An academic has pioneered a Science Toy Award to highlight how play and recreation can impact future career choices of young children.

Christmas may seem like a distant memory, but gift choices for children might have an impact on their later career choices. That's the thinking behind a new gender-neutral STEM Toy initiative pioneered by Imperial researchers. 

"Although not explicitly stated, when we step inside a toy store the separation of products aimed at boys, and those aimed at girls, is all but apparent," said Dr Andrea Alenda Gonzalez, a former research fellow at the Centre for Bioinspired Technology at the College.

"The pink items are always separate from the items without pink, and when trying to find the products related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, they’re more often than not regarded as suitable 'for boys and not for girls'." 

This gender biasing in STEM toys is reflected in the reality that only 13% of STEM professionals in the UK are women. With the understanding that a child’s interests are a product of their environment, Dr Alenda has pioneered the Science Toy Award. The Science Toy Award aims to highlight how influential environment can be on the motivations, interests and future career choices of young children. 

Some of the Science Toy Award team, L-R: Dr Sara Ghoreishizadeh, Dr Yolanda Sánchez Vicente, Esther Perea (behind), Dr Andrea Alenda (in front), Dr Martina Wicklein.

Dr Alenda said: "A scientist or an engineer are a product of an environment where certain interests have been nurtured. Nobody is born a scientist or an engineer". 

The organisers, many of which are from Imperial College, hope that encouraging gender-neutral and accessible STEM toys through the awards will increase their presence in the market. Ultimately, they hope that this will reduce the gender biasing and lack of diversity in the professional STEM sector in the future. 

The award praises those manufacturers that promote curiosity and encourage exploration in STEM through inclusive, open-ended, gender-neutral toys, suitable for primary aged children. Toy manufacturers from across the world competed for the award back in November, with the finalists taken into five diverse primary schools across London to give children the chance to play with the toys and vote for their favourite. 

The winner of the 2016 award was ‘Code Master’ – a programming logic game that does not require a computer. Finalists included ‘Maker Studio’, an engineering game encouraging the use of recycled materials, and ‘Number Rumbler’, a card number game that encourages arithmetic through play. Among other retailers, the winning and finalist toys can now be purchased in the Science Museum shop. 

Competition winner CodeMaster and finalist Maker Studio

The award is supported and funded by several institutions, including Imperial College London, the Science Museum, The Institute of Physics, the Society of Spanish Researchers in the UK (SRUK), and the charity, Let Toys be Toys. For the 2017 award, Imperial College London plans to take a more leading role, developing the awards further by collaborating with outreach at the college. 

If you would like to find out more about the Science Toy Award, you can meet the team at the Science Museum Lates on January 25^th, 6:45pm-10pm. Alternatively visit https://sciencetoyaward.org/contact-us/ or email sciencetoyaward@gmail.com.