STEM is an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM toys are a great way to get kids interested in these subjects early on. The best thing about STEM toys is that they can be used by children of various ages.
In addition to helping children develop a better understanding of the aforementioned subjects, they can help develop skills such as problem-solving, creativity, imagination, critical thinking, teamwork, and more!
When STEM toys are associated with letters of the alphabet, these tools can also help to develop imaginative, reading, and writing skills at the same time.
This can help them to use their imaginations and newfound knowledge to incorporate the toys into 'show and tell' at school.
If you're looking for STEM toys that start with the letter E, check out our list of favorites below!
This city-building set is aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 8. It encourages children in this age group to get interested in STEM by allowing them to build a model skyscraper, bridge, crane, and other building structures.
By playing with this set, a child will develop problem-solving skills as well as improve their critical thinking. With 86 buildable pieces, this is a fairly detailed set that will be challenging as well as fun to use.
Show And Tell Prompts
Demonstrate how to build one of the structures
Explain why certain structures are able to stand up by themselves
An electric car is the perfect way to get kids interested in STEM. This remote-controlled electric car is suitable for children aged 8 and up.
This is no ordinary electric car, boasting massive speeds up to 36 km per hour - so if you're going to bring this item to 'show and tell', make sure you're in an area large enough for the toy to be used safely.
Playing with this car will enable children to identify the different parts of the car. More importantly, it will develop a child's motor skills and spatial awareness.
For children aged 6 to 12, this erector set will encourage an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Specifically, using this set will help to build mechanical engineering skills.
There are 113 pieces in this set as well as instructions for building 5 different vehicle models.
While the instructions are clear and easy to follow, this kit will also help children to exercise their imaginations by encouraging their practical, creative skills.
Who doesn't love Frozen? The Elsa's Magical Ice Palace Lego Set is a fantastic choice of STEM toy for stimulating the imagination while developing fine motor skills, lateral thinking, spatial awareness, communication, and various other skills that are necessary for STEM education.
Lego has become such a popular toy for children and adults alike that many of us don't even think of Lego sets as STEM toys, but they help to develop key STEM skills.
There are 701 pieces in this kit (including character figurines) so it's only suitable for ages 6 and over but this challenging Lego set will boost creativity, imagination, and engineering skills all at the same time.
Geology is a specific area of STEM that happens to be growing in popularity right now. Toys like this excavation tool set, which allows children to excavate crystals, will foster an interest in the subjects of paleontology and geology.
Using these tools to conduct their very own crystal dig, kids will learn about the processes involved in archeology and geology while engaged in a fun, hands-on activity that boosts hand-eye coordination and independent thinking.
This set is guaranteed to be an interesting 'show and tell' feature that will show children how to combine imagination with learning the sciences.
Show And Tell Prompts
Demonstrate how to dig for crystals
Talk about and pass around the different crystals in the set
Explain why geology and archeology are important subjects
For younger children, this Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Playtime Puppy Audio player is the perfect introduction to STEM to share in 'show and tell'.
This audio player teaches children the joy of storytelling while pushing them to use their imaginations to play with the character figurines.
An audio player like this is an ideal way to introduce young children to the concept of sound waves. The figures also have metallic bases, which may trigger curiosity and lead to learning about magnets.
This electric plasma globe is almost guaranteed to be the most interesting and eye-catching toy at 'show and tell'.
While electric plasma globes like this one are typically used for home decor or props in magic acts, the fun, multicolored display inside the globe is a great way to get kids interested in the science behind the lighting.
Children who are old enough can learn about how the plasma globe works and explain to the class during a demonstration at 'show and tell'.
With the progression of climate change, helping kids to engage with earth-related sciences is more important than ever.
Not only will this earth science kit make for an interesting 'show and tell' session, but it will also reinforce that science is fun, creative, and cool.
Using the earth science kit, children can conduct experiments that foster a sense of curiosity and exploration, both of which are key in STEM.
