12 S.T.E.A.M. Toys We Love

This Jetsons-like robot can teach your kids to code and produce pretty cool artwork in the process. There are a few pre-programmed games and shapes for Artie to do but the rest is up to your kid and his/her ability to code. Best for ages 7-12.

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Encourage the little archaeologist in your life to pursue their first find with Discovery’s Gemstone Dig. Complete with safety goggles, 11 hidden gems, a chisel, magnifying glass and more, kids will learn all about minerals and the gemologist field.

There are so many versions of this toy that teaches kids about electrical science. Connect circuits in various experiments to light lightbulbs, make things move and power up electric toys.

Future engineers will love this opportunity to build not one, but three robots with the Discovery robotics kit! The spider robot uses electricity while the car runs on saltwater, and a transformer harnesses solar power. Each takes about 10 minutes to build and offers room for conversation about the different ways energy can be used.

What kid wouldn’t love designing, building and driving their own car? They’ll be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning new skills along the way. Kids can get as creative as they want with design and the cars have suspension and steering just like real cars, and they’re durable enough to handle outdoor play.

This game is all about the math and engineering, and kids with those strengths will love these logic challenges. You’ll need to figure out how to set up a vertical and horizontal 3D maze for your marble to make it through. Cards help you plan out easy, medium and challenging mazes so this toy is one that will last.

This reasonably priced robot is tons of fun. Program Botley to run obstacle courses that you build, follow looping commands and paths. No screen is needed to program this guy – instead of pulling out a computer or phone, Botley can be commanded with a touch of a few buttons on a remote programmer.

Mechanical engineering and physics are what your kids will learn with these great toy sets. Build a mobile staircase, lever a ramp and complete tons of experiments that are all about wheels, axels and inclined planes.

There’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned board game that the whole family can play. There is only one rule in this strategy game – each new piece on the board must touch the corners of another piece of the same color. There will be a ton of thinking and fun with this game that is aimed at kids 5 years and older.

This revolutionary toy utilizes both the iPad and tactile items. There are plenty of different programs you can use on Osmo, from pizza making, which teaches finances and a bit of customer service, to Tangrams, which inspires visual thinking. There are core subject games with math and spelling as well. Osmo is often used in schools, so your kids may know about it before you even bring it up!

As one of the original teachers of S.T.E.M., magnets come together in this fun set full of magnetic items like wands and balls. The activity book guides kids through challenges that help with critical thinking and problem solving.

There are tons of different kits in this science series, ranging from dissection to chemistry, rockets, bubbles and slime. Each kit comes with over a dozen experiments, turning your home into a science lab – in a good way.