If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your child, consider giving them a STEM gift – something that is both fun and educational. With the plethora of games and toys available today, it can become overwhelming trying to choose the perfect ones. I’ve made it a lot easier for you by rounding up some of the best games and toys for science, technology, engineering, and math. Simply read through our roundup and pick what would resonate most with your kids!
Benefits of STEM Gifts
For starters, giving kids STEM-related gifts will be seen as fun toys that they can play with. However, from a parental point of view, these types of games and toys are much more than just fun gifts. STEM toys and games help kids learn a variety of skills that will help them learn now, as well as in the future. Playing with games and toys that are rooted in the core subjects will also help them:
- Enhance divergent thinking.
- Develop better hand-eye coordination.
- Enhance creativity.
- Promote spatial awareness.
Not to mention, in addition to these perks also comes the benefit of working on a specific skill set related to the subject the toy focuses on. If you find your child lacking in science or math, you can use STEM type toys and games to help boost their knowledge and reiterate previously taught concepts.
12 STEM Gift Ideas
The following gift ideas have been separated according to subject to help make your search a little easier.
Science STEM Gift Ideas
Smithsonian Mega Science Lab
Ideal for ages 10 and up, your kid will enjoy building a habitat for frogs, ants, bugs, and other life forms. It has a total of 6 activities that will lead your kid on an exploration of dinosaurs, crystals, volcanoes, and the weather.
4-in-1 Science Project Kit
This kit comes with 4 science projects:
- DYNAMO TORCH: Explore engineering and power a light bulb with a simple toy motor generator that transforms hand motion into electrical energy.
- GREEN ROCKET: Kids are blown away when they see how something as simple as air pressure launches homemade rockets up to 80ft in the air by engineering recycled materials.
- VOLCANO ERUPTION: Young scientists can explore the world of earth science with this classic, kid-favorite project; a hands-on project that simulates an erupting volcano.
- CHEMIE STARTER SET: Make homemade cheese, a bouncy ball, and experience dilatancy.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Earth Science Kit
More than 15 experiment activities including dueling water tornadoes, building an erupting volcano, growing a crystal, two geologic dig kits, and more. This science lab allows kids to conduct multiple experiments and is great to share with family, friends, or classmates; you will enjoy the magic of discovery together.
Technology STEM Gift Ideas
Tech Will Save Us, Gamer Kit
Your kid will code, play, and master their own games with the gamer. DIY gaming console features classic games snake and flappy bird, step-by-step guide, and access to free online coding platform. Learn to solder while building your own gaming console. Learn about electronics and how technology works with an open-ended creating and inventing with code.
Detective Agency
Children interact with actual handheld pieces & an iPad or Fire Tablet, bringing a child’s game pieces & actions to life (No WiFi necessary for gameplay). Use a game piece magnifying glass, search for landmarks around the world while also learning trivia facts about geography, culture, and history (Detective Agency). Ideal for ages 5-12.
Coding Starter Kit for iPad
Use hands-on physical blocks, coding commands, to control the character Awbie on a fun-filled adventure (Coding Awbie), an introduction to coding. Use coding blocks to learn coding’s creative side while developing an ear for rhythm, melody, and harmony – make your beat come alive, and learn patterns & loops with over 300+ musical sounds (Coding Jam).
Engineering STEM Gift Ideas
7 in 1 Take Apart Truck Construction Set
The MOBIUS stem learning truck is easy for kids to build on without adult assistance, making it a great learning toy for kids ages 5+. This 71 Pcs playset is packed with tons of features including lights & sounds (batteries included) for an even more exciting experience, a toy power drill for taking apart the truck models and putting them back together, and push & go technology for extra playability while providing countless hours of indoor and outdoor fun.
Structural Engineering: Bridges & Skyscrapers
Your kid will be busy building 20 different models that each teach about force, load, compression, tension and more. It comes with over 285 interchangeable building pieces and includes 36-page, illustrated experiment manual and Assembly guide. The skill level is intermediate.
City Engineering and Design Building Set
Encourage an early love of STEM learning with this one-of-a-kind City Building Set. Your little engineers will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while creating their own skyscrapers, cranes, bridges, and more.
Math STEM Gift Ideas
Math Dice Junior Game
Gameplay provides a stealth learning experience, where players learn early math skills through fun gameplay. Includes 1x 12-sided die, 5x 6-sided dice, scoring track, instructions, and a game-go bag for easy storage and clean-up For 2+ players aged 6+, it’s one of the best gifts for kids ages 6 and up and its small size means it makes a great stocking stuffer.
Math Counting Balance Toy
This game set is specially designed to teach children counting and addition. They would fall in love with these little cute frogs at the first sight. It’s great to teach basic math skills, and encourage kids to have more interest in math while making progress in the multi-level exciting math game. In addition to learning math skills, frog balance improves memory, enables interactive play, develops fine motor skills, and stimulates imagination.
Pizza Co. Communication Skills & Math
Make pizza for customers, collect payment & make change (dollars/coins), and learn the profitability of business. Additional game concepts include: addition, subtraction, fractions, mental math, design and communication skills (Pizza Co.). Your kids will experience real-world (business) with math, money, addition, subtraction, fractions, fast paced mental math.
These STEM gift ideas are sure to make learning fun for the kids in your family!
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