Kidrise Toys: Inspiring Children's STEM Potential and Keeping Up with New Education Trends

In the ever-changing modern world,

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is becoming increasingly important.

Kidrise is committed to inspiring children's unlimited potential in science and technology. Through a combination of innovation and practice, it provides high-quality STEM toys that integrate play into learning2 ^.

Key trends in STEM education in Hong Kong

According to a report by Hong Kong Commercial ^Daily1 , STEM education in Hong Kong is developing towards several key trends:

• Integration of AI and digital skills: Education in Hong Kong is actively integrating AI and digital skills into the curriculum. For example, Aberdeen Technical School has launched the "ATS NexGen Digital Talent Development Program" to provide high school students with market-relevant professional tools and digital skills. In addition, they pioneered a BIM (Building Information Modeling) course for middle school students, combining STEM education with architectural technology and using Revit 3D modeling to cultivate students' spatial thinking and design logic. In the future, the school plans to combine Shapr3D with medical technology applications.

  This shows that Hong Kong’s STEM education is moving towards developing students’ digital capabilities that meet industry ^standards1 .

• Interdisciplinary learning: The BIM course combines STEM education with architectural technology, reflecting the trend of interdisciplinary learning. The Chief Assistant Secretary for Development, Ms Wong Ho Wing-sze, also emphasised that BIM courses can help foster students’ interdisciplinary development by digitising manufacturing processes such as design, data and even maintenance1 ^. This shows that STEM education in Hong Kong is no longer limited to a single subject, but emphasizes the integration and application of knowledge from different fields.
• Hands-on practice and practical application: Practical Revit 3D modeling training in the BIM course and the "Hong Kong Awards for Industry - Aerospace Technology Robotics Programming Competition" both emphasize the importance of hands-on practice and applying theoretical knowledge to real-world situations1 ^. This trend reflects the education sector's emphasis on experiential learning, believing that hands-on practice can more effectively help students master knowledge and skills.
• Cultivate creativity and problem-solving skills: The design logic cultivated by Revit 3D modeling in the BIM course and the challenges that students need to overcome in the robot programming competition are all aimed at cultivating students' creativity and problem-solving ^skills1 . These abilities are seen as key to student success in both academic and professional life.
• Community Involvement and Collaboration: The Hong Kong Awards for Industry have received support from many organisations including universities, secondary school principals associations and industry partners. In addition, Aberdeen Technical School has set up a "Secondary School Mentorship Scheme" to allow secondary school students to guide primary school students to complete robot programming ^tasks1 . This shows that STEM education in Hong Kong is actively promoting community participation and collaboration among different education levels.
• Developing digital portfolios: Aberdeen Technical School has created the “ATS Marketplace” learning achievement platform, which uses blockchain technology to allow students to upload and permanently store their own works and build digital ^portfolios1 . This reflects the education sector's emphasis on students demonstrating their skills and achievements and encouraging them to embrace digital tools.
• Government support and recognition: The Chief Assistant Secretary for Development, Ms Wong Ho Wing-sze, praised the Aberdeen Technical School for integrating the needs of future innovative technologies into STEAM education, especially the BIM ^curriculum1 . This shows that the government actively supports educational initiatives that are in line with future technological development trends.

Kidrise Toys: Developing STEM Skills Through Play

Kidrise's toy design concept is highly consistent with the development trend of STEM education in Hong Kong.

Kidrise offers a wide variety of toys, which can be categorized into the following categories and develop different STEM skills:

• Wooden model toys/building sets: for example, wooden model toys ^of lifts5 and various building model ^sets6 . These toys develop children's engineering design, spatial reasoning, problem-solving and fine motor skills. The wooden model toy of the elevator ⁵ converts electrical energy into kinetic energy through gear transmission, demonstrating the basic mechanical principles. The Mideer DIY Wooden STEM Engineering Tool Table ⁷ encourages children to build and assemble, sparking their interest in engineering ⁷ .
• Science experiment sets: for example, byjarda circuit experiment set ⁸ , Science Can solar system projector ⁸ , Amazing Toys science experiment set ⁸ , 4M science toys ⁹ , Scientific Explorer science set ¹⁰ and TOI night flashlight puzzle ⁷ . These toys can promote children's scientific spirit of inquiry, cultivate experimental ability, observation ability and understanding of scientific principles. The byjarda Circuit Experiment Set ⁸ focuses on understanding circuits and physical principles. Science Can Solar System Projector ⁸ introduces the concepts of astronomy and the solar system.
• Coding/programming toys: for example, Taiwan's T-Space COLLINS Intelligent STEAM Obstacle Challenge Robot ⁸ , tudao Robot Programming World ⁸ , XKBOT Robot ⁷ and ROBOT CARNIVAL ⁸ . These toys can develop children's computational thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving skills and creativity. Tudao Robot Programming World ⁸ explicitly mentions Scratch 3.0 programming. XKBOT Robot ⁷ emphasizes the absorption of advanced STEM children's education concepts and provides rich entertainment and core programming functions through applications.
• Robot toys: for example, Taiwan T-Space COLLINS Intelligent STEAM Obstacle Challenge Robot ⁸ , Taiwan T-Space MINOS Intelligent STEAM Interactive Infrared Sensing Robot ⁸ and Taiwan T-Space 24-in-1 Robot Carnival ⁸ . These toys integrate engineering, technology, and programming skills to help children understand how machines work. Taiwan's T-Space MINOS Robot ⁸ is an interactive infrared sensing robot that demonstrates the combination of sensors and programming.
• Mathematical toys: for example, Onshine Children's Montessori Early Education Magnetic Beaded Educational Toy ⁸ , Goryeo Baby Montessori Early Education Wooden Carrot Pulling Toy ⁸ , Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Numbers ¹⁰ and Abacus ¹⁰ . These toys can improve children's numerical ability, logical reasoning ability and mathematical problem-solving ability. Onshine Montessori Magnetic Beads Educational Toy ⁸ may involve counting and spatial reasoning. Goryeo Baby Wooden Carrot Puller Toy ⁸ may involve counting and sorting.
• Art and creative toys: For example, TOI Night Flashlight Find and See Puzzle ⁷ and Goryeo Baby Animal Farm Maze Ball Magnetic Pen Game ⁸ . These toys foster children's creativity, spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills through artistic expression and design. TOI Flashlight in the Dark Puzzle ⁷ involves puzzle solving and visual skills.

