Best STEM Toys for Kids

Kelly R. said:  There are many different Snap Circuits kits to choose from, but they all give kids a fun and hands-on introduction to how electronics work. This is a great introductory set, and my kids have really enjoyed snapping together the real circuit components to create working electronic circuits and devices. Each kit can be used to create a variety of different projects, including doorbells, radios, alarms, and much more.

Kelly R. said:  The concept is simple, but this is probably the most versatile and often-used toy in my house. Our magna-tiles have become skyscrapers, racetracks, villages, mazes, and rockets. They are fun for all ages and will see many years of use. I recommend investing in the largest set possible, and you will still wish you had more.

Vanessa M. said:  Kids can teach their LEGO bricks new tricks with the Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Kit! They will use critical thinking and building skills to put together different LEGO machines that can perform ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. Kids will build moving LEGO creations that can ring a bell, toss a gum wrapper into the trash, deliver a message, and more! The illustrated instruction book makes building a snap.

Joseph Kelley said:  At just 1 cubic inch the Ozobot packs in a lot of fun! This little robot for kids has options for either screen-free or online coding.

Kelly R. said:  My son received this as a 6 year old, played with it every single day, and actually still sometimes pulls it out now at age 12. It's been fun over the years to watch him problem solve as he gets better and better at designing the marble runs. The set is heirloom quality, and a variety of other sets and add-ons are available so you can continue expanding the collection.

Chrissy OGorman said:  Perfect for the budding engineer in your family! Your child can create endless combinations of moving structures.

Erynn said:  Bloxels is a coding and video game design platform that allows kids to build their own video game online or using any compatible device. Kids who have always wished to design their own games will appreciate its simple interface, and even younger kids who are new to STEM will be enthralled. Though the game was originally released with a physical game board that has since been discontinued, you can purchase a Bloxels account to design on the web or using the app for iOS or Google Play.

Kelly R. said:  Wonder Workshop Dash is cool coding robot for kids that teaches problem solving and programming skills. Using an app on a supported device, kids program the robot to sing, navigate obstacles, solve challenges and more. I love that these robotic toys are appropriate for a pretty wide age range and keep pace with kids as they grow.

Beth Wood said:  These endlessly reusable wax covered sticks of yarn are soft and pliable to use, and they stick to each other to make 3-D sculptures. Twist, bend, stick, and create without worrying about preparation, clean-up or mess. This kit includes step-by-step illustration of how to make the DNA Double Helix out of Wikki Stix as well as of additional science and math project ideas. These mess-free sticks also make excellent travel toys.

Beth Wood said:  This fun and colorful math board game for older kids teaches players to multiply and divide as they work their way towards home at the center of the board. Add, subtract, multiply or divide to move and gather Prime cards that can send your opponents back to start. First player to move both of their pawns on the 101 home space wins.

Kelly R. said:  A STEM toy for the bathtub, suitable for the smallest engineers! Pipes suction to the wall, and can be used individually or create a chain to pour water through. Each pipe has a unique shape and function.

Joseph Kelley said:  Introduce your budding scientists and chemists to experimenting with safe chemical reactions. These easy science experiments for kids range from erupting a color-changing volcano to growing ooze with a mind of its own!

Lisa R said:  There are a million and one games hidden in these tiny cubes! Sort them by colors, identify the shapes on the sides, practice making patterns, build a tower, and introduce counting and multiplication by packing them together into larger rectangles and counting the number of blocks on each side. While the cubes are recommended for kids 5+, any child that can safely work with small pieces will derive hours of fun from this simple set.

Lisa R said:  Kids look and feel just like "real" scientists with this kit packed with sturdy plastic beakers, a flask, funnel, safety goggles, tweezers, pipette, and magnifying glass. The kit comes with a set of numbered experiments that use everyday kitchen ingredients and gradually increase in difficulty. While the experiments are geared for kids 3+, younger kids also enjoy following directions alongside mom and dad and mastering skills like pouring and pipetting.

Beth Wood said:  This is a great little set to teach your kids about measuring and equivalency. It comes with a set of activity cards to provide you with some inspiration.

Brigitte Nohra Miller said:  K'NEX is the perfect toy for the budding engineer in your household. Kids can first create the this amusement park, break it down and then build something totally from their imagination!

Yoli B said:  How about a kit to get your little engineer's brain turning? The Kids First Automobile Engineer Kit is designed for your preschoolers with large pieces and a storybook manual. The instruction manual is an easy to read educational adventure with colorful pictures. This kit is a great STEM gift for preschoolers and a definite upgrade on Mr. Potato Head!

Jennie Utsinger said:  I spent hours looking through my father's high-powered microscope when I was a child. While you won't be able to look at blood cells with this starter microscope, it has great optical quality for the price, and your children will be just as amazed viewing samples of bugs, onion skin, or pollen. The sturdy plastic Due Scope gives you 40X, 100X, or 400X magnification and the set includes blank slides, several prepared slides, a test tube, and a petri dish.

Tim Ponisciak said:  Teaching physics is a blast when you're dealing with paper airplanes, and Star Wars fans will love this kit. Your kids can learn all about thrust, lift, drag and gravity when building paper airplanes, and can tinker with the planes to see what changes can be made to keep the planes in the air longer!

Beth Wood said:  This kit helps you assemble a 3 dimensional glow in the dark mobile of the solar system. Kit comes with snap together planets, string for hanging, hanging frame, paint, glow paint and paint brush. Finished mobile measures 29.5" across.

Yoli B said:  This 50 foot long solar powered balloon will amaze kids of all ages. The dark surface absorbs heat and causes internal air to heat up and rise. The balloon can be tethered by a string and will provide countless hours of fun in the sun!

Erynn said:  They look like wood blocks, but these are specially engineered pieces that let little creators design scaffolding, ramps, paths, and all kinds of architectural wonders. The sets come with lightweight balls that roll down the specially-made planks, so kids can make endless "tracks" for their balls to run down.

Nancy L. said:  The goal of Circuit Maze is to arrange tokens to form a circuit path to light up the beacons as indicated on the challenge card. The 60 challenges will engage kids while teaching them how circuits really work.

Yoli B said:  Your little explorer can maneuver the inner workings of the body with this plush toy. Unzip the tummy and you will find color coded organs. Each organ and its function can be identified in the accompanying booklet. Underneath an embroidered skeleton teaches kids about how our bones hold everything together. Maybe you will have a future doctor in the house!

Kelly R. said:  This construction kit allows kids to build working miniature models of three of DaVinci's original designs: a ballista (crossbow), a bombard (cannon), and a catapult. Targets and projectiles are included to extend the fun way after the construction is complete.