10 Best STEM Toys that You Should Get for Your Kids

STEM toys are fun and educational toys for kids. The toys utilize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to educate children on how to approach different challenges. Kids are more curious to learn new concepts when they interact with these toys. Keep reading to learn why parents love having their children play with STEM toys for kids.

What Are STEM Toys?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These concepts help children to become successful in the future. STEM toys are based on the above concepts. They focus on core disciplines in coding language. The toys are geared towards education, curiosity, and learning useful skills. That's important for kids as career industries continue to grow each day. STEM-related toys provide an effective way to enforce the importance of education in a fun and interactive way.

Why Parents Prefer STEM Toys in Recent Years

STEM-related toys have been around for many years. Not only do they introduce children to new complex concepts, but they also foster innovation. Here are some of the reasons why STEM-related toys are currently popular among parents.

1. Inspire Creativity: Using STEM-related toys allow children to improve their problem-solving skills and boost their creativity. Sometimes there will be more than one solution to building or experimenting with the toy or STEM project. When you give your kids simple tools and ways to create and build, their natural giftedness comes to life.
2. Build Confidence: When children see they can make something that was not there before, they have a new sense of ownership in that activity. Their confidence builds as they find new ways to solve problems. Children today need to learn the skill of solving problems without giving up easily, and having STEM-related toys available gives them that opportunity.
3. Make Learning Fun: Using these toys allows kids to learn via various fun activities. Education does not just have to be rote memorization of facts, but learning can look like building, using tools, creating, and problem-solving with activities on their level. While they take the pieces of the sets apart and put them together, they learn the skill of problem-solving. They are using their brain to interact and involve themselves in the activity rather than someone telling them what to learn and how to to do it. The bottom line is: This type of learning is often more satisfying and fun.
4. Improving Hand-Eye Coordination: Children are always growing quickly, and STEM-related toys are great for improving hand-eye coordination as they grow. Using their hands to build and create will help them to learn skills that they will use throughout their life. Kids need to practice using their brains and hands together in various ways to become competent at technical and mechanical jobs in the future.

The Benefits of Getting Stem Toys for Kids Instead of a Digital Device

The best time to expose your kid to these toys is during early childhood. Below are some of the benefits of kids having STEM-related toys instead of a digital device.

1. Encourages Kids to Learn STEM concept: Stem toys for kids expose them to ideas and concepts in a fun way. It helps mold their abilities and passion. The toys are a fun approach to motivate kids to learn some code basics. Once children discover their ability to grasp stem concepts through these toys, they become confident and focus on useful STEM skills. They cannot learn these skills through digital devices.
2. Make Learning Interactive: Kids should be eager to learn new concepts and skills. Unlike digital devices, STEM toys for kids make learning fun and interactive. They transform the STEM concepts into simple ideas. Children can easily grasp these concepts and use them to solve problems. Besides, they provide kids with an opportunity to learn new ideas.
3. Focuses on Creativity and Improves Motor Coordination: STEM-related toys encourage kids to come up with original and creative ideas when solving problems. All the fields teach children to develop the art of creative thinking that will help them in the future when they become engineers or doctors. Digital devices, on the other hand, are known to kill children's creativity.
   These toys also improve motor and hand-eye coordination skills. As a kid gets exposed to motor activities, they get more confident when it comes to trying things with their hands and fingers.

10 Best STEM Toys for Kids

It is every parent's dream to introduce their kids to science, technology, engineering, and math skills. Let's look at some of the best STEM toys for kids.

1. Sphero Specdrums

This toy helps kids to drift into a world of instruments by app-enabled rings. Sphero allows kids to create, mix, and produce their tunes. To create beats, loops, and sound, you only need to tap any surface or the play pad. It's suitable for curious-minded kids and costs between $33 and $50. Parents should get their kids this toy to inspire the creators of tomorrow.

2. KiwiCo Chemistry Pack

This science chemistry pack is ideal for kids between ages 6 and 15. It comes with several experiments that require one's full attention. If you hate the fact that your kid spends too much time on their device, you can get them this toy. The pack is inclusive of an electrochemistry lab, a fire, and a glow lab. The available kits contain project materials and instructions. The young chemist 3 pack costs $72.95.

