You should consider STEM toys to enhance your child’s fine motor skills, encourage creative thinking, and to help with problem-solving skills. However, there are many STEM toys for kids, and knowing where to start looking can be challenging. We’ve got six of the best STEM toys to develop STEM skills that you might want to consider, so let’s get to it.
Comparison Chart
Wooden Ferris Wheel DIY Model Kits for Adults, Teens and Kids – Physics STEM Toys for Boys and Girls – 3D Puzzles Science Kits for Kids Ages 8 Years Old and up – Stem Kits
Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit, Over 100 Projects, Full Color Project Manual, 30 + Snap Circuits Parts, STEM Educational Toy for Kids 8 + , Black
STEM Toy Building Toy 450Pcs Preschool Toy Interlocking Toy Straw Constructor Toy Engineering Thin Tube Blocks Educational Toy Kit for Indoor&Outdoor Kids Toy for 3 4 5 6 7+ Years Boys and Girls Gift
Sillbird STEM 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toys -190 Pieces DIY Building Science Experiment Kit for Kids Aged 8-10 and Older,Solar Powered by The Sun
AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Kids Beginner Microscope STEM Kit with Metal Body Microscope, Plastic Slides, LED Light and Carrying Box (M30-ABS-KT2-W),White
Best STEM Toys: Reviews
Wooden Ferris Wheel DIY Model Kit
This educational STEM toy will help spur your child’s creativity while teaching them science and engineering basics.
Review
The Wooden Ferris Wheel DIY Model Kit is a great toy to help children develop their manual dexterity and fine motor skills, requiring them to assemble the Ferris wheel from many small components.
In addition, it helps develop logical thinking skills because they must assemble something in a step-by-step manner.
Moreover, because it is a functional replica of a Ferris wheel, it’s a good lesson in engineering basics. If you attach the battery pack and several wires, your children can make the wheel turn, giving them an introduction to electricity.
This Ferris wheel set is made of plain wood, and your child can paint it after it has been assembled. Painting the Ferris wheel adds a new dimension to this STEM toy because it will encourage artistic creativity which boosts creative thinking.
However, small components are included in the set, so it’s not designed for very young children. It is rated for ages 8 and up. But all components are free of toxins and should be safe for kids to play with.
Furthermore, all the components here are durable, so the Ferris wheel can be assembled and taken apart repeatedly without fear of the pieces breaking. The only downside is that it is pretty easy to lose small pieces; if too many parts are missing, the toy will not be functional.
Pros
- Durable components
- Develops manual dexterity and construction skills
- Good lesson in engineering and electricity
- Has an artistic side to it
- Great for ages 8 and up
Cons
Small pieces are easy to lose
Elenco Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit
This electronics Exploration Kit from Elenco will teach your kids about engineering and electronics. It’s designed for ages 8 and up and allows your child to build various electric toys or components.
Review
This circuit-building toy will teach your kids electronics, electricity, and engineering. It has 28 electric components that can be assembled in various ways to build over 100 different electronic circuit projects.
For example, kids can build a flashing light, a siren with adjustable volume, a photo sensor, and 97 other electronic circuit toys or items.
This is ideal for any child who wants to enter the field of electronics and engineering, as it’s a beginning lesson in how electricity works and how different components must be connected to complete a circuit. It’s also an excellent introduction to the world of robotics.
The set comes with the instructions required to build each of the 100 projects.
This STEM toy is rated for children ages 8 and up. This toy is a good lesson in electronics and engineering and encourages your child to think logically and use their hands. It’s a great way to stimulate their brains and develop manual dexterity for a future in electronics and robotics.
All components are durably designed to handle much punishment and manipulation without breaking. However, as with the previous toy, this toy will become useless if crucial pieces are lost.
Pros
- Many different projects to build
- Great for training manual dexterity
- An excellent introduction to electronic circuitry
- No tools needed
- It can be a lot of fun
Cons
- Many small components can be lost
- Requires batteries
Interlocking Straw STEM Building Toy
This toy is designed for younger children if you have a child as young as three and want to teach them about engineering, spatial reasoning, colors, engineering, and motor skills.
Review
This 450-piece set of colored straws and small connector components connectors will allow your child to build many projects, including cars, small houses, towers, space ships and rockets, airplanes, stars, castles, and many other things. In fact, there are so many components that your child can build objects that are taller and larger than they are.
The straws are flexible and durable, so they can be bent into shapes to create an even wider variety of objects. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about them breaking due to being bent or stepped on, as they are built with high-quality materials that can handle a lot of punishment.
We like this STEM toy as it helps develop your child’s mind and body in several ways. First, this is an engineering and building toy, so your child will improve their manual dexterity as they work with and manipulate small objects. At the same time, due to all of the different colors, it also teaches color differentiation.
Furthermore, this is a construction and engineering toy, which will help build spatial awareness skills. Moreover, your child must follow instructions to make the various objects with these straws, so they will use deductive reasoning and logical thought.
Moreover, the included components have passed international safety testing standards to ensure they are environmentally friendly and non-toxic for children.
Pros
- Builds construction skills
- Improves engineering skills
- Improves manual dexterity, reasoning, and spatial awareness
- Tons of objects that can be built
- Very affordable
- Durable components
- Tested for safety
Cons
- Not ideal for older kids
- Small pieces are easy to lose
Sillbird STEM 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toy
This is a fairly advanced stem toy that will begin to teach your children about electronics, robotics, engineering, and construction. There are various levels of complexity, which makes it ideal for both younger and older children alike.
Review
Check out our full review of the Sillbird STEM 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toy.
