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The STEM fields need young, excited innovators, and Roominate is making sure that young girls are getting on board.

Roominate’s Cotton Candy Carnival, by Play Monster, is a great way to get girls interested in the sciences and have fun while they’re doing it. The colorful pieces make it easy for girls to assemble into anything they can imagine, from the builds outlined in the instructions to any fantastic structure they may think up on their own.

The Cotton Candy Carnival shows kids how to build a Ferris wheel, a chair swing, a carousel, and more. All three of these builds incorporate a motor, so each amusement park ride actually moves like the real thing. Kids not only have the opportunity to build something, but they also get to make it functional and feel the satisfaction of seeing it work. Instructions for the Ferris wheel, chair swing, and carousel are included, and other build ideas are available online.

The Ferris wheel is the most visually impressive build, since it’s the biggest and most colorful. Kids simply follow the instructions of which pieces snap into which, first building the wheel itself, then the base. While building the base, kids will assemble the motor that will eventually make the Ferris wheel functional. The motor assembly is safe and easy, with the pieces clicking together much like the rest of the kit does. Cotton Candy Carnival is designed for kids ages 8 and up, but they may need a little help from adult hands while assembling some of the trickier pieces.

The kit includes two dolls, Bettina and Jenna, who can sit comfortably in the Ferris wheel as it spins around. Each Roominate kit—including Emma’s Townhouse, Sophie’s Ice Cream Cart, and more—comes with different dolls and pets. Each doll comes with a personality profile, which features the character’s hobbies and favorite foods, as well as favorite scientists and career aspirations, so even the dolls encourage an interest in science and learning.

Roominate was founded by Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, two engineers who met while earning their Master’s degrees at Stanford. As two of the few women in their engineering program, they found that their interest in engineering had been born out of their love of toys. The two women created Roominate to inspire girls to maintain an interest in building, innovating, and learning about the STEM fields as they grow up.

Though its mission is to get girls interested in STEM, the Roominate Cotton Candy Carnival is great for any kid who loves to build and create. The kit is fun, engaging, and is sure to keep young minds interested in the sciences. Plus, it has the added bonus of a healthy dose of girl power.

About the author

Melanie Rainone

Melanie Rainone

Melanie Rainone is the editorial assistant at Toy Insider and Adventure Publishing Group. She can usually be found watching Star Trek: The Next Generation (she knows the opening monologue by heart) and she firmly believes that dessert is the most important meal of the day. 

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