3. My First Rush Hour

This is a one-player maze game. In the game, the player needs to navigate a red little car through traffic. You'll start with a challenge card and arrange the cars and trucks to match the right card. You then have to drive the car around the other vehicles on the board display and avoid rush hour. The toy costs $40.73 and is suitable for kids who are aged 3 years and above. Parents should get their kids this toy because it teaches and reinforces learning by encouraging children to persevere and think on their own to solve problems.

4. Enter the Spudnet

Enter the Spudnet is a board game with a potato theme. It introduces kids to the world of cybersecurity in a fun and interactive way. The best part is: They don't even have to touch a computer. Players are given tasks that they must complete. They have to transport and protect their ships to different warehouses. Children between the ages of 1 to 4 should learn about cybersecurity. The game costs $49.95, and it helps children to develop problem-solving and design skills.

5. Weights Balance Game

This toy costs $27.99 and is ideal for kids who are 3 years and above. It comes with a wooden beam balance and blocks of different colors and sizes. The task is to add blocks to the opposite sides of the scale. The beam balance should not tip to either of the sides. There is also a range of cards that show players how to position the blocks. You should get your kid Weights Balance Game to motivate them to reason and to interact with people intuitively.

6. Code Rocket

Suitable for kids who are aged between 8 and 12, this toy comes with a small microcontroller that connects to a computer via a USB port. As players run the software, they will go through the code basics in a fun way. For example, they will light up the rockets' parts and begin to develop their code skills. Code Rocket costs $44.99, and it uses C++ to introduce children to the engineering world.

7. WordStruct

WordStruct is more of a scrabble version for engineers. The game costs $24.99 and comes with 100 letter tiles. Players need to arrange words that sound the same in pronunciation. You'll win by scoring the highest number of points. You have to build the most complex crosswords. You can get your kid this toy to encourage them to think both critically and creatively.

8. Gravitrax Obstacle Set

Marble run has transformed to a new level. Gravitrax has over 150 pieces that your kid can use to build structures like, trampolines, bridges, tiles, and ziplines. Players should follow the layouts in the instruction document. The games cost $129.99, and tt comprise several engineering skills that foster creativity in young kids.

9. Gupgi Wooden Balancing Blocks

This toy costs $19.19 and is ideal for kids aged 2 to 5. It encourages kids to learn engineering and basic science skills. The balancing stones are available in different bright colors that are likely to strike the attention of children.

10. GeoSmart Mars Explorer

BeoSmart natures kids to become engineers in the future. Kids use magnetic pieces to build a vehicle. It helps your child to learn the building concepts as they learn how to construct an automobile. The toy costs $69.99, and it's suitable for kids aged 5 and above.

What Other Ways Can You Keep Kids Away From the Screen Without a Stem Toy?

STEM-related toys can be expensive, so not everyone can afford to buy one for their child to keep them away from the screen. Luckily, FamiSafe has come with an affordable way to limit your kids' screen time. Let's take a look at some of the impressive feature that this app has:

• Screen Time Limit: Children are increasingly being exposed to technology and screens all the time with tablets, phones, and computers. Kids are watching shows and playing games on screens at a very early age. This trend is concerning because of several negative effects too much screen time is having on children. FamiSafe allows you to manage how much time your children can spend on their computer, smartphone, or computer. The app also allows you to set smart schedules. You can block your kids' devices for a certain period or at a specific location. Essentially, this ensures that your children won't use their devices when they are at school or when it's time to sleep.
• Filter Inappropriate Content: FamiSafe allows parents to filter sites with inappropriate content so that their kids don't access them. In turn, this ensures that your kids will only use their devices to access sites with content that will help them become successful in the future.
• Block Apps: There are lots of risky apps out there that young people should not use. With FamiSafe, you can block apps that are addictive or those that are potentially dangerous to your children.

STEM toys are important to kids because they help to promote spatial skills and enhance creativity and divergent thinking. While they provide a good way to keep your kids away from the screen, they are costly. As such, parents can use FamiSafe to limit their children's screen time.