This set has over 190 components that allow children to build 12 robot designs. These 12 robots are split into two difficulty levels. The first six are easy and designed for young children, whereas the others are for slightly older children with more advanced skills and knowledge. It is a toy your child can grow with.
The robots are functional and move around. Some have flashing lights, some make noises, and some have wheels that allow the robot to move forward under its own power. Moreover, everything is powered using solar panels, so no batteries are required.
It will also help teach your children about solar power because everything is powered by solar panels. In addition, it’s a great introduction to electronic circuitry, engineering, and robotics. It will teach children how electricity functions, how robots work, and how these components are put together to create functioning objects.
Moreover, your child will assemble and construct various objects by following instructions. It helps develop problem-solving and logical thinking skills. It’s a great toy to develop manual dexterity and construction skills, as they must use their fingers to assemble many small components.
However, the toy becomes useless if any of the critical components are lost. In addition, you should be aware that the parts are somewhat fragile and aren’t designed to handle a lot of punishment.
Pros
- Introduction to electronic circuitry
- Introduction to robotics
- Teaches logical thinking and deduction
- Good for developing manual dexterity
- Teaches about solar power
Cons
- Not the most durable toy
- If essential components are lost, the toy as a whole becomes useless
AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Kids Beginner Microscope STEM Kit
This beginner microscope STEM kit is an excellent option if you have a budding scientist interested in biology.
Review
First, this is a real and functioning microscope. It’s made with a durable and impact-resistant metal frame. This is not a plastic toy microscope.
Now, it might not be quite as advanced as a microscope you’d find in a professional laboratory setting, but it does work. You can magnify up to 1,200 times, zoom in and out, and more. It also features LED illumination, so the slides can be easily seen.
Remember that this microscope has a wide field view and features a single-layer stage and clips. The rack and pinion focus mechanism lets your children focus on anything viewed through the microscope with great clarity. In addition, this microscope kit has various slides and objects for your child to look at.
Therefore, this STEM toy provides an excellent introduction to the world of biology, especially how various things look when viewed under a microscope.
In addition, it helps develop manual dexterity, as your child will have to manipulate the slides and the microscope to view the slides properly. Moreover, it has a rugged ABS plastic carrying case for easy portability. This microscope kit will be a great introduction if you have a young scientist.
Pros
- Real microscope
- Very durable
- Totally functional
- Slides included
- Good introduction to biology
Cons
Not overly interactive
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Earth Science Kit
This earth science kit from National Geographic is excellent if you have a young geologist on your hands.
Review
This is a geology science kit designed for children 8 and up. There are 15 experiments and activities, such as building water tornadoes that duel with each other, a volcano that erupts, digging for crystals and rocks, growing crystals, and more.
Therefore, this is an excellent kit for children who want to learn about geology, earth sciences, and even weather. It’s a great introduction to earth sciences and allows your child to work with their hands.
Most experiments require your child to work with their hands. This develops manual dexterity, basic construction skills, and spatial reasoning. At the same time, it also helps increase your children’s knowledge of earth science-related topics. It’s one of the more hands-on and educational toys.
This kit comes in a convenient little box that keeps all the components well organized and in one place. However, if the pieces are lost, some experiments won’t be doable anymore.
Also, some experiments have finite elements, so once they have been done several times, your kids won’t be able to do them anymore.
Pros
- Great intro to earth sciences
- Highly educational in nature
- Very hands-on
- Great for multiple kids
- Good for children of young ages
Cons
Some experiments have finite components
STEM Toys Buyers Guide
There are a few considerations when shopping for a STEM toy for your child or as a gift.
What STEM is About
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Therefore, if you want to buy an educational STEM toy for your child, it must focus on one of these topics.
These educational toys introduce your children to science, mathematics, technology, and engineering. These aren’t just simple toys; they’re about playing and having fun, but more about teaching younger kids critical STEM skills like problem solving.
Physical vs. Theoretical Knowledge
You should realize that some STEM toys focus more on theoretical aspects. This is because they are designed to teach your children various topics such as critical thinking skills or early math skills. So we can say that some STEM toys are more theoretical, whereas others are more hands-on.
For example, those with building blocks and components that can be assembled into larger objects are more physical and hands-on. Therefore, consider what skills you want to teach your children and if you wish to focus on theoretical knowledge or physical skills such as dexterity.
Durability of Components
Something else to consider is that most STEM toys are designed to be used repeatedly. But, of course, the main point of these toys is to be educational in nature, so they usually don’t have to be able to withstand much punishment (it’s not like these are toys related to sports or outdoor use).
However, because they are manipulated and handled regularly, they should be designed with exceptionally durable and high-quality components. At the same time, you should also ensure that the pieces are designed with safety in mind, especially regarding toxicity.
Intended Age Range
When choosing the best STEM toys for your child, consider that they aren’t all designed for the same age range. The more basic toys for young children develop manual dexterity, basic knowledge, spatial awareness, and other skills.
Then, more advanced STEM toys teach your children more complex subjects, such as heavily focusing on science, technology, and mathematics. Finally, always look at the age range for which the particular stem toy is designed.
Other
There are other minor considerations, such as if batteries are required. Many of these toys with electronic components will need batteries. You might want to consider portability, especially if these kits or toys come with carrying cases.
Conclusion
We think the best STEM toy on our list is the Sillbird STEM 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toy because it is both theoretical and hands-on in nature. It will teach your child about solar power, electronics, circuitry, robotics, and basic engineering.
But, at the same time, it is also very hands-on because your child needs to use their fingers to correctly assemble smaller components.
