What is STEM, and what’s all the fuss about? In this blog post, I’ll answer those questions, as well as provide some ideas of STEM toys and activities that the kids in your life will love!
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If you are a parent or work with kids in any capacity, I’m guessing you’ve seen/heard quite a bit about STEM toys and activities. I see them promoted all over the place! I can’t hardly peruse a toy department or educational website without stumbling across the acronym.
What is STEM, and what’s all the fuss about? In this blog post, I’ll answer those questions, as well as provide some ideas of STEM toys and activities that the kids in your life will love!
What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. (At times you might also see STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Math.) STEM-based education focuses on developing key skills for those discipline areas, including problem solving, creativity, and critical analysis.
STEM toys and activities, then, are aimed at nurturing the skills kids will need for future education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. More generally, they’re geared towards curiosity, learning, and creativity. Far from all work and no play, however, these toys and activities engage kids with fun activities while simultaneously building valuable skills for their future.
Benefits of STEM Toys & Activities
There are many valuable benefits to STEM toys and activities, including that they:
- Develop several cognitive skills, such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking
- Foster creativity
- Provide hands-on learning with real-world applications
- Improve fine motor skills
Those are the “official” benefits promoted by researchers and STEM advocates. From personal experience, however, I love that STEM toys and activities:
- Engage their brains
- Develop problem-solving skills (I can actually see it happening!)
- Keep them occupied for long periods of time (IYKYK)
- Can be creative, too
- Are teaching them how to build/fix things
Both my boys love them (and my daughter, who’s only 3, is just starting to get into them, too) but they have been particularly FABULOUS for my middle child who loves to tinker.
Related Post: The Best Activities & Toys for Kids Who Love to Tinker
STEM Toys
I’ve said before in previous posts that I’m kind of picky about the toys I get for my kids. They have to be active, engaging, and (preferably) multi-use. And STEM toys fit the bill! There are gobs of options out there, but here are some of the ones we have and love:
- Snap Circuits
- Solar Robot Building Toy
- K’NEX (We started with the Kids K’NEX, which are great for younger kids!)
- STEM Master building toys
- Build & Play set
- Erector Set
- Dinosaur STEM Building Set (For more great gifts for dino lovers, check out this post!)
- Maker Lab: Outdoors: 25 Super Cool Projects
And here are some others I’ve found that look promising for future gift ideas!
- Mega Cyborg Hand
- LEGO Gear Bots
- Gravity Maze Marble Run
- Glow in the Dark Marble Run
- Doctor Jupiter Electricity Kit
- LEGO Chain Reactions
- Botley the Coding Robot
- Dissect-It Simulated Synthetic Lab Dissection
- Smartivity Music Machine
- Magnet Exploration
- Structures: Buildings & Bridges
- Magnetic Building Sticks
- Unicorn Robots
STEM Activities
I’m not an expert on STEM activities, but here are some great resources that are filled with fun, engaging, and enriching ideas:
- Get Creative with Hands-On STEM Activities | invent.org
- Science Experiments for Kids | CuriOdyssey
- 10 STEM Activities You Can Do At Home! | Kiddie Academy
- Easy STEM Activities For Kids | Little Bins for Little Hands
- 50+ Genius STEM Activities for Kids | The STEM Laboratory
- 23 Fun STEAM and STEM Activities for Kids | Parents.com
SHARE WITH US: What are some of your favorite STEM toys & activities? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- 7 Ways to Encourage Your Kids’ Curiosity (And Why You’d Even Want To)
- The Best Activities & Toys for Kids Who Love to Tinker
- 20 Summer Learning Activities (That Aren’t Worksheets!)
- 10 Screen-Free Educational Activities
- The Best Toys For Your Child’s Brain Development
- 20 Non-Toy Gifts {For Every Age and Budget!}
Share your thoughts!