GraviTrax Academy STEM Kit Review
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Marble runs aren’t just fun, they’re educational! GraviTrax takes a classic activity and puts a dynamic STEM curriculum in place.
My daughter has been asking for a marble run for years and I just never got around to looking at options. She was so excited to see that her 3rd-grade curriculum kit came with one and it is packed with learning.
A special thanks to Timberdoodle Co. for sponsoring this blog series by providing a complimentary curriculum kit for our honest review. All opinions are our own!
GraviTrax Academy comes with three different components, the starter set, the volcano add-on, and the Game: Impact. Totaling over 140 pieces, this STEM kit is ready to challenge your little engineer with elements of gravity, physics, architecture and so much more.
GraviTrax Academy is available in the Timberdoodle 3rd grade curriculum kit, and also individually.
How to Use GraviTrax
The Third Grade Curriculum Handbook instructs us to complete one Impact Game challenge each week (30 total challenges), as well as one exact replication model from the deluxe starter set (33 total challenges).
A beginner will start with models that instruct you step-by-step instructions on how to make the exact run. More advanced models switch it up and show which pieces to use, and some placements, but some of the building will be up to the student.
The Game: Impact has beginner to advanced levels of logic puzzles. The front of each challenge card shows the start, end, and all pieces required. Your task is to figure out where all those pieces go! Some cards have hints on them, most have solutions in the booklet, but the last 2 puzzles are up to you to discover!
All the guides and cards are wordless–which is great for kids who are struggling readers, but can be a little more difficult for STEM-challenged parents (I see you!). Regardless, when you pay attention to the details, things start to make sense, and as with all science, there is a bit of trial and error in the process.
Science concepts abound in this marble run. Spatial logic, kinetic energy, velocity, momentum, gravity, and magnetism all come into play as you build, test, and create.
When we opened the box, my daughter and I looked at the starter booklet and set it up together. An older/more advanced child could probably figure it out on their own, but it was no surprise to me that my child would need some assistance. Once I showed her how to interpret the challenges, she has been able to mostly do them on her own.
The Timberdoodle STEM kits have always been a favorite at our house, but I’m pretty sure this is the #1 fav of all time (so far).
When I asked her why she loved GraviTrax, she said “I love to build and the set lets you do that. I also love to experiment with aerodynamics and the marbles are a fun way to do that”.
So there you have it. Teaching your kiddo math, science, engineering, and technology, with something as “simple” as a marble run. GraviTrax Academy is available in the Timberdoodle 3rd grade curriculum kit, and also individually.
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