

It takes intelligence and creativity to come up with a solution that is out of the box when solving STEM Toy problems. Stimulates Creativity at a Young Age: Since STEM Toys make children think, they are also practising creativity.Since the games offer different challenges which will encourage kids to come up with solutions to win, they learn to face struggles and become more independent in their thinking. Helps Improve Problem Solving Skills: When your children play with STEM Toys, they are learning to overcome different obstacles by thinking and using their intelligence.Outside of toys, what are some ways to introduce STEM to a young child? Check out some of the other STEM toy guides for various ages on our website.

We encourage you to allow your children to explore their surroundings and let their curiosity and inquiry lead the way. Instead, early STEM introductions may look like building blocks, drawing, crawling across your lawn, or even that first swimming lesson. Of course, introducing STEM does not mean sitting your 1-year-old down to appreciate a chemical reaction.

Take this into consideration when choosing a toy for your child.Īny age! STEM can be introduced as early as you like. We can’t highlight this enough! While it is important to introduce a broad range of topics, concepts, and modes of learning, it is also important to foster that spark of curiosity and individualism that will make learning and STEM and enjoyable, life-long endeavor. For this reason, we have highlighted toys from multiple different categories. Your goals with purchasing a STEM toy for your child are likely as diverse as the options available. With the great diversity of products available, whether you are looking for an early introduction to mathematics, engineering, physics, electronics, geometry, biology, coding, or any other STEM topic, there is a STEM toy available. What STEM concept do you want to introduce? Educational, engaging screen time for a defined period accompanied by active communication with a caregiver is very different than just zoning out and watching cartoons. It is also true that not all screen time is equal. We have highlighted a number of non-screen options in this buyers’ guide. While technology is a huge component of STEM, screens are not really necessary for introducing STEM concepts. In light of evidence about the impacts of screen time, minimizing screen time for a 5-year-old is an admirable goal. What to Consider When Buying a STEM Toy for a 5-Year-Old Do you want technology or not? Once your child has completed a functional circuit they will be rewarded by a multi-colored lighted fan turning on. This kit provides 20 projects to complete. The Snap Circuit’s Beginner Electronics Exploration Kit is a great way to introduce electronics and circuitry while your children learn problem-solving, cooperative play, and communication. The Botley Coding Robot also comes with building pieces for creating your own obstacles as well as game pieces for turning your introduction to programming into a game. Unlike the Sphero SPRK+, this battery-operated robot is screen-free which may be an important consideration if you don’t feel like handing your smartphone or other devices to your 5-year-old. Botley the Coding Robot is another great coding option and may be more accessible to all 5-year-olds. While the Sphero SPRK+ is a phenomenal STEM toy to introduce coding, programming, and robotics, it may be a bit advanced for some. The Sphero SPRK+ is scratch-resistant and waterproof which is helpful when you are handing the control over to your 5-year-old. The robot connects to your device via Bluetooth. Use the included maze tape – or whatever objects you like – to create obstacles for your robot. The robot includes a charging cable and an inductive charging base, protractor, and maze tape.

The Sphero SPRK+ uses javascript and the Sphero Edu app for programming the robot ball across multiple platforms.
