Best STEM Toys
When you think about giving your child a head start into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, do you feel a little overwhelmed? It’s no wonder; those are vast topics! But learning about STEM is like learning about any other subject. It starts with play! When we learn to read, first we learn to talk and joke and laugh. Then we get down to the business of learning our letters.
Before you sign your child up for a coding class, you can let them experience the subject in a fun way with learning toys and specifically the gift of a programmable doll or a science experiment kit. That way, your child can still have plenty of playtime while learning fundamental skills.
Kids who know all about STEM are the ones who will shape our world. They’ll program our future apps. They’ll build our bridges, design our cars, and create life-saving medicines. It’s no wonder that there’s pressure to teach these important subjects to our children. You can take a laid back and fun approach that’ll let your child form their own interests when you invest in STEM learning toys for kids. Because kids know that the best learning happens when they’re not sitting at a desk!
STEM FAQ
STEM is the newest buzzword in education. Are you on the STEM wagon? Well, how could you resist?! It covers all the subjects that make our modern world go around. STEM games for kids spark their imagination and get them excited to learn about math and the sciences. All these subjects are connected, so the more your child learns about one area, the better prepared they are to move to the next!
Ready to learn with your kiddo? The toy and games in this section are a great way to start! And in the spirit of education for all, we’ve got STEM activities for everyone from robot kits for teens (they’re fun for full-blown adults as well) to the simple-yet-intriguing preschool STEM toys for toddlers. Learn what works for you, grab an educational toy and your family by reading the frequently asked questions below!
What does STEM stand for?
Are you seeing STEM referenced whenever you look at anything educational and wondering why everyone cares so much about the base of a flower? Yeah, people aren’t talking about botany but they are talking about science! STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Developing these skills is a great way to prepare your child for future lessons and life skills. STEM building activities might include trying out an experiment with the first science laboratory or playing with the magic of magnets. Investing in STEM toys for kids will keep them learning over the summer and other breaks while making sure they still have a blast!
What are STEM toys?
STEM toys come in a wide variety for boys and girls of every age and interest. While a STEM toy might be a programmable robot that looks like something out of a science fiction movie, STEM toys for two-year-olds will look completely different. That’s because STEM teaches kids about the world around them.
While learning about science might mean involve formulas and the scientific method with a lab kit, it’s also learning about how a ball moves when bounced against a wall (pre-school physics class, if you will). Learning math and tech is a lot of fun when you add all sorts of STEM toys to your playtime repertoire!
Do you sell Smartlab toys?
Looking for Smartlab toys? One of the leading companies in creating toys for educational hands-on play, we’re proud of our selection of Smartlab products. Kids who receive their lab kits and interactive scientific models will not only learn but they’ll be having a wildly fun time! Your child might learn to create their first mini Rube Goldberg unit with a kit like the Smartlab Weird Wacky Contraption Lab or learn about what’s lurking in our heads with Squishy brain model.
Reading about science is great but the hands-on experiences that come with playing with Smartlab products will stick with your kid through the years to come!
What are the best STEM toys?
Every kid has a different idea of what toy is right for them. Some kids might want to use their beakers to pretend that they’re some kind of mad scientist, following the Unicorn Slime kit directions to create sparkly, glow-in-the-dark concoctions. Who knew that fairy tales and science could go together so well! Or perhaps your child learns a different way. Maybe you can already see them trying to construct the world around them.
If you see their interests lie in physics and technology, maybe an engineering kit would fit your child’s interests just right! What are the best STEM toys? The best choices are the toys and activities that keep your children coming back for more educational playtime again and again!
STEM Toys for Girls
Are you looking to give playtime a scientific edge for your little girl? Because Smartgurlz is a great way to go.
These fashionable companions challenge your child to learn through an app that sends her on adventures and missions with the eleven-inch doll. Your child can connect with what they’re learning because they care about their friend! Speaking of friends, why not get all your child’s friends involved in a STEM kit for girls. What better way to make sure she has companions who are developing similar interests?
Science activities and experiments are all the rage. And now it’s time to expand beyond making slime. Invite everyone over for a spa day next weekend and the kids will be learning all about chemistry while having a great time! Whether school’s out for the summer or you’re having a weekend sleepover, STEM activities can create awesome memories.
STEM Toys for Boys
Learning about STEM doesn’t have to be a solo experience. If your kid wants to have friends over, why not work a science experiment into play time? When your child is measuring and mixing with a science kit like the Slime Lab, you’ll see their inner scientist comes out to play! With thorough instructions and ingredients in this STEM toy for boys, you might even want to get in on the fun!
