About Twickto Education
The entire story of Twickto started off very small
A father’s dream and his son’s ambition
We start in the year of 1995. Gert-Jan de Wilde is looking for construction toys for his two young sons. “I wanted something symmetrical, something that you can connect other things to from all sides”. Gert-Jan turns to his drawing board and designs the toys that have now become Twickto. For 20 years, the idea remains locked up in the vault. Until 2015. The idea is revived by Gert-Jan’s son, Robin de Wilde. “This idea is too good to let it go to waste. To be able to let children play and create incredible structures through their own insight. It sets a great challenge for the future for me personally.”
Do consider the children’s desires and wishes
Twickto has gone through extensive testing by the experts: children from the age of 4. Guided by a professional research institution, we have organised a series of panel surveys at primary schools and in the homes of families in the Netherlands. Conclusion: the feedback on Twickto from all children ranged from positive to very positive. They immediately start building, both boys and girls. They can quickly build large designs and they can build one structure collectively. The educational benefits are therefore evident: it stimulates the fine motor skills, creativity, spatial awareness and the development of social skills.
For teachers
Working in groups offers the possibility to make use of the latest insights on working with the STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The students then work together as a team of engineers/designers who collectively think about a solution for a problem based on preliminary examination. This could include creating a budget, if certain numerical amounts are linked to the objects used, and adjusted to the child’s maths level. The tasks are distributed and discussed within the team and are to be presented to the class. Fun and educational.
Dutch inventions are produced in the Netherlands
Twickto has partially been inspired by children and parents. Finally a colourful collection has been developed that has been entirely produced in the Netherlands. We want to offer safe and reliable construction toys that will last the children for years. The possibilities of Twickto are creatively limitless and are guaranteed to bring a lot of joy. Of that we are convinced.
The symmetry brings out the magic
We call Twickto’s colourful construction blocks Bricks. You can connect Bricks by using connection pieces we call Twicks. You connect the Bricks to the Twicks by twisting and clicking them in. For some constructions you need a key to be able to keep building. This we call the TwickTool. Twicks, Bricks and the TwickTool: that is all you need. You can build anything you can think of. And the best thing is: with Twickto, you can build in all directions.
Twickto-ing by hand or by using a key
The basic components are the pieces consisting of one, three or five cubes and the connection pieces. With the help of the key (TwickTool) they can be connected with one click. The straight side of the TwickTool can be used when only little force is required. More force can be applied when using the curved side. With this you can directly demonstrate the principle of leverage. Ask the students for more examples of levers (crowbar, spade, opening a paint tin with a screwdriver, etc.) or point them out. Then draw the conclusion that levers supply more strength or enable you to apply more force.
Additional components for an even better experience
The axles and wheels offer access to a whole world of possibilities in the field of motion and transport. Further supplied with a steering wheel, rotor blades and propellers, the child’s fantasy can be triggered even more. You can build whatever you can think of. Together or alone.
Core objectives in education
The special components offer access to a whole world of possibilities in the field of motion and transport. The shafts, wheels, propellers, screw and steering wheel form the basis of many vehicles and stimulate the creativity of children. Terms such as, among others, structures, materials, transport and connections are dealt with in detail under the learning objectives for engineering, as well as making calculations using units, two and three dimensions and other aspects of mathematics. Those topics are followed by others such as spatial imagination. This connects to various learning objectives in Primary education for mathematics and engineering.
Twickto summarised
Playing is important for the development of children.
By playing with Twickto they develop their motor skills, stimulate their fantasy and learn to collaborate with other children. With Twickto, children can design how they experience their world and develop their talents in a playful way.
Twickto stands for excellent design, quality and durability.
In 2017, Twickto has been honoured with the predicate
Good Industrial Design and in 2018 with an iF Gold Award and has been nominated for the toy of the year.
