Looking for some STEM gift ideas for the kids this holiday season? Here are some of the newest STEM toys and activities from the past year you’ll definitely want to check out!
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Kids naturally seem to gravitate right toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities and toys! Not only are they super engaging, but STEM toys and activities help kids develop a love of learning through play.
Here are some of the newest STEM toys and activities that would make great gifts this year! We tried many of these out at our local Maker Faire, and my kids have most of these items on their own wish lists. They would also make great gifts for kids to give to their class or classroom teacher!
10 STEM Gift Ideas for Kids
Kano Pixel Kit: Make and Code with Light: Learn and practice coding with light! The Pixel Kit includes 40 step-by-step coding challenges as you learn how to control the 128 LEDs and 16 million colors. You can “paint” pictures and even make games! (Great for ages 6+.)
Lomography Lomo’Instant: This instant camera is like a step up from the Fujifilm Instax Mini (which we also have and love). Not only does it take some pretty great instant photos, but it has some cool settings to allow even more creativity while shooting photographs. (Great for ages 9+. I even want this!)
Ozobot Bit Coding Bot: If your kids are into coding, or are excited to start coding, they’ll love Ozobot! This STEM toy has won numerous awards, and there’s just so much you can do with it- from coding with markers and stickers to writing your own programs. I also love that you can purchase themes to personalize it (like Spiderman and Guardians of the Galaxy)! (Great for ages 6+.)
SAM Labs Curious Cars Kit: We were so intrigued when we saw this at the Maker Faire, especially since my son loves playing with toy cars and building car kits. This is a great combo of both with the added addition of learning programing! In this kit you get the pieces to build cars and also an app to program and play with them. Lots of fun! (Great for ages 7+.)
Cue Robot: The Cue Robot (great for ages 11+) is a basically a step up from the Dash Robot (for ages 6+). What we loved about this robot (in addition to its quirky personality) is that it’s geared toward kids ready to begin switching between block and JavaScript programming. There’s so much to love about this robot- be sure to check it out! (I had to literally pry this thing out of my kids hands at the Maker Faire. LOL!)
Fisher-Price Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar: This is a great beginner STEM toy for kids as young as 3 years old. To introduce children to coding, kids arrange (and rearrange) the easy-to-connect segments in all kinds of combinations, sending Code-a-pillar on a journey. Kids can come up with various combinations to make Code-a-pillar go in a different direction every time! (Ages 3+)
Primo Toys Cubetto Playset Coding Toy: Here’s another great STEM toy for preschool-aged children, Cubetto! The first thing I noticed about this STEM toy was it has to be the cutest robot I’ve seen. It’s adorable and made of wood! And the pieces are so inviting and make your want to dive right into playing.
Cubetto is actually a Montessori-approved coding toy and powered by a tangible programming language made of blocks. Children help Cubetto through a series of maps and stories, and learn the basics of computer programming without the use of a screen. Definitely be sure to check this one out. There’s a great video you’ll want to watch too showing you how it works. (Ages 3+)
My Super Science Discovery Box: Here’s another STEM toy that’s won numerous awards, My Super Science Discovery Box. In this kit you’ll find tongs, pipettes, funnels, magnifying glasses, vials, sponges, flashlights, strainers and even more really fun materials. What I especially love about this set is that it doesn’t come with specific directions telling kids what to do. It’s more of an open-ended set of science materials that encourage children to create, thing, problem solve and hypothesize. You can also find smaller, specialized sets like Wood Wonderlab, Light Wonderlab, and Water Wonderlab! (Ages 5+)
STEAM Kids Book: Our STEAM Kids book is a great resource for kids, parents, and teachers! In this bestselling book you’ll find over 50 STEM and STEAM projects for kids to do like make color changing playdough, create circuit bugs, and make a PVC slingshot! (Ages 4+)
Zoey and Sassafras Book Series: Another great idea for science-loving kids is the award-winning Zoey and Sassafras book series. These fictional chapter books take kids on all kinds of mysteries and adventures, while integrating science concepts along the way! Be sure to check out all four books: Dragons and Marshmallows, Monsters and Mold, Merhorses and Bubbles, and Caterflies and Ice. (Ages 5-9)
Be sure to check out even more gift guides for kids on Buggy and Buddy. You’re sure to find all kinds of gift giving inspiration!
