What do you want to be when you grow up? Sooner or later, all children hear this fateful question. Some already have clear ideas and a ready answer: the sports champion or the dancer, the astronaut or the engineer, the doctor or the inventor, the veterinarian or the teacher, the archaeologist or the scientist, the policeman or the firefighter…

Perhaps these infant dreams will materialize, or they will end up being replaced by others: this is not so important now. What matters is to allow our kids to dream and experiment with situations, roles, and professions in a safe and supporting environment. We know how much children like to imitate grown-ups. And we also know how important it is for them to practice roleplay and pretend play. Immersing themselves in imaginary situations and living them for fun allows them to exercise linguistic, emotional, and social skills. Roleplay can happen in individual or group situations, even better if using toys designed to stimulate their imagination and nurture their aspirations.

Here, then, Christmas can become the right occasion to open the doors of an extraordinary world before the eyes of our little ones. Science and technique, astronomy and engineering, music, and cooking are just some examples of the suggestions we can offer. Among the Hape proposals for Christmas 2020, you will find toys capable of entertaining and stimulating children. Today we present two great lines designed for kids aged four and up from the Roleplay and STEAM categories. With our gift ideas, you will bring lots of creativity, fun, and ingenuity under the tree. And it will be a fun, creative, brilliant Christmas!

When I grow up I want to be a firefighter

They are strong and courageous, make quick decisions, teach safety rules, solve complicated situations. Not only do they put out fires, but they save animals and people, protect nature, and wear a fine uniform: all these reasons make firefighters everyday heroes. No wonder many children want to grow up to be like them.

From the red-walled stations to their impressive tools, many aspects of the life of firefighters fascinate children. Plus, they have efficient means of transport to intervene quickly in an emergency, and a smart Dalmatian dog live with them at the headquarters: what more could a child want? Now, imagine all this in a toy version: a blazing (only in a metaphorical sense) fire station to make your children happy at Christmas. Hape City Fire Station will help them explore the fabulous world of dream professions.

Live the adventures of firefighters at the City Fire Station

The Hape Fire Station allows staging the many adventures our beloved metropolitan heroes live everyday. Thanks to this toy, kids will discover their significant work and their lives dedicated to others. With its overall height of almost half a meter and width of 60 cm, the Fire Station makes a great gift. It will leave speechless with happiness any child lucky enough to receive it at Christmas. The two-story wooden structure faithfully reproduces the main rooms of a real fire station, complete with a flag on the roof. And the characters? From the uniform with a helmet to the protective boots, every detail is accurate and realistic.

On the first floor of the station, there is a recreation and training area. Here, the firefighters can recharge themselves when they are out of service. And in case of emergency? No problem: as soon as the alarm bell starts ringing and the siren flashes, our heroes will take the pole and rush to the ground floor of the headquarters. Here, we find the office with city maps, archives, and computers to coordinate the interventions. And next to it, in the garage, the real wonder of this game: the red fire truck. With the hydrant and the lifting crane, your children will put out many imaginary fires and save kittens trapped in the trees. For even faster and more impactful interventions, the fire brigade helicopter is always ready to go on the roof.

Imagine being an astronaut with the Four-Stage Rocket Ship

Speaking of dream jobs, what kid doesn’t want to be an astronaut? Exploring space and its fascinating mysteries becomes a game to play alone or with friends thanks to Hape’s Four-Stage Rocket Ship. This toy is so rich in detail and full of activities that your children will play for hours like under a spell. As the name suggests, the rocket has four floors, each dedicated to different activities. From satellite dishes to fathom the mysteries of the universe to probes and equipment for estimates and explorations, nothing is missing here. We have winches and lifting hooks to carry materials to the laboratory, solar batteries, explorer rover, and first aid kits. These are just some of the many details that make this game super exciting and realistic. And let’s not forget the funny characters: an astronaut, a cute green alien, a robot, and a plant to find out if life can grow on other planets.

But, if astronauts can leave the earth and experience incredible adventures in outer space, it is also thanks to the work scientists and engineers do on this planet. With their brilliant inventiveness, insatiable curiosity, and endless resources, scientists and engineers have always been at the forefront of human progress. The Junior Inventor line aims precisely at stimulating curious kids who like to understand how things work. Sometimes a simple gift like the Workbench is enough to ignite a curiosity that can last a lifetime. The system for young engineers and budding scientists includes toys that fall into different price ranges, such as workbenches, tool belts, and experiment kits.

HAPE STEAM: When I grow up I want to be an inventor, a scientist, an engineer…

The desire to understand, experiment, and build arises early in our children. If you want to ignite this innate curiosity, you can take advantage of Christmas and chose an educational toy. The STEAM line is rich with brilliant ideas. Let’s start with the innovative Junior Inventor system that aims to stimulate logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Children can understand how things work through play: they approach the world of science and engineering by experimenting and building objects. The Deluxe Scientific Workbench is the flagship of the Junior Inventor line and the STEAM systems, and definitely one of the best gifts ever for children aged four and up.

Explore the world of science and technology with the Scientific Workbenches

The line dedicated to budding inventors includes a series of independent products all compatible with each other. Among these, the Deluxe Scientific Workbench for children aged four and up is the most complete. This station includes 79 pieces of components and tools designed for the hands and skills of children. A real workbench at child height to become familiar with the principles of physics and mechanics.

Starting from the first 15 suggested experiments, children begin to learn the basics of physical principles. At first, they can play following the instructions and then have fun experimenting freely. With the Deluxe Scientific Workbench, your children will be able to build various fascinating devices such as the zoetrope and the wind machine, the mechanical digger and lifting winch, the rotating lights, and many others. They will be able to discover the principles of dynamics, kinetics, mechanics, optics, and gravity, approaching complex concepts with simplicity.

The Discovery Scientific Workbench is a compact kit equipped with everything you need to ignite the curiosity of your little inventors. It includes 58 tools, screws, bolts, joints, and all the pieces necessary to perform over ten different experiments. The Medium Bench presents the physical principles of force, the lever, and the pulley transmission system.

The new generation of marbles: Quadrilla Cliffhanger and Super Spirals

The Quadrilla line offers yet another point of view on STEAM principles, helping to develop logical thinking, spatial awareness, and understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. Research shows that the track system on which the marbles of the line run has many elements in common with computer programming. None other than Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawings inspired this German-made game. In essence, it is a track for marbles with rails for horizontal assembling, able to transfer gravitational potential to kinetic energy.

The Quadrilla line includes many compatible marble tracks: each one features a unique combination of spirals and runs, turns and slides, swirls and swings that will make the marbles go in every direction for maximum fun. With its three external channels, the Cliffhanger model allows the marbles to run around and outside the colored blocks as they descend to the base. Its colorful and fun appearance and the thousands of evolutions made by the marbles during their descent are designed to leave young and old with bated breath.

Even more sophisticated, the Super Spirals system offers double the rotation time thanks to the double-sided spiral track. In addition to the double-sided spiral twists, this new-generation marvel track features a knob, colored swings, and control block. The toy offers endless possibilities to change the direction of the balls and reconfigure the layout to make every play session unique and exciting. As with all of Hape’s STEAM construction sets, the Quadrilla system also allows endless expansion and infinite combinations to enhance your child’s play experience.