Goal: $150,000
Funding Period: Until May 2, 2015
Creator: Erica Sobieralski
Caitlin Credible is one former math teacher’s solution to the lack of interactive and imaginative math toys in the toy space. The concept of Caitlin Credible, a character to help children develop math and problem solving skills through interactive play sets, is designed to be a STEM toy focused on math that erases the negative way young kids perceive math.
In the first play set in the line, Caitlin Credible and the Picnic Puzzle, Caitlin and her brother Collin gain a deeper understanding of the concept of area in a fun adventure. In the story, Caitlin is preparing for her soccer team’s party, she and her brother are challenged to figure out which picnic table has the biggest area. After trying several ideas, they discover a solution that uses placemats to cover the tables. In addition to geometric area, the Picnic Puzzle set focuses on topics including comparison, estimation, pattern recognition, and the area model of multiplication in a true-to-life simulated situation.
As Caitlin and Collin encounter problems, like those kids and families encounter every day, they must come up with clever solutions to work them out. They don’t figure it out on the first try, and they work through different ideas until they come up with one that works. Caitlin and Collin were designed to be role models for kids, teaching them perseverance to overcome their obstacles. To help kids connect to the characters even further, a Spark Links wristband is available, which are child-sized versions of what Caitlin and Collin wear.
The set includes the picnic puzzle storybook, Caitlin and Collin character figures, three picnic tables, 64 color tiles, food and drink accessories, and a drawstring pouch. The companion website CaitlinCredible.com uses an online learning lab for children to further explore math topics with games and downloadable materials.
Kickstarter donations range from $2 to $10,000 and prizes include a wristband, a T-shirt, a picnic puzzle play set, a storybook, character figures, a classroom set, the opportunity to name a character in one of the next stories, and more!
Click here to support Caitlin Credible!
