Toys to build STEM skills

photo by Engineer's Playground

For young children, look for those more mechanical in nature rather than electronic or computer to build concrete experiences:

• Q-Ba-Maze: These interconnecting blocks can build marble runs of surprising complexity. Start building the mazes yourself and let your child drop the marbles and watch (or predict) where they will come out. This helps encourage observation skills as early as 3-4 years old. By age 5 so, your children will be able to use that spatial and physics understanding to build their own mazes. This toy can also be good for an older child who may not have had many spatial experiences, as it doesn't have a childish feel.
• Gearation: This motorized gear set is sturdy enough to be handled by young children with supervision. Allow your child to turn the gears by hand so he or she can figure out how each gear works. Then you can turn on the motor. At around 3 years old, your child will be ready to mesh the gear teeth together and set up the gears so they turn each other. The refrigerator version is a great starter, and even older children and adults find this extremely engaging.

See more products good for engaging in STEM on the Engineer's Playground website.

~ until next time, Yvonne