Best STEM Toys for Kids

Alexandra F.:  This marble run has been going strong in our family for years, and is always a favorite. It provides hours of entertainment for a wide range of ages, and is one of the first toys I suggest to our 4-year-old when we are playing together since I love building with it as much as he does! This set has held up really well over the years, is super easy to put together, and is my favorite among several different marble runs we've tried.

Kelly R:  There are many different Snap Circuits kits to choose from, but they all give kids a fun and hands-on introduction to how electronics work. This is a great introductory set, and my kids have really enjoyed snapping together the real circuit components to create working electronic circuits and devices. Each kit can be used to create a variety of different projects, including doorbells, radios, alarms, and much more.

Kelly R:  The concept is simple, but this is probably the most versatile and often-used toy in my house. Our magna-tiles have become skyscrapers, racetracks, villages, mazes, and rockets. They are fun for all ages and will see many years of use. I recommend investing in the largest set possible, and you will still wish you had more.

Joseph Kelley:  At just 1 cubic inch the Ozobot packs in a lot of fun! This little robot for kids has options for either screen-free or online coding.

Vanessa M.:  Kids can teach their LEGO bricks new tricks with the Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Kit! They will use critical thinking and building skills to put together different LEGO machines that can perform ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. Kids will build moving LEGO creations that can ring a bell, toss a gum wrapper into the trash, deliver a message, and more! The illustrated instruction book makes building a snap.

Kelly R:  My son received this as a 6 year old, played with it every single day, and actually still sometimes pulls it out now at age 12. It's been fun over the years to watch him problem solve as he gets better and better at designing the marble runs. The set is heirloom quality, and a variety of other sets and add-ons are available so you can continue expanding the collection.

Erynn:  Bloxels is a coding and video game design platform that allows kids to build their own video game online or using any compatible device. Kids who have always wished to design their own games will appreciate its simple interface, and even younger kids who are new to STEM will be enthralled. Though the game was originally released with a physical game board that has since been discontinued, you can purchase a Bloxels account to design on the web or using the app for iOS or Google Play.

Chrissy OGorman:  Perfect for the budding engineer in your family! Your child can create endless combinations of moving structures.

Kelly R:  Wonder Workshop Dash is cool coding robot for kids that teaches problem solving and programming skills. Using an app on a supported device, kids program the robot to sing, navigate obstacles, solve challenges and more. I love that these robotic toys are appropriate for a pretty wide age range and keep pace with kids as they grow.

Beth Wood:  These endlessly reusable wax covered sticks of yarn are soft and pliable to use, and they stick to each other to make 3-D sculptures. Twist, bend, stick, and create without worrying about preparation, clean-up or mess. This kit includes step-by-step illustration of how to make the DNA Double Helix out of Wikki Stix as well as of additional science and math project ideas. These mess-free sticks also make excellent travel toys.

Lisa R:  There are a million and one games hidden in these tiny cubes! Sort them by colors, identify the shapes on the sides, practice making patterns, build a tower, and introduce counting and multiplication by packing them together into larger rectangles and counting the number of blocks on each side. While the cubes are recommended for kids 5+, any child that can safely work with small pieces will derive hours of fun from this simple set.

Joseph Kelley:  Introduce your budding scientists and chemists to experimenting with safe chemical reactions. These easy science experiments for kids range from erupting a color-changing volcano to growing ooze with a mind of its own!

Beth Wood:  This fun and colorful math board game for older kids teaches players to multiply and divide as they work their way towards home at the center of the board. Add, subtract, multiply or divide to move and gather Prime cards that can send your opponents back to start. First player to move both of their pawns on the 101 home space wins.

Lisa R:  Kids look and feel just like "real" scientists with this kit packed with sturdy plastic beakers, a flask, funnel, safety goggles, tweezers, pipette, and magnifying glass. The kit comes with a set of numbered experiments that use everyday kitchen ingredients and gradually increase in difficulty. While the experiments are geared for kids 3+, younger kids also enjoy following directions alongside mom and dad and mastering skills like pouring and pipetting.

Brigitte Nohra Miller:  K'NEX is the perfect toy for the budding engineer in your household. Kids can first create the this amusement park, break it down and then build something totally from their imagination!