There are so many concepts and formulas to understand, along with the need for logical reasoning and creative thinking.
This can be frustrating to follow, but it is necessary as we do use math in everyday life. So how do we make math more accessible for children?
Below, you will find a list of STEM toys that teach math solving problems to children, but in a way that they will enjoy it. They may not even realize they are learning it!
We have covered a number of ages and types of toys and activities, so there will be something for everyone - we’ve even found a talking oven if that is what your kid will like.
This interactive, AR-powered toy is the perfect way to engage your child in math! For this game to work, you will need to have a tablet to hand.
You will also need to download the Plugo app. Through this system, your kids will be able to solve story-based math problems with the gamepad and arithmetic operators that this kit provides.
The online game has several levels with various challenges, and they will encounter math problems such as sequences and patterns, multiplication and division, and place value.
This great monkey balance toy is perfect for teaching toddlers and young children how to count and solve simple problems.
The interactive learning element will also help to improve a child’s visual and spatial processing, their memory, and will also help their concentration skills.
The monkey is essentially a set of scales, and a child will have to put a plastic number on one side of the scales, and a specific number of plastic monkeys on the other side of the scales to make them add up.
The colorful design and fun concept make this math toy an engaging learning tool for kids.
Math Dice Jr. is one of the best games for mental math problems.
It requires 2+ players, and they will be competing against each other in a battle of math solving.
The set comes with a 12-sided die and 5 6-sided dice (and a scoring track). To play it, a child has to roll the 12-sided die to get the target number.
Then all 5 of the other dice have to be rolled, and from the numbers that appear on those, children must work out a way of combining the numbers (using addition or subtraction) to get the target number.
For each die used, a player can move along the scoring track by that many spaces.
If you are after a hands-on way for your kids to learn math solving, these math cubes could be for you.
With double-sided activity cards for your child to fill in, they will have the chance to learn how to write numbers, how to create numbers by putting blocks together, and how to solve simple addition and subtraction problems with the blocks.
This is split into beginner and intermediate levels. The blocks have an easy ‘click’ design for kids to build numbers, equations, and structures if they wish!
They can even measure the height of structures or work out the volume - the options are endless.
This exciting, family-friendly game is sure to help your child’s understanding of multiplication and division. It comes with a triangle board to build ‘math fact families’, and 100 fact cards.
Each player will have a tray to place fact cards on, and the aim of the game is to fill in missing spots on the triangle board to complete number families.
For example, a number family would consist of 6(x)4(=)24.
Because the learning is set in a game for the whole family, children will be more likely to engage in this type of math problem solving, helping them to memorize the timetables very quickly.
This fun math board game allows children to send ‘socks’ to those that need them in a ‘cold valley’.
With a mixture of cards and monster sock packets, kids have to work together to complete sock orders.
This helps them to improve their multiplication and division skills, as well as teamwork and cooperation skills.
Through this type of game, children will quickly learn to associate fun activities with learning math, making them more inclined to enjoy math later on!
If you’re a fast-paced toy to quickly teach the times tables and other math problems, take a look at the multiplication slam! It is a small, hand-held device that displays a sum in the middle screen.
The user will then have to quickly slam the button with the correct answer to the sum. The faster they do the sums, the better their score will be.
If an answer is incorrect, it will be recycled until it’s answered correctly, making sure that learning does take place.
There are 5 different math games to play, making sure that it never gets boring!
Recommended age: 3-8 One of the best ways to introduce math problem solving to children, with the added bonus of teaching them about money, is through a play money set.
This realistic money is made to scale, with the notes made on heavy-duty paper so they will last a while.
It includes 90 plastic coins and 60 pretend bills, encouraging children to work out how to make change, how to add and subtract quickly, and also how to identify value!
This kit is sure to be an exciting activity for your child and will develop their math skills quickly.
Math sticks are a simple and accessible way of introducing mathematical concepts to young children, with the bonus of also teaching them colors and logical thinking.
The set comes with 48 different colored counting sticks and a range of number and symbol cards to help build sums.
