Over the years, the production of toys develops and takes on new forms. In particular, the metal construction set, which was considered an absolute classic in Soviet times, has long been ousted from everyday life by the more colorful plastic Lego. Nevertheless, the production of metal constructors has experienced a second wave of popularity in recent years.
The fact is that manufacturers began to produce it in a wider range, and teachers figured out how to use such a solution for labor lessons. Moreover, their decision in many respects looks reasonable.
Features:
It would seem that high-quality plastic is better on either side - it is brighter, more convenient, lighter, and non-toxic, and in terms of injuries it is much safer than metal parts. Nevertheless, from a pedagogical point of view, it is a metal set that develops a child better, and there are several reasons for this.
- For all other types of constructors, parts are usually produced in a narrow focus - they perfectly simulate what they should simulate in a given assembly, but because of this they are difficult to apply in any other set. Metal construction sets usually consist of fairly versatile parts, and although the instructions probably suggest assembling a specific game model, with a lot of parts and good imagination, literally anything can be created.
- Metal constructor assembled according to a more complex scheme: there are no grooves that simply fit into each other. Each part has to be screwed to the other with screws, nuts and a wrench - everything you need, of course, is supplied in the kit. At the same time, completing a more complex task develops the child much more actively, because after this he will be ready to solve even many adult tasks.
- Contrary to popular belief, a metal construction set is not exclusively the prerogative of boys - girls can use it with success. The secret lies precisely in the versatility of the parts, which allows you to assemble products even from a girl's circle of interests.
- Modern manufacturers produce a variety of sets of metal constructors, thanks to which you can find a model suitable for a child of any age - from a toddler 5 years old to a teenager.
Benefit
Adults perceive any construction set primarily as a toy, but it would be more correct to call it a logical task, and quite difficult given the average age of the children who use it.
The kits are available for different age groups, but it would still be wrong to purchase such a gift for a 3-year-old baby - he simply won't cope with the assembly.
As a rule, the average age at which metal constructors begin to be used is 5-7 years. Such sets are especially common at school age.
Although the qualities listed below are considered to be on the rise in young children, even when they go to school, metal the designer is able to strongly develop them in a child, since it has high complexity.
- Hand motor develops in a slightly different way than before. If before that success was considered the ability to confidently hold objects in the hands, carefully place them or throw them accurately, now it is necessary to perform complex operations with bolts and nuts.
- Focus and Mindfulness are also reaching a new level. Any other educational toys for young children are supposed to be completed within 1-2 minutes, however, a metal structure with bolts cannot be assembled so quickly. Moreover, even before starting the assembly, you need to think over exactly how the process will take place and what details will be needed for this, and this is a serious logical task.
- Creative inclinations and systematic thinking for the first time in their lives they experience a load of such a level, and even a new challenge appears - the need to think technically. Before that, any developmental games only imitated adult activity in some of its smallest manifestations, while the assembly of a metal structure is already a real adult occupation, because it is possible that a grown child will do this professionally.
- In addition, the completion of any complex task forces distract from problems and relieve stress, not to mention the fact that achieving this goal can significantly increase self-esteem.
Features of the choice of sets for a school labor lesson
The wide variety of models on the market can be confusing for the inexperienced buyer. The main task of a typical school constructor is the step-by-step development of the child, therefore those kits for which instructions allow the assembly of numerous models (normally from 4 to 9), which are sorted by difficulty level, are very popular, allowing the child to gradually lead the child from performing simple tasks to the most complicated.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to important details that contribute to making the right choice.
- In a school environment, the kit will be constantly used passing through many hands, so it is important to pay attention to the method of protection against corrosion: blued metal parts turn out to be much better instead of traditional galvanized ones.
- Many serious manufacturers of building blocks for lessons develop their own website, which contains many more diagrams of assembled models compared to those included in the assembly instructions.
A narrowly oriented set of parts, for all its beauty, is not suitable for learning: it does not ensure the full development of a child.
In some cases, you just need to trust a manufacturer that has proven itself thanks to quality products. Among the Russian brands, it is worth highlighting the Tenth Kingdom, which has a whole series of constructors called School, and imported sets also deserve respect. The quality of Chinese products is often as low as the price, although the opposite is not excluded.
Of course, you should also focus on the recommendations of the teachers, because they will certainly advise a specific set that is well suited to the needs of the school curriculum.
You can see an overview of metal constructors in the next video.
