Coding Girls Challenge with Primo Toys #Codinggirls

As it was Women’s International Day yesterday, it only seemed fitting to take on the challenge set by Primo Toys ,the educational Toy company (who create the fantastic Cubetto playsets) and I knew that my three year W – three going on thirteen – would be perfect for the challenge.

Did you know…only 24% of UK STEM jobs are held by women?  Its statistics like this that make me ,and no doubt others feel frustration that us women and our younger generations are still facing a gender battle when it comes to the workforce.  Primo Toys are currently embracing gender equality and promoting to narrow the gap between women and men’s job opportunities.   Why are there more men astronauts?  Engineers?  Electricians and plumbers?   Lets show our female younger generation that they can achieve anything they set their minds to and should never feel less empowered because of their gender.  Primo Toys are supporting closing this workforce gap with the  offer of their fantastic resources.

Cubetto Playsets are all about teaching coding without the use of a screen, still keeping the activity engaging, fun and exciting!  I was asked by Primo Toys to interview my daughter about whats its like being a girl and what she thought about some off the STEM activities we have taken part in.  As she is only three (nearly four!), I know that I would  need to be inventive in how I got around asking her these questions.  Sitting her down and asking her would just not cut it.  So instead, I involved two of her favourite people, Woody and Jessie of course!

Woody and Jessie took part in our #codinggirls challenge

Woody and Jessie asking the questions set by Primo Toys

Q1. What do you enjoy about being a girl? I like to look pretty and dance!

Q2. Have you ever been told you can’t do anything because you are a girl? Huh?  Why? No!

Q3.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  A police officer (I think she would be perfect for this role by the way!)

Q4. What or who inspires you the most?  A character or a person or someone off the TV?  Vamperina as she can fly and I would love to fly! (I told you there is high hopes for W!)

Q5. What do you know about computer programming/coding? I don’t know but my Mommy and Daddy have a computer and iPads!

Q6. What activity did you enjoy the most out of the STEM activities in our guide and why?  I loved Simon Says and playing with the counters.  I loved Simon Says as its fun to jump about!

We took part in several activities from the STEM guide-book Primo Toys provided and W adored the Simon Says game.  It took her a while to get to grips with it but the outrageous  the task the better and she enjoyed taking it turns.  At one point the whole family were taking part!

W jumping up and down to Simon Says game in her Snow White outfit…obvs

Trying to catch a balloon during our game of Simon Says

We also played a game of Connect 4 which I thought would be a great way of W copying patterns.  She found this a pretty easy task and enjoyed using the counters and taking it in turns to make a pattern and then copy it using the blue and the yellow counters.

Using Connect 4 as a way to learn about coding #codinggirls for Primo Toys

Thank you to Primo Toys for letting us take part in your Coding Girls challenge, W and I had lots of fun and it was inspiring to know that there are many ways you learn about coding without the use of a screen.  It was also a great opportunity to learn from W about what she thinks its like to be a girl and what she would like to be when she grows up.  Despite being 3, I think she’s already showing signs of being successful!

I think it’s so important for girls to be able to feel they can achieve anything they want in life and I thank Primo Toys for supporting this, giving the girls the power and confidence to aspire to jobs in the science, technology, engineering and maths sector.  Girls Rock!