Higher Education Becomes Child’s Play

A group of children collaborates on various STEM projects at a table. One child is focused on programming a laptop, while others build models using construction kits.

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Growing up in mid-century America school was about work, often drudgery. Play happened on playgrounds except for those of us “visiting” the principal’s office. Today, with the advent of STEM learning, play found its way into classrooms and after class clubs.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and STEAM (adding Arts) has a rich and fascinating history that reflects shifts in education, technology, and cultural values, and traces back to the Morrill Act of 1862. The STEM movement gained thrust in the 1950’s with the advent of the “space race” and inauguration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. The scientific achievements of the next three decades from the moon landing, the artificial heart, personal computing, and cell phones all yielded a call for enhanced science education.

From SMET to STEM to STEAM

The call was answered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) which established guidelines for the teaching of science, math, engineering, and technology in grades K-12, introducing the acronym SMET. However, educators and policymakers found the term awkward and unappealing — even suggesting it sounded like “smut.” So, in 2001 the NSF officially rebranded the initiative STEM, and more recently STEAM, as “Art” was added.

Learning Through Play – Rise of “Edutainment”

The early twentieth century spawned three iconic toys promoting interest in engineering including the Erector Set (1913), Tinker Toys (1914), and Lincoln Logs (1916). The latter, invented by John Lloyd Wright, son of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, were among the first toys to be marketed to both boys and girls selling over one hundred million sets worldwide.

By the 1950’s plastics began to populate the toy chest expanding access to educational play, aka “edutainment.” This was brought home, both literally and figuratively, when my captivation over my first haircut led my father to a failed search for a toy-like barbershop kit. This set the stage for midwestern entrepreneurs and twin-brothers Al and Lou Stein (my father and uncle) to file patent and trademark application for “Hippity Hop Barber Shop,” a life-like six-piece plastic barber shop play kit.

In 1951, Hippity Hop debuted at the New York Toy Fair and was featured as an “Educational Toy for Children from Two to Twelve.” The red-white-and blue packaging boasted the toy’s “Durable, Pliable, Acetate Plastic” while stating “HARMLESS…WILL NOT CUT HAIR.”

Then Came the Bricks

In 1958, a relatively unknown maker of wooden toys from the town of Billund, Denmark patented and introduced modular plastic building blocks inspiring problem solving through construction.

Now, 1.1 trillion “bricks” later, LEGO is considered the most valuable toy brand on the planet while also becoming the leading STEAM product producer. It is estimated that between 20-30 percent of LEGO’s over $10 billion annual sales comes from educational products widely used in classrooms, competitions, and home learning.

STEAM Goes to School

STEAM kits began making their way into K–12 classrooms in the early 2000’s. But their widespread adoption accelerated around 2010–2015, driven by federal initiatives like Educate to Innovate (2009) and “Race to the Top” which encouraged schools to invest in STEAM resources.

Besides LEGO, companies like Sphero and Thames & Kosmos began tailoring products for classroom use. Next, makerspaces and project-based learning gained traction bringing STEAM toys into elementary schools.

In 2024 the market size for STEAM toys and kits was estimated to be $6 billion and is expected to more than double in a decade. The drivers behind this growth include smart STEAM kits using AI and machine learning, subscription models, and online retail.

With continued STEAM market maturation, category segmentation, and broad user age range it is difficult to predict which brands will become tomorrow’s leaders or laggards. That said, here’s an overview of the key product categories along with STEAM sector standouts:

• Early Childhood STEAM Toys – Monkey Balance, Design & Drill
• Building & Engineering Kits – LEGO Education, KEVA Planks, Magna-Tiles
• Robotics & Coding Toys – Sphero, Ozobot, Makeblock, ACEBOTT, VEX IQ
• Electronics & Circuitry Sets – Snap Circuits, Spero littleBits, Makey Makey
• Science Experiment Kits – Thames & Kosmos, National Geographic
• Game-Based Learning & Puzzles – Gravity Maze, Kanoodle,
• STEAM & Creative Tech – Pixicade game design, Chompsaw cardboard tools

From Global to Local

Besides the major players, STEAM toys, kits, and teaching methodologies have spawned countless smaller niche manufacturers worldwide. Yet, 70 to 80 percent of the world’s toys are still being manufactured in China, as China’s infrastructure and expertise make it the go-to hub for toy manufacturing.

Within China’s Guangdong Province, Shenzhen is known as the “maker’s dream city” housing over 5,000 toy factories — the largest such concentration in China. The city specializes in electronic toys, STEAM kits, plush toys, and custom collectibles, serving both domestic and global markets. Some began as “cottage industries” in homes selling to schools and school systems before gaining traction and developing wholesale distribution.

Educator First

I was recently introduced to one such Shenzhen based STEAM kit brand, ACEBOTT, which has a particularly fascinating backstory and one I found somewhat reminiscent of my own family’s “Hippity Hop” gambit, albeit from a more principled origin.

The journey into STEAM education for ACEBOTT founder and CEO Ring Huang began with deep personal motivation. As both a mother and an educator Ring Huang was frustrated by the lack of engaging, accessible tools to instruct her students about coding and technology. That frustration sparked a mission: to create hands-on kits that would make learning STEAM fun, intuitive, and empowering for kids everywhere.

Ring Huang launched ACEBOTT in 2013 with a vision of helping young learners explore the “Code Forest”—a metaphor for the vast adventurous world of coding and innovation. Under her leadership, ACEBOTT has grown into a global brand with strong presence in classrooms, maker spaces, and homes around the world.

ACEBOTT tout’s a curriculum-first approach, supported by the fact that their R&D team is comprised of engineers with strong STEAM education backgrounds. Ring Haung states “We design products from a teacher’s perspective, building around what students need to learn, not just what’s fun to build.” ACEBOTT offers three distinct product lines each targeting a specific audience:

• Educators – based around structured, progressive learning.
• Explorers – features story-based STEAM kits.
• Inventors – focused on advanced robotics and AI.

Their curriculum-focused education series offers a 6-year progressive STEAM system designed to align with real-world applications such as Smart Home, Transportation, and Factory, making it easy for schools to adopt.

I found ACEBOTT’s eco-friendly wooden materials used in their STEAM kits to be a refreshing brand differentiator. This is depicted in an online case study of a German elementary school using ACECode Blockly to explore key smart home systems in a beginner-friendly visual programming platform. ACEBOTT has a growing client base in Europe and is continuing to expand globally.

Specialty Toy Territory

STEAM brands and products are being sourced online, in big boxes stores like Walmart and Target, and through a vast network of specialty toy stores, worldwide. However, it’s my belief that independent specialty toy retailers are particularly well suited to prosper in the category given their emphasis on customer service and devotion to staff training. And ASTRA can become their North Star.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) focuses on independent toy retailers and specialty manufacturers and promotes creative play and educational toys. It also offers networking, trade shows, and advocacy. Additionally, Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment (WIT) supports women across the toy, licensing, and entertainment industries and offers mentorship, leadership development, and industry recognition.

Additionally, The Toy Association, founded in 1916 as the Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc., publishes detailed reports like “Decoding STEAM” to help manufacturers, educators, and parents understand and promote STEAM learning through play. This makes The Toy Association not just a general industry body, but a strategic ally for companies like ACEBOTT that are deeply invested in educational impact and hands-on learning.