Zoobs

I'm a firm believer in the power of building toys to develop creativity and three dimensional thinking in children. I think that a day spent building things with toys like Legos and Zoobs is worth more to a child than a day spent doing worksheets.

Ben and Shira spent a large portion of today building with their Zoobs. We first met them at the Virginia Living Museum and were so taken with them that we suggested to grandparents that these might make a perfect Channukah present. Last year Marc's parents gave Ben the largest kit available. He couldn't have received a better present. But what are Zoobs you ask?

ZOOB pieces have an educational birthright: their design is based on a living and natural system—the nucleotides found in DNA that are the building blocks of life—and their mobility mirrors the natural movement of people, animals, and machines. This mobility also enhances ZOOB’s educational value, by allowing children to see an assembly as it moves, and by demonstrating the movement of biological, anatomical, and mechanical parts.

ZOOB pieces are easy enough for 6 year-olds to play with, and academically robust enough for educators to use them to model items such as DNA double helixes, anatomic parts, and architectural or mechanical designs.

Here is the skeleton that Shira built this afternoon. I love how she gave the skeleton a rib cage.



Here are some videos of what you can make with Zoob pieces.