Think your child would be into STEM building toys? Mini-engineers will love constructing mini cars or trucks with the Zoob car designer kit. When kids play with toy versions of 3D modeling, they’ll practice the skills it takes to construct future vehicle designs, designs that will shape the roads of our future. Wouldn’t it be funny if a STEM kit for boys and girls like the one featured here was the key to getting those flying cars we’ve wanted since childhood?
STEM Toys for Toddlers
Just like learning the alphabet and learning to count, getting in touch with your inner scientist starts from a surprisingly early age. Toddlers already explore to understand the world around them, whether or not we recognize the science behind that exploration. For instance, you might find your favorite three-year-old looking through a magnifying glass at everything around them. Or perhaps they might design a car out of a cardboard box, pillows, and a blanket.
They’re getting resourceful and putting things together to see what works. The STEM kits for toddlers below will help you help your child. Creating experiments and activities together will let you in on how they see the world, making these activities a learning experience for everyone involved!
Clifford Rainbow Kit
Ready for your child to see the light? This Big Red Dog Rainbow Science kit will whip up some wonder. When you crack into this educational activity kit, you’ll see all the equipment you need, from a funnel to test tubes to the experiment book. Wonder will come over your child’s face as they see colors appear. They’ll start noticing rainbows wherever you go, and you’ll be able to talk about everything you learned together for weeks to come. What better way to create quality time than learning something new together?
Clifford Kitchen Kit
Have you found yourself daydreaming of future science fair projects? You don’t have to wait until the competition’s main event to try out the classic volcano experiment. All you need to create this popular science fair experiment is probably already in your kitchen cupboards! Watch your little one get excited when two everyday ingredients come together and react. This scientific fun is just a preview to future science fair fun!
Robot Kits for Kids
Ah, the robot! In our opinion, it’s the ultimate symbol of the future. Think your child might grow up to invent the world's first robot butler? Let’s hope so because that means you’ll get a pretty hefty discount on household help. You’ll never have to fold clothes or unload the dishwasher ever again!
The thought process for coming up with these inventions all start with playtime. Set your kids on the right track that helps them learn the skills they’ll need to code with stem building toys. Get together with the kids in your life and watch them invent and construct working robots right before your eyes when you set them up with STEM robot kits. And hey, if you want to play with the kits solo, who are we to judge? They’re a whole lot of fun!
Science Kits for Kids
Can you picture your child in a lab coat? Think their name would look great with the letters “Ph.D.”? Getting a head start in science doesn’t have to be a bore. When you add hands-on science kits and experiments to play time, they’ll not only learn but their curiosity will be engaged and ready for even more scientific exploration!
Some of these science kits have a whole list of experiments to make sure your kid will want to return to it again and again! Whether they’re creating products and discovering the mysteries of chemistry or diving into an amazing microscopic world with a biology kit, your kid can look forward to rainy days this summer when these educational toys for kids are on hand!
Best Science Kits for Kids
STEM games for kids blur the division between play time and lesson time. Who says that competing to see who can make the bounciest slime isn’t a game? It sure is fun, anyway! The best science kits teach kids skills that they can apply to other projects. When you’re searching for the right kit, there are a few things to consider.
Most importantly, what is your child interested in? If they go for anything gross and funny, then a slime kit might be the answer. If your kid likes to take things apart to see how they work, something mechanical like a Hydro Power kit might be up their alley. Also, you’ll want to look for educational kits with multiple experiments at different levels so it’ll become more challenging as your child learns.
While it’s hard to say what the absolute best science kits are, we have some awesome kits in our collection. Choose one that speaks to you and let us know how your child likes it. We’ll want to know if these kits can spur a genius into action. Our hypothesis? With scientific fun like this, it’s bound to happen soon!
Magic School Bus Science Kits
Who’s more hands-on than Ms. Frizzle? Honestly, her kids get to go everywhere! And while we would love to learn that our child ventured down the throat of an ailing classmate, learning with Ms. Frizzle’s class is a classic way to get to know how the world around us actually works!
Magic School Bus Science Kits include the equipment you’ll need to construct various experiments along with experiment cards and educational materials. Magic School Bus fans can choose from all sorts of subjects from Space to Chemistry. Often, the learning kits come in a bright school bus-shaped box so kids will instantly know that they’re in for Ms. Frizzle levels of fun as soon as they lay eyes on it!