Although many people view coding as a difficult and advanced skill, it's never too early to get younger children interested in coding and programming.
The coding starter kit features games designed for children between the ages of 5 and 10 years, and all the games have been created to teach kids how to use coding commands while getting creative with music and physical blocks. There are over 60 puzzles to complete
Just like Lego sets, jigsaw puzzles are such widely-used forms of entertainment that they don't always spring to mind when we think about toys that introduce kids to STEM.
However, a jigsaw puzzle like this one serves two purposes. The 163 uniquely-shaped pieces encourage children to use both their left and right brains and practice visual and spatial reasoning, which is important in engineering.
Meanwhile, the fun picture of an elephant is the perfect way to introduce younger children to the beauty of the natural world. All of these things are so important for fostering an interest in STEM.
Show And Tell Prompts
Share some facts about elephants
Get the class involved in putting the puzzle together
Many of us will have played with an Etch-A-Sketch at some point in our lives, but did you know that this kind of toy can be part of STEM education?
Not only can kids get creative with this Etch-A-Sketch by drawing fun pictures, but using the Etch-A-Sketch will teach children cause and effect, spatial awareness, motor skills, and geometric principles.
STEM education can be relaxing and fun with tools like this.
Puzzles of all kinds are great forms of early STEM education, but this 3D paper puzzle takes it to the next level while exposing children to the concept of eco-friendliness and teaching them about a specific animal.
Because it's made of paper, this puzzle is environmentally-friendly and recyclable. The puzzle itself challenges children's motor skills, problem-solving skills, and spatial reasoning.
Additionally, the shape of the puzzle may prompt an interest in the fascinating animal that is an emu, leading to further research.
Show And Tell Prompts
Complete the puzzle
Talk about why the puzzle is eco-friendly and why this is important
This toy excavator digger isn't just fun to play with - it can be an educational tool for STEM subjects.
Encouraging the development of motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive functioning, this digger may also spark an interest in engineering and allow for a discussion about how the digger works using the different components.
This treehouse-themed experiment kit is one of the best STEM toys on the market for children over the age of 8.
Complete with a 36-page storybook manual, this set incorporates engineering, building, and physics skills into fun, imaginative adventures.
Kids will feel like they're just playing while actually learning a lot! This is a rewarding science kit because each experiment completes part of the treehouse.
A globe may seem like a pretty basic item to bring to 'show and tell', but the features on this particular representation of the earth make it fun to look at and talk about as well as highly educational.
This globe lights up using LED lights to show constellations, so in addition to learning about geography, the globe promotes an interest in astronomy.
The globe comes with a booklet with facts about countries, continents, and constellations that children can share during 'show and tell'.
This elephant robot kit is aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 12, and it's a great way to foster creativity and imagination while getting kids interested in robotics. At the same time, it builds motor skills and critical thinking.
The completed robot has 6 different control modes, accessible through a remote control or an app, so it's fun to play with and may also encourage questions about how and why the robot works.
Putting the robot together is essentially like building a 3D puzzle, which is a great STEM activity in itself, but the added scientific aspect of robotics makes this a great STEM toy for kids in this age range.
Show And Tell Prompts
Demonstrate the moving robot
Talk about the experience of building the robot
Final Thoughts
Learning about STEM subjects can be fun for kids of any age if you incorporate STEM toys like these into your education. 'Show and tell' is one of the best methods to get children to talk about their learning experiences and share their personal interests.
These STEM toys are so effective because in addition to promoting learning about specific subjects, they foster creativity and imagination.
Hi, my name is Elena Jones, and my full-time job is a teacher. Through teaching, I have discovered that children learn in many different ways, and have seen the positive impact both STEM and Montessori toys have on children.
Through this site I hope to educate parents and adults about these toys, providing them with useful information on how they can be used, and provide some in depth reviews of different toys to consider too.
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