Cogs Toys and Games founder urges parents to ignite children’s passion for science this Christmas

Cogs Toys and Games, Ireland’s top independent toy retailer, is today urging parents to ignite their children’s passion for science and engineering this Christmas following the opening of its new pop-up shop on Dublin’s Grafton Street.

Specialising in products designed to boost brain development in children and maintain mental acuity in adults, Cogs Toys and Games (formerly Cogs The Brain Shop) has been a fixture in St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre in Dublin since it was set up by siblings Conor Brady and Ruth Roberts in 2013.

The company marked its 10th anniversary with the opening its new pop-up premises on Grafton Street in October this year.

Cogs Toys and Games stocks a wide range of family board games, brain teasers, puzzles, jigsaws, strategy, and STEM games, as well as products specifically for children with additional needs, including sensory toys for children with autism, reading games for children with dyslexia, and fidget toys for those with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Founder of Cogs Toys and Games Ruth Roberts is calling on parents to instil a burgeoning love of science and engineering in their children this Christmas with the gift of one of the company’s many STEM toys and games.

She says: “As an experienced primary school teacher with a master’s degree in educational studies and a diploma in special education, and as a mother of two boys, I know the benefits of learning through play. 

“All the toys and games we sell online or in-store at our Grafton Street pop-up shop are specifically selected to aid brain development. Indeed, the effectiveness of every product we sell at stimulating the brain is measured before they go on our shelves. This has helped us create one of the best collections of STEM toys and games in Ireland. 

“Christmas is the perfect time to ignite a child’s passion for science and engineering with the gift of one of our STEM toys and games. Visitors to our Grafton Street store will find staff on hand to demonstrate any one of these products, as well as our Irish-made and designed range, and a whole series of products specifically for children with additional needs, such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.”

Some of the most popular STEM toys include Snap Circuits, a multi-award-winning range of toys from Elenco which teach children the basics of electronics.

Aimed at children aged eight to 15, Snap Circuits has a lot of different kits in a range of prices which offer hands-on experience designing and building models of working electrical circuits using a collection of different components. The range includes models for building a remote-controlled car, a flying saucer, a motion detector, and arcade games. Snap Circuits Green Energy, meanwhile, helps kids understand the concept of clean energy through the construction of windmills and electric cars. See Snap Circuits games here 

Another popular choice this year is The Keva Maker Bot Maze, an engineering tool which allows children to build mazes through which their own motorised robot must pass. The game encourages children to use their creativity, imagination and resourcefulness to make tunnels, bridges, pathways and obstacles from planks and connectors. See the Keva Maker Bot Maze here

A charity gift-wrapping service will be operating at the back of the Grafton Street pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas with all proceeds going towards Hugh’s House, a charity that provides family accommodation to parents of sick children in Temple Street, Holles Street, The Coombe and Rotunda Hospitals.

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