We researched and tested the best STEM toys available, considering each toy’s age range recommendation, educational value, safety considerations, required materials, and necessary supervision. Our favorites include explore kits from Snap Circuits, puzzles from Mudpuppy, and rockets from 4M. Here are the best STEM toys. You may need to provide some initial instructions to introduce young ones to circuitry basics to get them up and running. Once your kids complete all of the 300-plus experiments in the supplied manual, they’re free to use their creativity to make their own designs. If your child loves it, you can expand this set with one of the several upgrade kits, which our tester loved. “Our kids tinkered away for an hour straight after we opened the box, then later requested even more playtime—and there was plenty to do! Because kids can create their own designs after they’ve gone through all of the experiments, there’s more to do beyond the pages of the manual, which adds a lot of value to this kit,” they shared. Price at time of publish: $70 Price at time of publish: $17 Price at time of publish: $120 The set includes 12 pre-cut butterfly wings and supplies, markers, and a display stand, so kids will have everything they need to get started. While they design each butterfly, they’ll even learn about capillary action, making the set both fun and educational. Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $30 Price at time of publish: $28 Our tester loved that their 8-year-old was able to use all of the materials without adult interference, but it can definitely result in a bit of a mess. Still, the educational and fun value is worth it. Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $12 Price at time of publish: $97 Price at time of publish: $15 Price at time of publish: $25 Price at time of publish: $98 Price at time of publish: $130 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $16 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $25 Price at time of publish: $19 Price at time of publish: $22 Price at time of publish: $49 Price at time of publish: $40 Price at time of publish: $120 “The right STEM toy should have just enough support to challenge a child just beyond what they are capable of,” recommends Chuck English, Virginia STEM Coordinator at the Science Museum of Virginia. Adhering by age recommended ages ensures this. And if your child is not challenged, look just outside of their age range.
Safety
You should always follow the safety instructions that come with toys, but this is especially important for STEM toys, which often involve electricity, chemical solutions, or other potentially hazardous parts. If you are looking at STEM toys for young children, stick with ones that have larger parts unless you want to closely supervise.
Supervision Requirements
Some STEM toys are designed for kids to use without any supervision. However, others like the Water Rocket Kit might need a little more hands-on participation from an adult. If you want to join the fun that can be great; if you don’t have time, you might want to consider other options.
Educational Value
Some toys may come with the common disclaimer “batteries not included.” Others may need other supplies to be on hand, like glue, scissors, sandpaper, or a bike pump. If you’re giving this toy as a gift, you might even want to consider including these additional items with the present.
Tools Required
Most STEM toys come with specialized tools and equipment if needed. Whether it’s a kid-friendly microscope or an app that allows your child to write code for a robot, these required tools are a great way to introduce STEM to your child. Some items that may not be included are batteries or common household tools like screwdrivers. Make sure that you have these on hand or pick up a set when you purchase the toy.
Waste Created
Designing environmentally-friendly items is a newer aspect of STEM, but one that is very important for budding scientists. STEM activity kits tend to have more one-time-use parts than other toys, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be eco-friendly. Look for ways to reuse or reinvent activities once you are done for added exploration and play.
Why Trust The Spruce
This article was written by Julie Evans, a freelance writer who has contributed to The Spruce since 2017. She’s written a variety of children’s toy gift guides and knows what makes a product great. To make this list, she considered each toy’s recommended age, number of uses, supervision requirements, and any additional tools needed. These types of toys are play-based but provide opportunities for hands-on learning. This helps young children to build the foundation of education they will only continue to grow when in school! Additional reporting was done by Marisa Donnelly, a writer and editor with over 12 years of experience. Her work has appeared in Huffington Post, Bustle, BossBabe, Thought Catalog, and more.
