magnets in the Grippies are firmly stuck on the rods. While I tell my son to not chew on toys, he still does at times. Thankfully, the Grippies’ magnets have not budged. He is still always supervised when playing with them, thanks to my momma paranoia.

Grippies have proven to be a fun, educational activity for my tiny human. They keep him busy for decent lengths of time. My only true complaint is the price; they are overpriced for what you get. I’d love to see them have a lower price-point so all families could affordstem-logo-salsify-1200x1200 them. Check out all of Guidecraft’s awesome and educational toys here and Guidecraft’s STEM toys here! They will make great holiday and birthday gifts for any little one in your life!

Don’t forget to follow Guidecraft on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to stay up to date on all thing Guidecraft!

– Katie

**Burrito Buzz received this product at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences with a product and we never guarantee a positive review.**