How Kidrise toys keep up with the new trend of STEM education

Kidrise's toy series is closely connected with the development trend of STEM education in Hong Kong:

• Integration of AI and digital skills: Kidrise offers a range of coding and programming toys, such as Taiwan T-Space COLLINS Robot ⁸ and tudao Robot Coding World ⁸ . These toys introduce programming concepts to children through methods such as building block programming, cultivate their computational thinking skills, and lay the foundation for understanding artificial intelligence. XKBOT Robot ⁷ places more emphasis on programming and interaction through applications, allowing children to become creators of technology ⁷ .
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Kidrise's toys often naturally integrate multiple STEM fields. For example, the wooden model toy of a lift ⁵ combines knowledge of engineering, mechanics and potential electrical energy. The byjarda Circuit Experiment Set ⁸ combines physics (electromagnetism) and engineering (circuit building). This design encourages children to understand the connections between different subjects and apply them to solve real-world problems.
• Hands-on Practice and Real-World Application: Kidrise’s science experiment sets, such as the byjarda Circuit Experiment Set ⁸ and the Amazing Toys Science Experiment Set ⁸ , allow children to conduct experiments, test hypotheses, and learn from direct experience. These kits emphasize DIY scientific experiments and cultivate children's active learning and practical abilities.
• Cultivate creativity and problem-solving skills: Kidrise’s open-ended toys, such as wooden models and building ^sets5 , encourage children to use their imagination to design and build, thereby cultivating creativity and problem-solving skills. The obstacle course challenge of Taiwan's T-Space COLLINS robot ⁸ requires children to be more creative in programming and building solutions.
• Community Involvement and Collaboration: Kidrise supported the “Hong Kong Awards for Industry – Aerospace Technology Robotics Coding Competition” ¹ , demonstrating its commitment to promoting STEM education. Kidrise also offers toys suitable for group play, encouraging children to learn and develop teamwork skills through cooperation.
• Develop digital portfolios: Although Kidrise itself may not provide a blockchain platform like the ATS Marketplace, the works generated by its programming and robotics toys (e.g., code, robot designs) can be recorded and displayed by children and become part of their digital portfolios.
• Alignment with government priority areas: Kidrise’s focus on robotics, coding and hands-on science is highly aligned with the Hong Kong government’s emphasis on digital skills, innovation and technology in STEM education1 ^. This makes Kidrise's products an ideal choice for parents and educators looking for learning tools that are in line with the direction of Hong Kong's educational development.

Selected Kidrise STEM Toy Examples

Taiwan T-Space COLLINS Intelligent STEAM Obstacle Challenge Robot ⁸ : This robot offers four variable settings and is designed specifically for obstacle challenges, emphasizing the integration of STEAM principles. Children need to program to control the robot's movement and obstacle avoidance, which involves multiple STEM fields such as programming, robotics and problem-solving. This toy directly supports the integration of digital skills and develops problem-solving abilities through hands-on play.

byjarda Small Science Circuit Experiment Set: DIY Electromagnetic Maze Experiment ⁸ : This is a DIY set used to build an electromagnetic maze, with an emphasis on simple circuits and electromagnetic principles. It is difficult to assemble and is suitable for older children or challenges that require more delicate operations. Children learn about science (electromagnetism) and engineering (circuit building) as they build circuits and mazes, and develop problem-solving skills as they guide a metal ball through a maze. This toy emphasizes hands-on science and integrates concepts from physics and engineering, embodying interdisciplinary learning.

Kidrise 12-in-1 STEM Solar DIY Transformer Assembly Robot ⁸ : This model can be assembled into 12 different robot forms and is powered by solar energy without the need for batteries. This highlights renewable energy and mechanical principles. Its assembly difficulty is also high. Children learn about science (solar energy), engineering (building robot models), and technology (understanding solar energy applications) as they build different models. A variety of model designs also inspire children's creativity. The toy promotes hands-on engineering and introduces the concept of renewable energy, in line with the broader sustainability trend in STEM.

By playing with these toys, children can develop critical thinking (analyzing how to program a robot or solve a maze), creativity (designing different robot forms or maze strategies), problem-solving skills (overcoming challenges encountered when building and operating the toys), and perseverance (coping with higher assembly difficulty).

Conclusion: Invest in the future with Kidrise Toys

The value of Kidrise toys as effective STEM education tools cannot be ignored. Not only are they highly consistent with Hong Kong's current educational trends, they can also cultivate the essential STEM skills in children. By providing toys that integrate digital skills, promote interdisciplinary learning, emphasize hands-on activities, and encourage creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration, Kidrise is helping children build a solid STEM foundation, sparking their curiosity, and preparing them for future challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving technological world.

Parents and educators can invest in children's future by choosing Kidrise toys, allowing them to learn through play and grow through learning.