Make a splash introducing the engineering concept of a hinge to your 4-9-year-old with the new GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank set. This toy includes a lively, rhyming story about Goldie and her dog, Nacho; a diagram showing how to build the dunk tank; and the pieces needed to build the tank, as well as a rubber ball and Nacho figurine, which displaces a satisfying amount of water when the dog cannonballs into the “tank” (a cup of water). (You supply the cup of water — and towels to mop up the action!)
Debbie Sterling’s story features Goldie and her dirty dog. After several attempts to get Nacho “squeaky clean and smelling like flowers,” Goldie comes up with the perfect cleaning contraption — a dunk tank. With the colorful, carnival-themed printed materials, kids learn about hinges and axles while creating the dunking tower from wheels, blocks, and long and short axles. (There are also two additional diagrams to re-use the pieces: “Nacho Earhart,” an airplane for Nacho, and the Cheddar Chopper, a helicopter for the precocious pooch.)
The dunk tank is an engaging, fun toy that combines just the right amount of mess conveying its important, educational message.
GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank, $19.99, www.target.com.
