STEM toys are very important for a child’s brain development, even from the toddler stage (1-3 years old). This is because it encourages them to be inquisitive, experimental, and they will quickly learn how to work with others to solve problems.
These types of skills will advance their thought patterns for when they go to pre-school, allowing them to engage with skills they will already have experience with, in a new environment. They will develop a curious mind, which is vital for learning.
This toy is made up of small wooden vehicle blocks that have to be placed into their puzzle correctly.
The wood has been thoroughly tested for safety, and its smooth edges mean it is suitable for 1-3 year olds.
The SKYFIELD set includes four different puzzles for your child to interact with, which will help to increase their concentration and problem-solving skills.
As well as this, the vehicles are decorated in lovely bright colors, which will help your child understand how color works, as well as being able to differentiate between the different types of vehicles.
This STEM color sorting kit is perfect for growing children, as it can entertain babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarten kids.
It is made up of 36 different colored and shaped pegs, and a large foam board. The aim for toddlers is to improve their dexterity, hand-eye coordination and stacking skills with these pegs.
They can also practice counting and sorting by color and shape, which will then progress to matching, patterning and problem solving as they grow older.
This jumbo piece set, made from ABS plastic, is a brilliant educational toy that actively encourages fine motor skills, experimentation and creativity.
It is used by connecting bars (that have magnets on both ends) to hallow iron bars, so your toddler can create different shapes; including cubes, pyramids and 2D shapes too.
This set has won many awards for creative play, and it has been proven to teach toddlers the basics of geometry, physics and architecture.
If you’re after a stimulating activity that encourages fine motor skills to progress, have a look at this Pound A Ball set. It essentially promotes dexterity by practicing using a plastic hammer on plastic balls.
This also helps with hand-eye coordination, arm movement, and learning how cause and effect works. It is specifically designed for toddlers, so they will be able to easily grasp the hammer to play with it.
Each time they hit a ball, it will rolld down a plastic ramp and land in a catching tray. From there, your toddler can place it back at the top of the ramp (in the right color), which will encourage them to learn color-matching too.
Help your toddler further their fine motor skills with Spike the hedgehog! It has different colored quills (spikes), that are peg-shaped so your toddler can practice putting them back into Spike’s back.
The pieces are perfectly shaped for your child hold on to them easily. Spike is designed so toddlers can practice sorting, counting and color recognition while they have fun and let their creative side flourish as well.
Sorting and stacking is a huge part of STEM progression for young children, and this toy is designed to do just that.
The puzzle includes 20 wooden blocks, which are made up of 5 different shapes and colors.
Toddlers will have to match the colors and shapes to their specific location on a wooden block, helping them to practice geometry, space conception and hand-eye coordination from a very early age.
The blocks are made from non-toxic wood and water-based paint, so it is safe for young kids if they do decide to put the pieces in their mouths.
This brilliantly inventive toy will allow your toddler to build three vehicles, from one set of materials!
All of the pieces are brightly colored and very different shapes, so they will quickly learn how to recognise shapes, how these shapes can fit together, and to color match as well.
They will be able to build a rocket, a train engine, and a helicopter with a kid-sized pretend wrench. This sets them up with engineering practice from a very young age, which is intended to increase their interest in STEM subjects in their later years.
The toy supports a child’s creativity, and helps the fine motor skills to develop.
MAGIFIRE have created a 6-puzzle set that actively engages toddlers through bright colors, exciting animals, and addictive tasks for them to complete!
Your child will have learn how to build a bear, a ladybug, a car, a butterfly, a bee and a tortoise - each with varying levels of difficulty and skill.
Ultimately, this is intended to teach them patience and logic, to practice their motor skills, and to learn how to use their imagination to solve problems.
These types of skills are exactly what they are going to need when they progress to pre-school and beyond.
This unique STEM toy is perfect for all toddlers who have an interest in cars and how they work. It is set up as a large parking lot, with different colored ramps leading to multiple levels.
Toddlers will be able to push the cars down the ramps and watch them hit the bottom, where they will then be able to park the cars in small, multi-colored garages. It also has a gas station and a repair shop.
This engaging toy teaches toddlers about cause and effect with the ramps, as well as color matching by putting the right cars in the correct garages.
Attention span is also needed for these tasks, and if there are multiple kids playing with this toy, then they will also have the chance to practice cooperation and communication skills in terms of taking turns.
If you’re after an activity that will keep toddlers entertained for hours with creativity, imagination and STEM skills, take a look at this doodle mat. It is completely reusable as the mat is activated by water, making it safe for young children to use.
Then after 3-10 minutes, the water-based drawings will dissolve, so toddlers can start their drawings again.
It comes with five magic pens so lots of toddlers can use it at the same time, as well as plenty of drawing templates for children to practice shapes and numbers. This encourages geometry skills and hand-eye coordination in a fun, creative environment!
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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