It’s hard to keep kids entertained. Especially when there’s a global pandemic with no school and little socialization. “Critter,” our four-year-old, has complained of missing her friends at preschool, missing trips to the local kids’ museum, and a general feeling of being “bored.” I wanted to find activities to lift her spirits, but, because I am a former teacher, that also had educational value. I found them in these 4 educational toys that your child will enjoy.
4 Educational Toys Your Child Will Enjoy
1. Glow in the Dark Science Lab– This fun lab, designed for ages 8 and up, teaches kids the basic principles of fluorescent materials. Six experiments are included, such as making your own neon chalk, making glowing flowers, and making glowing shapes. You will need a few extra materials to conduct these experiments, but they are items most people have around their homes like a piece of paper, scissors, and water. The most difficult item to find-if it’s out of season- is a few white flowers for the glowing flowers experiment.
The experiments don’t have to be completed in order, although some-like Experiment 6: Blacklight showcase- reuse some of the items completed in other experiments. Scattered throughout the instruction sheet are various “Check It Out” facts that provide more details. Kids will learn why pigments glow, how flowers drink, and why pigments (and scorpions) glow more intensely in a darkened room or under UV light. We started with making our own glow sticks and worked our way up.
The Glow in the Dark Science Lab is available from Thames and Kosmos and retails for around $19.99. If you enjoy this kit, they specialize in cool science activities. I can’t wait to try family experiments with the Botany: Experimental Greenhouse and the Gummy Candy Lab.
2. Magformers Amazing Construction Set – Designed for ages 3+, this set encourages hands-on exploration, creativity, and stem learning. Approved by STEM.org, this 50 piece set teaches basic principles of magnetics while kids build different objects, including a crane, a helicopter, and a vehicle. These magnets are designed to be compatible with all Magformers sets, including their new Amazing Police set and Amazing Rescue set, so it is easy to continue to build your collection.
Critter, whose STEM-based preschool has several sets of Magformers, is thrilled to be able to design her own creations at home. The pieces are the perfect size for small hands to grip and, because the magnets never reject, we can be assured the designs won’t come apart until we take them apart. The blocks can also be stacked and stored, making it a good option for those with limited space. We love how this toy encourages independent play. The Magformers Amazing Construction set retails for around $59.99.
3. Just Add Sun– Want to teach STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) in a way that will engage children? There’s no better method than experimentation. Griddly Games has seven new Science and Art kits, and we were lucky enough to try Just Add Sun. Designed for ages 8 and up, the experiments in this kit can be done with younger children with an adult’s help. Instructions are included for nine experiments, such as Making a Sundial, cooking in a solar oven, building a thermometer, and a mystery balloon pop.
Some of the experiments call for extra ingredients, but they are common items that most people will have, like ice cubes for the Melting Ice experiment, or broken crayons and a cheese grater for the Wax Paper Sun Catchers. Kids will learn about sunlight, heat transfer, reflection, and solar energy and discover science doesn’t have to be boring. We began by trying some of the easier experiences and worked our way up to solar cooking. That’s a fun activity while enjoying a staycation in the tent in the backyard. Just Add Sun retails for around $29.99. For each kit sold, a portion of the proceeds is donated to Solar Cooker International.
4. smART sketcher Projector– Billed as appropriate for ages 5-105, it also captivated the 4-year-old. The first time she sat down with the projector, it held her attention for an hour before she moved on to something else. That’s probably a record for her! Since that time, she has continued to use the sketcher, not realizing she is learning.
Included with the projector are 4 colored pencils, 20 sheets of framed paper, and a disc with 50 step-by-step learning activities. Once the sheet is placed under the projector, kids can trace animals or use the buttons located on the top to move through each step of the drawing process. Other activities include adding letters to spell words or coloring pictures. Expand the fun with one of their Creativity Packs, which provide 50 additional sketches, or one of their sets, which range from creating your own greeting cards to recreating art masterpieces.
I was impressed with their Picture This! app, a free app that allows you to transfer pictures from your android or iPhone to the projector. Although the projector must be assembled before the first use, it takes around two minutes to snap the pieces together. While it can be plugged in to use with the adapter at home, you can add 4 AA batteries, which are not included, for portability and road trips. The smART sketcher projector retails for around $59.99. Expansion packs and Creativity packs are sold separately and range from around $12.99 to $18.99.
The entire family has had fun experimenting with these toys. What games and activities are your family doing this summer?
Great toys. Thank you for sharing them. 🙂
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Oh wow, I remember when you announced the little one was coming. Has it been 4 years? !? My grandbabes love the Magformers!
Oh. I’ll have to buy these educational toys someday when I have kids. I think this will be very useful.
These toys are really nice, make education fun. My kids used to love it, now they are grown 11 and 8 years old
I am sure that my kid will love Glow in the dart Science Lab. Sounds like a lot of fun!
My kids would love all of these! I need to get them the glow in the dark kit!
I can’t imagine being a kids lockdown in the house even us adults wasn’t fun. Good thing there’s always some ways we can keep everyone busy you can never go wrong with books and board games.
having fun while they’re learning is a great way to get kids a head start!
I love the glow in the dark science lab toy. The girls always build dens and get tons of hours of independent, creative play out of it. I will definitely recommend to other parents too.
These all sound like some great toys for kids. I love how things can be made to be both fun and educational.
These look like so much fun! My kids love magformers!
I loved giving my kids toys like these when they were younger. Now that I have a granddaughter, I’ll be on the lookout for some age-appropriate ones for her. (She’s just 2 months old right now.)
I have a 5 and a 3 year old and they would love all of these! They are super into exploring and discovering new things. Thanks for these neat ideas!
I have to look into getting these educational toys for my nieces and nephews.
These all look awesome. I know my kids will like them. I might have to pick up a few for the summer.