Forget every dollhouse you’ve ever played with and meet Roominate, the original dollhouse building kit that is anything but the toy of your childhood. After all, how many dollhouses do you know feature wires and connectors so your kiddo can install working lights into tiny rooms? Read on as we break down brick by brick how Roominate lets your kids be the brains behind this toy-house operation.
The Toy for the Innovative Imagineers
Think of Roominate as advanced building blocks. Roominate blurs the line between toys and engineering by furthering your kids’ spatial skills and circuit knowledge. The “anything-goes” part of Roominate allows kids to solve their own problems, like figuring out how to make an elevator to carry their dolls (or cars) from the first floor to the second. Watch your kids’ confidence and imagination grow each time they’ve successfully accomplished their goal.
How To Build
Whether your kids start with a Basic or Deluxe set, Roominate is easy to play with. Pieces are stackable, attachable and customizable, so that kids can build to their hearts content and bring unique structures to life. Encourage him to push traditional boundaries by building a slanted roof (or no roof!). Watch her inner architect blossom as she designs a spiral staircase or makes an electric fan spin to cool the teeny house guests. Chairs, shelves, satellites, trains, merry-go-round and more — check out what other amazing things children have put together here.
For Girls, By Girls
Designed by Alice and Bettina, two female engineers out of Caltech, MIT and Stanford, Roominate aims to inspire the next generation of female techies and creators by introducing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts to kids during normal play time. This modern dollhouse lets your little ones tackle creating, playing and imagining beyond four walls. And, don’t let the bright colors and “doll-like” features stop your boys from participating since Roominate is not aimed at just one gender. In fact, the toy’s only real restriction is that it’s best for kids ages 6 and up.
Grow Your Collection
For starters, the Basic Roominate set ($29.99) comes with 4 wall/floor panels, 24 modular building pieces, 16 connectors, 20 sheets of colored paper, a motor, switch and a battery pack (AAA batteries not included).
If your kid is a big builder, you can add more modular pieces to their collection with the Design Engineer Pack ($14.99). Or if they enjoy the buzzing and flashing of lights, the Electrical Engineer Pack ($14.99) can give their “dollhouse” some airplane walkway lights! For the ones stuck in a creative rut, there’s even a Roominate Activity Guide ($19.99) to get those brain juices flowing again.
Online: roominatetoy.com
“Like” and share this if you’ve got a little builder in your family and then tell us what you think of Roominate in the comment section below.
— Christal Yuen
All photos courtesy of Roominate
