According to Allison Tsomos, Vice President of Operations at Celebree School, “STEM objectives include teaching skills to solve problems, learning to gather information, and developing deductive reasoning through evaluating evidence to make decisions. STEM is most often introduced to students through guided investigations and hands-on learning opportunities." STEM toys will incorporate learning science, technology, engineering, and math concepts into age-appropriate play. Creating fun ways for children to engage with STEM learning through play allows them to connect learned concepts to real-world applications. In addition to being educational, the best STEM toys are also just fun for kids to play with and can be quite entertaining and encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. After speaking with experts like Tsomos, we carefully considered toy safety, age recommendations, design, ease of use, and value when reviewing products. Here are the best STEM toys for kids that tick all of the boxes. If five games aren’t enough for your child, there are options to increase to seven or opt for the “monster bundle” which includes more games and accessories. For younger kids, the Little Genius Starter Kit is designed for preschoolers and offers similar games and accessories. One important thing to note is that this kit comes with everything your child needs to play the games except for an iPad, which is required. The set includes a wand and associating parts, a step-by-step guide book, stickers, a poster, and access to the Kano app which powers this toy. Kids will need to have access to a tablet or computer in order to play with this toy. All they have to do is draw the picture, take a photo of it, and then animate it on a phone or tablet. It’s made for kids 6 years old and up and is especially great for beginners who are eager to learn more about game development. One important note, kids will need access to a tablet or phone in order to play this game. You may need to provide some initial instructions to introduce young ones to circuitry basics to get them up and running. Once your kids complete all of the 100-plus experiments in the supplied manual, they’re free to use their creativity to make their own designs. If your child loves it, you can expand this set with one of the several upgrade kits. Our tester loved how this toy was organized and took up minimal space. The packaging is sturdy and useful for keeping all the pieces together, making setup and cleanup a breeze. The tester also appreciated the educational value that far outweighs the reasonable price of this toy. However, this kit requires batteries (which aren’t included) and comes with many small pieces, which may be hazardous. The set includes 12 pre-cut butterfly wings and supplies, markers, and a display stand, so kids will have everything they need to get started. While they design each butterfly, they’ll even learn about capillary action, making the set both fun and educational. There are endless opportunities for creativity and building, no matter the child’s age or skill level, according to our tester. They noted how kids can get an introduction to engineering while having fun and remaining engaged. Beef up the gadget with the additional visual programming simply by downloading a free corresponding app called Ozoblocky. This allows the robot to grow with your child from a beginner coder to more advanced activities.
What to Look For When Buying STEM Toys
Type of STEM Toy
There is no shortage of great STEM toys that fall into multiple categories, which is great for kids with a general interest in all things science, technology, engineering, and math. However, some kids will have more individualized interests so it’s worth taking the time to ensure you’re getting the right toy for your child. “There are […] toys that are crafted for a particular skill development, like coding,” says Allison Tsomos, Vice President of Operations at Celebree School, “so consider your child’s current interest or one you want to introduce [when buying a toy].”
Age Appropriateness
As with any toy, it’s important to ensure the STEM toy you get for your child is appropriate for their age and skill set. “STEM toys are specifically designed for certain developmental milestones based on typically developing children,” Tsomos notes, “so be attentive to the target age range [when shopping].” “Science is a way of thinking: Science is observing and experimenting, making predictions, sharing discoveries, asking questions, and wondering how things work.” “Technology is a way of doing: Technology is using tools, being inventive, identifying problems, and making things work.” “Engineering is a way of doing: Engineering is solving problems, using a variety of materials, designing and creating, and building things that work.” “Math is a way of measuring: Math is sequencing (1, 2, 3, 4…), patterning (1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2…), and exploring shapes (triangle, square, circle), volume (holds more or less), and size (bigger, less than).” The easiest way to do this is by following the manufacturer’s recommended age range on a toy’s box, but you can also take a look at the toy/activity itself and assess whether or not your child has the skills needed to play with it successfully. Things to consider include whether or not your child can read, count, identify different colors and shapes, and/or has the necessary motor skill development (particularly fine motor skills).
Entertainment Value
Of course, if you want your child to actually play with a STEM toy, it needs to be fun, otherwise, it will sit on a shelf collecting dust. First, as previously mentioned, make sure it falls into a STEM category that your child genuinely enjoys, and then consider the other types of toys they tend to be drawn toward and use that as a guide. Tsomos notes that shoppers shouldn’t “get caught up in the marketing of STEM toys” because a lot of toys can fall into one of the categories, even if they are not labeled as such. Instead, she recommends “think[ing] about what your child will have fun with and what will positively challenge [them].” She also suggests considering toys that you can play with or engage in with them. She says, “The expanded value of STEM toys comes from the curiosity of the child or [from] a parent or teacher prompting fun questions or challenges” while they’re playing with the toy.
Why Trust Verywell Family
This article was written by Ashley Ziegler, a full-time parenting writer, and a mom to a 2-year-old and 5-year-old. Over the years, she has researched and tested hundreds of children’s products for both her writing career as well as for personal use as a parent. As her oldest daughter approaches kindergarten, Ashley has put a lot of emphasis in finding toys with an educational component, including both STEM and STEAM toys. When creating this list of recommendations, she considered her personal experience with STEM toys/games, the insights of an early childhood education expert, as well as products’ quality, longevity, age-appropriateness, and safety.
More Toys for Kids
When it comes to toys for kids, our team has you covered. The Verywell Family team of editors (who are parents or have nieces and nephews of their own) have tested, gifted, and personally recommend every item we feature. Find more of our top toy picks for every developmental stage and personality phase here:
The Best Christmas Gifts for Kids The Best Developmental Toys for Babies The Best Tummy Time Toys The Best Active Toys for Toddlers The Best Outdoor Toys for Toddlers The Best Toys for Toddlers The Best Educational Toys for Toddlers The Best Phonics Toys for Preschoolers The Best Toys for Learning Letters and Numbers The Best Construction and Building Block Toys The Best Musical Toys for Children of All Ages The Best Montessori Toys to Encourage Thoughtful Play The Best Sesame Street Toys The Best Outdoor Toys for Kids of All Ages The Best Dinosaur Toys The Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills Development The Best Toys for Independent Play The Best Indoor Toys and Games for Active Play The Best Snow Toys for Kids Best Laptop Toys for Kids The Best Social Emotional Learning Toys The Best Robot Toys The Best Ride-On Toys The Best Cleaning Toy Sets The Black-Owned Gift Guide
