Evaluation
To evaluate how the Bear Buildz approach worked for families with preschool children, we enrolled 75 parent-child pairs in an evaluation study. All families got 5 Bear Buildz activity kits mailed to their homes over a period of 10 weeks, but the contents varied:
Guided Play:
50 families were assigned randomly (by lottery) to try out the Bear Buildz guided play activity kits. Each kit came in a box with 4 labelled bags (steps 1 – 4) holding materials and tips for each step in the guided play process.
Build Only:
25 families were assigned randomly (by lottery) to get basic kits that contained the Bear Buildz building pieces but without the extra guided play materials or tips. Each basic kit came in a box with 1 bag holding the building pieces and a cover letter with a picture of the building to make.
Parents responded to text messages each week to report how much they used the kit during the week. They were interviewed at the end of the program to get their evaluation of the program and their feedback. Parent-child pairs were observed doing a novel building project together to see if the guided play experience enhanced parent skills at supporting STEM learning during play.
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Impact
To determine whether the Guided Play kits had positive effects on parent-child play and learning, we compared the responses of families who got the Guided Play kits with the families who got the Build Only kits. Findings showed:
On average, families used the kits 1-2 times each week at the start of the program. By the last week, families who got the basic Build Only kits reduced use to 1 time a week. In contrast, families who got the Guided Play kits kept up a high rate of use throughout the program.
Parents who got the basic Build Only kits rated the program very positively. However, parents who got the Guided Play kits rated the program even more positively.
Among parents with less formal education (e.g., those who did not have a college degree), parents who got the Guided Play kits showed gains in their support for child STEM skill learning during parent-child building activities that were observed after the end of the program.
Parent Comments about the Guided Play Kits
“He used it at least 6 different times. He loves getting a new box!”
“We have created a village on our living room floor of all our Bear Buildz buildings.”
“We loved it! The whole family has been racing cars down the ramps.”
“My daughter is suprising me with how she thinks outside the box and tries to solve the problem in different ways!”
“We like to do something with the building almost every day. Can’t wait to get the next box!”
“She loves the Bear Family and can’t wait for the next packet!”
“He started building with it last evening. He got a little frustrated with the pieces and getting them together, so we talked about it and I helped him try other ways. He used the bears to go down the slides.”
Publications
Under Construction