GoldieBlox facts for kids

GoldieBlox toys are designed to inspire girls to build and create.

GoldieBlox is an American toy company. It creates fun, interactive toys especially for girls. These toys are designed to help girls learn about building and engineering.

The company started in 2012. It began with a special building kit and a storybook. GoldieBlox first launched its idea on Kickstarter, a website where people can help fund new projects. Their campaign was very successful. They received over $1 million in early orders in just one month!

GoldieBlox toys were sold in big stores like Toys "R" Us and Amazon. Over time, the company changed its focus. They now create crafting kits for girls instead of the original building sets.

Debbie Sterling, an engineer from Stanford, founded GoldieBlox. She is also an entrepreneur, which means she starts and runs businesses. The company is located in Los Angeles, California.

How GoldieBlox Started

While studying at Stanford, Debbie Sterling noticed something important. Only about 11% of engineers in the United States were women. She wanted to understand why.

Debbie learned that girls often start losing interest in math and science around age 8. She spent two years studying how children develop. She also looked at how toys are marketed to boys and girls.

Debbie found that girls are often very good at reading and writing. So, she had a clever idea! She decided to combine stories with building kits. This led to GoldieBlox. The toys feature Goldie, a girl inventor who loves to build things.

Funding the First Toys

To make her first toys, Debbie Sterling started a Kickstarter campaign in 2012. She hoped to raise $150,000. Amazingly, she reached this goal in only four days! By the end of the campaign, GoldieBlox had raised $285,881 from 5,519 supporters. This money helped her produce the first GoldieBlox toys.

GoldieBlox Products and Apps

GoldieBlox toys are made for children aged 4 to 9. They teach engineering ideas through fun stories and building activities. Each toy set introduces new characters and concepts. There were six different sets in the original series.

Digital Fun with GoldieBlox

In 2014, GoldieBlox started making digital content. Their first mobile app was called "GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine." It came out in October 2014. This app also featured the company's first animated cartoon. Apple even named it one of the Best Apps of 2014!

GoldieBlox also created "Bloxtown." This is a digital playground where kids can find original videos. These videos show new design ideas that kids can watch and build at home.

GoldieBlox Videos

GoldieBlox created several popular videos to share their message. These videos often featured girls building amazing things.

The "Princess Machine" Video

In November 2013, GoldieBlox released a video on YouTube called "Princess Machine." It showed three young girls building a complex machine. This machine was a type of Rube Goldberg machine, which uses a chain reaction to do a simple task.

The video used a parody version of the Beastie Boys song "Girls". A parody means it changed the original song's words to make a new, funny message. The Beastie Boys were not happy that their song was used without permission.

GoldieBlox explained that they used the song as a parody. They wanted to comment on the original song and encourage girls to use their minds. The Beastie Boys said they supported GoldieBlox's mission. However, they had a rule: their music should not be used in product ads. One of the band members, Adam Yauch, had even made this wish clear.

Eventually, GoldieBlox took down the video. They said they wanted to respect the band's wishes. A settlement was reached later. GoldieBlox agreed to pay a percentage of its earnings to a charity chosen by the Beastie Boys. This charity would support science, technology, engineering, and math education for girls.

Brain on Engineering Video

In April 2014, GoldieBlox launched another YouTube video. It was called "This is Your Brain on Engineering (GoldieBlox Easter PSA)." This video showed the difference between a young girl's brain "on princess" versus her brain "on engineering." It highlighted the importance of thinking and building.

Big Sister Machine Video

"GoldieBlox vs. the Big Sister Machine" came out on YouTube in November 2014. This video focused on the need for strong female role models. It showed how a "Big Sister" tried to make young girls focus only on beauty. But a "Little Sister," inspired by Goldie, rebelled. She led the girls to a world of creativity and possibilities. The video featured the song "Help I'm Alive" by Metric.

Lightning Strikes Music Video

In December 2014, GoldieBlox released its first original song and animated music video, "Lightning Strikes." Emily Haines, the lead singer of Metric, wrote and performed the song. The video showed Goldie, a strong female character. She has a great idea and works hard to achieve it, even when facing challenges.

GoldieBlox Advertisements

GoldieBlox also made a big splash with its advertisements.

Super Bowl Commercial

In February 2014, GoldieBlox won a contest held by Intuit. The prize was a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl XLVIII broadcast. This was a huge deal because Super Bowl ads are very expensive, costing millions of dollars.

GoldieBlox became the first small business to have an ad during the Super Bowl. The commercial used a parody of the Slade/Quiet Riot song "... On Feel the Noize". The words were changed to "Come On Bring the Toys." The ad showed many little girls leaving their pink toys behind. They sang, "More than pink, pink, pink, we want to think," and "girls build like all the boys." This ad sent a powerful message about encouraging girls in engineering.

Images for kids

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  GoldieBlox toys are designed to inspire girls to build and create.