After all, who among us under age 12 would refuse a new toy in the mail each month? But as a product editor quoted in the RD article makes clear, it can be hard to tell if retailers are offering truly educational, engaging STEM toys or just trying to capitalize on the trend of STEM: “Amazon is actually late to the game," Jennifer Stein said. Subscriptions services are a great way to build curiosity and interest in STEM for kids who might not otherwise be interested. The idea is simple: Parents pay a flat rate per month, and their children receive a different STEM toy or kit each month. A recent piece in Retail Dive makes clear that several other large companies, including Walmart and Target, also offer STEM subscription services. Amazon’s STEM Toy Club, which launched in 2017, is perhaps the most visible major company to offer such an option, but the e-commerce juggernaut is not the only retailer that's gotten involved with STEM toys. One trend that clearly stands out in the toy market: subscription services. STEM Toys Can Help All Students, But Are All STEM Toys Helpful? According to data from a research firm on the toy industry, “Sales of building sets rose 22% from 2011 to 2012, from $1.63 billion to $1.99 billion sales of scientific toys and educational toys, while a tiny fraction of overall toy sales, grew as well, by 17% and 25%, respectively.” As the New Yorker reported back in 2013, the industry was already welcoming an increase in STEM-related toys for almost a decade. STEM toys have actually been around for several years now.
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