2019 STEAM and STEM Toys and Gifts Guide

Lily Donaldson

Lily Donaldson

May 13, 2019

We’re always on the lookout for interesting STEAM and STEM toys and gifts for kids, and today we’re sharing a list of our favorites!

1. LEGO and other Building Toys

LEGOs and other building blocks are great toys for all ages to get involved in engineering, architecture, technology, and problem-solving. Help your students and children become master-builders by helping them walk through instruction booklets, build something based on an idea or to solve a problem, and by just letting their imaginations run wild!

For your littlest ones, we recommend Mega Bloks Building Blocks. They’re big and colorful, perfect for small pre-schooler hands, and unlike their LEGO cousins, aren’t choking hazards. Check out Kaplan’s “Using Block Play to Promote STEM in the Classroom” for ideas on promoting STEM through these classic building toys.

For an old-fashioned take on building blocks, kids will enjoy the same Lincoln Log sets that you enjoyed as a child! Aside from buildings and bridges, there are tons of unique tutorials for these things including this Lincoln Log Catapult.

Magnetic building toys are another great choice! They come in several varieties, including some toddler-safe ones. The most popular brand, though, is K’NEX which features all sorts of building and moving sets. Check out “Magnet Exploration: Building a Carousel with K’NEX” from John Ross the Science Boss to explore K’NEX as a teaching tool to demonstrate the power of magnets.

And of course, the most iconic building blocks, LEGOs, are best for older students (8+). LEGO sets come in all shapes and sizes including branded sets like Disney and Star Wars. All LEGO sets are great STEM toys, but LEGO has some special categories for STEM education including STEM, sets with a Coding aspect, and Robot Toys. Some of our favorite sets are:

2. Coding Helpers and Robots
Coding is an invaluable skill for young students. Help them get a headstart through these toys and online environments:

Toys

Websites

3. Science Kits and Playsets
You can’t go wrong with traditional science experiment kit or STEM playset. Science kits help students explore chemistry, life sciences, the scientific method, and more, and STEM playsets help kids put their feet in the shoes of STEM professionals.

Science Kits

STEM Playsets and Costumes

4. STEM Books and Magazines
Books

Magazines