We’re a science family. Some of Critter’s first baby books were about the universe, women in science, and her favorite— dinosaurs. As she’s gotten older, she’s retained her love of reading books about STEM, but now she loves hands-on activities and STEM-based toys, too. I’m all about following the child, so if she shows interest in STEM, so be it! Our house is bursting with dinosaur models, cheap fossils, telescopes, magnifying glasses, blocks, and more. So the chance to try out some toys that promote STEM learning in exchange for our honest opinions of them? We’ll never pass that up!
1. Code & Learn! Ladybug — Coding and programming are important skills in today’s job market, and it’s never too early to spark your child’s interest in them! The Code and Learn Ladybug from The Learning Journey International is just what your aspiring tech nerd needs. The Code & Learn! Ladybug is perfect for introducing kids to problem-solving, which is a skill that will serve them well no matter what course they wind up taking in life. Find them on social media at Facebook @learningjourney, Twitter @LearningJourney, and Instagram @the_learning_journey.
2. Magicube Castles & Homes –Magicube Castles & Homes by GeoMag World is a set of magnetic cube-shaped blocks with castle and home themed magnets that attach to the cubes for infinite possibilities. Stack the cubes, then decorate them with the themed magnets to create the castle of your dreams. These are a great toy to have on hand for open-ended play. Critter loves building castles for her toy dinosaurs, then making up stories about what they do at the castle— which is great for language development!
Follow them on Facebook @Geomagworld.
3. Geomag Glitter 68 piece set –The Glitter 68 from GeoMag World is a combination of 68 magnetic balls, bars, and panels for non-stop building fun. If you didn’t guess from the name, this set is sparkly! Critter loves her “shiny blocks,” as she calls them, and is quite adept at putting the pieces together to create larger objects and buildings. This is great for any kid who has ever wanted to build or design buildings because it shows hands-on how a little support or a lot of support makes a big difference in the structural stability of whatever your child is building! This set can be combined with other classic GeoMag World sets for maximum building fun.
4. Kwix Stix 12 pack of Solid Tempera Paint–KwikStix are a fun product. They straddle a couple of genres, but at their core, they’re basically instant-dry tempera paint sticks. The instant dry part is important to me, as someone regularly in charge of multiple children because I’ve had to retire too many perfectly good shirts after they got smeared with almost dry paint. But how do these relate to STEM? First off, art is a great way to expand creativity, which is a skill you’ll need for any field. (Creative problem-solving, anyone?) Secondly, several of the kids I watch love using Kwikstix to draw up new plans for buildings they’re going to create, or the machines they want to invent. Nothing like thinking ahead! Find them on Facebook @thepencilgrip , on twitter @thepencilgrip and on Instagram at Kwik Stix Paint.
5. Brain Blox Wooden Building Blocks for Kids–Blox are one of the best toys we’ve ever brought into our home, and that’s no exaggeration. These blocks are weirdly addictive for kids of ALL ages. Seriously, at one point we had a 2-year-old, an 8-year-old, a 13-year-old, a 21-year-old, and a 24-year-old all playing with those blocks at the same time… willingly. They’ve made helicopters, the Coliseum, houses, a robot, and way more. The 21 and 24-year-olds (my brother and my husband) even played with these blocks while there were no actual children at the house. Seriously, I don’t know what magic is imbued in these blocks, but you need to buy them. Now. They’re perfect for avoiding afternoon screen time (because who doesn’t have an afternoon slump?), for family bonding, or just because you feel like building something. Find them on Facebook at @mybrainblox.
6. Alphabet Acorns Activity Set-I’m a huge fan of making learning seem like a game and that’s what these Alphabet Acorns do with the kids. The set includes 26 acorns, each with a letter from the alphabet printed on it, along with 26 matching color counters. There are so many skills the kids can learn with this from alphabet recognition to fine motor skills. Critter, who has been interested in sorting over the last few weeks, was thrilled to divide the counters into different colors. We spent time “hiding” the counters inside the acorns and discovering the objects inside. Not only does this teach STEM activities, it also combines vocabulary skills, letter recognition, and other valuable literacy skills.
Find them on Facebook @learningjourney and on twitter @learningjourney.
7. Veggie Farm Sorting Set This new toy, just released in 2018, is perfect for us since we own a farm. The kids love to sort the veggies by color and place them into the bushel baskets. We’ve just started working on counting and the included number cards and sorting mat give them a chance to place the correct number of veggies in each row. The kids, who are only two, will happily spend an hour playing with this set, showing us different colors, telling us the names of different veggies, “counting,” and sorting. The kids are having so much fun learning basic math and motor skills that they never know we’re sneaking in those important STEM activities.
Promoting STEM play and learning doesn’t have to be difficult. How do you get your kids interested in STEM?
Oh those toys are fantastic! They will surely promote a child’s interest in STEM. I like the alphabet acorn and the vegetable sorting toys for my younger grandchildren and the Brain Blox building wooden blocks for the older ones. I am pretty sure they’ll enjoy these new toys.
Kids as young as 3 love Brain Blox by just stacking, lining up, balancing, etc. They don’t build anything complex at this age but are still so mesmerized by them! Find them on Amazon!
I am so happy there are more toys that offer STEM options for kids. These are really stimulating for the kids minds.
I love the Brain Blox Wooden Building Blocks for Kids. I am sure my son will love this! Toys like this help the child to improve their creativity and building skills.
Yay! I know your son will love them! Find them on Amazon!
My kids have played with the geomags for hours. I know they can be pricy but it is worth it.
I love all these STEM toys! They are my favorite kinds of toys for my kids to play with. I am eyeing a couple of these for Christmas.
Love Stem toys! Will share your post with a friend who has little ones!
All of these look like some great toys. I love the STEM toys. I tend to lean towards those kinds of toys when it comes to getting them for my kids.
My niece has the Veggie Farm Sorting Set and absolutely LOVES IT! She plays with that more than her squishy toys or action figures.
I love toys that help kids to learn! I wish there were more around when my kids were babies and toddlers.
I’m such a huge fan of STEM toys – must be the teacher in me!
I think this is a wonderful idea! Getting them started and interested in STEM early in life only gives them an advantage in school as they get older.
These sound like some great toys – I think the best ones are always those that help educated alongside sparking the imagination and enjoyment.
These are great picks. I love the wooden building blocks. They look excellent for promoting creativity, spatial awareness, and fine dexterity.
Totally! Find them on Amazon!