STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. These are fields synonymous with the state of the world today, and most importantly, the one of tomorrow. STEM toys are therefore, seeing a surge in popularity amongst parents as they hope to equip their toddlers with skills to be future-ready.
Since play is an integral part of a child’s learning and development, we hope to help you in choosing the most appropriate STEM toys for your children.
Why is play important?
According to the official journal of The American Academy of Pediatrics, play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.
It is a crucial phase of a child’s overall development.
What are the benefits of buying STEM toys for toddlers?
It is through play that a child learns the most. STEM toys promote deliberate learning outcomes, beneficial for a child’s physical and cognitive development. It provides an early exposure to skills related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in which the world is quickly progressing towards.
STEM toys are not only a great source of fun but also provide hands-on learning opportunities for children to expend their energy meaningfully by engaging in areas such as problem-solving, creativity and curiosity.
Whilst a teddy bear may seem fun and impart certain values early, parents should also consider STEM toys such as building blocks for their greater learning value particularly in equipping children with future-ready skills such as innovation and critical thinking.
Choosing STEM Toys for your child
With an increasing variety of toys in the market, how do we choose?
Look for the engagement level of the toys. Physical, textile and auditory features in a toy can enhance the playing and learning experience.
Look for the outcome of the play experience. Certain toys primarily develop creative thinking, whilst others may focus on a child’s psychomotor skills.
Price. Look for toys that can be played and re-used in varied ways, saving money and space.
5 STEM Toys for Toddlers
These are the STEM toys we recommend for your child:
Best STEM Toy for Coordination and Problem-solving
Skoolzy Egg Toy is a fun mini-game on coordination and sorting that requires little to no adult supervision, as your toddler attempts to mix and match compatible pieces together.
Through trial and error, your young one can develop resilience as well as awareness on how and which pieces would fit together. It’s effective outcome is in developing early cognitive ability relating to critical thinking.
What We Love:
- Easy-to-play
- Vibrant and attractive colours
- BPA-free
Best STEM Toy for Creative-Thinking
This 20 Piece Construction Set gives your toddler the freedom to build whatever they wish. It encourages and gives your toddler the opportunity to come up with many different ways to create and build.
Because it has large yet soft pieces, it ensures safe play, allowing your toddler to express their creativity and imagination. The large pieces also mean easier clean-up after each play session.
What We Love:
- Open-ended play
- Large but soft pieces ensure safety
- Easy clean-up
Best STEM Toy for Exploration
TOYVENTIVE Wooden Kids Baby Activity Cube is sure to engage your toddler for hours. Its 5 toys-in-1 feature offers a varying combination of play while introducing many different educational concepts such as abacus, geometry and time-telling.
It can either be played in silos or in combination, so there are many different learning outcomes. It’s great for curious and restless toddlers with a short attention span, so they can explore and experiment with the different games.
What We Love:
- Large variety of educational games packed in one toy
- Different play combinations available
- Deconstructed easily, for ease of storage or travel
Best STEM Toy for Fine Motor Skills
Bristle Blocks by Battat are colourful toy blocks covered in bristles that can connect together at any angle. The small size of the toy promotes greater hand-eye coordination in your toddler coupled with the additional challenge of connecting it together.
The unique hands-on experience is sure to intrigue and captivate your toddler’s attention, assisting in the development of their smaller muscle groups such as their fingers, which may often be neglected.
It builds their confidence in carrying out more complex tasks in the future such as tying shoelaces, which requires greater hand-eye coordination.
What We Love:
- Curious and tingling sensation of the toy
- Jungle and animal-themed
- 54 chunky pieces
Best for Dexterity
This Pound Ball and Hammer Toy is much akin to the ‘Whack-a-Mole’ we all know and love. It develops your toddler’s grip strength which is crucial for many everyday activities.
It provides a fun opportunity to familiarise themselves with using both hands, so they can improve their overall strength and ability as well as their ambidexterity.
All the action is sure to engage and expend your toddler’s energy while developing their physical and cognitive attributes.
What We Love:
- It’s a high energy output toy, fantastic for active toddlers
- Made of durable material
- Can also be used to teach colours
Price Comparison
Here's a price comparison of the best STEM toys for toddlers on the market for your quick reference:
Editor's Note: Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication. However, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
In conclusion, STEM toys offer the same element of fun as with traditional toys while at the same time equipping your child with skills of the future. Ultimately, it is still important to choose toys that your child will be interested in and be actively engaged in so as to maximise learning opportunities.