This means that young children will be able to sort out the sticks into different groups of numbers and use them to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
These sticks are a brilliant way of engaging and stimulating a child’s interest in math and logical thinking!
This subtraction machine is a stress-free way of teaching children about subtraction and sums. It is a plastic toy, filled with buttons that have subtraction sums on them.
When the buttons are pushed, they pop up and the answer is revealed on the side of the button!
This way, kids are able to test themselves by attempting to work out a math solving problem, and then checking that their answer is correct through the button.
It is a fun, portable toy that children can use by themselves, so they can practice their math skills wherever they go!
If you’re looking for a portable method of teaching your child math sums, these flashcard packs would be great for you.
The set comes with over 200 different sum cards that can be popped onto metal sorting rings, allowing a child to just flip between the cards and learn math easily.
The cards cover addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and they are also color-coded to distinguish between them easily.
There is a range in difficulty, particularly when the multiplication and division sums go into double digits, but this ensures that children have room to progress and push themselves with their learning
Meet the rainbow counting bears! This exciting toy contains 60 mini rainbow-colored bears, a bear die, a scoop tong, and 6 rainbow cups.
This game helps to teach color recognition, as well as basic addition and subtraction. Children can sort out the bears by popping them in the matching cups, counting along as they do this.
They can also try patterning the bears, which will help with learning sequencing later on in math.
This also tests hand-eye coordination, because children will use the scoop tong to pick up bears and put them in the cups.
The counting bears are a great introduction to simple math concepts and will be loved by children everywhere.
An abacus is a must-have for any child learning math!
Suitable for children as young as 2, this beautiful toy has 55 different colored beads that surround double-sided, interchangeable boards.
To make this abacus even more useful, it has addition and subtraction sums on the boards that match the colored beads. These explain how a child would make these numbers.
It is intuitive and simple to use, which means it can easily help a child develop math skills, fine motor skills, and pattern recognition - all of which are important for math problem-solving!
This unique math game helps children to develop fluency in basic math skills, which will provide a great foundation for when they learn more difficult concepts later on.
The aim of the game is to get from one side of the sum swamp to the other as fast as you can - while completing different types of math challenges along the way!
You will also encounter a variety of swamp monsters on your journey, so you may have to seek out some shortcuts to avoid these meetings.
This game is fun, engaging, and brilliant at motivating kids to want to learn math.
Blobby’s Pizza is great for kids who are past learning the basics of math and are moving on to fractions, decimals, and percentages.
What better way to do that than with pizza?
To win the game, you have to finish with the highest bill - the only way to do this is to complete pizzas (that are divided into different fractions), to then create a supreme pizza which makes the bill higher.
There are varying levels of difficulty depending on how much previous knowledge there is, making sure it will be lots of fun for the whole family.
Similar to the Plugo toy, the Osmo Math Wizard game relies on the user having a tablet to be able to connect to the activities.
The set includes a playmat, a spellbook, counting cubes and rods, and a game app that will need to be downloaded on the tablet.
From here, children can browse through different magical games.
These games teach mathematical concepts through activities such as ‘Potions’ (which teaches how to add and subtract), ‘Dragon Drop’ (learn how to use place value), and ‘Card Duel’ (teaches equations).
This interactive experience encourages children to experiment and use their imagination, while also quickly picking up on the math curriculum!
While this abacus activity set is often used in classrooms, it is also a brilliant way of bringing learning into the home.
It contains 2 small abacuses, 2 spinners, wipe boards, erasers, and number cards, as well as a pop-up box with a number of activities to do each day.
Abacuses are incredibly easy to use, and because there are two of them in the set, children can do larger sums without worrying about running out of beads.
The activities in the book are perfect for young children to learn basic addition and subtraction in small quantities so that they don’t become too overwhelmed with a large amount of learning.
Triangle Math is a simple way for children to grasp their times tables, division, addition, and subtraction.
It comes with 188 different cards, each with 4 equations on them. These range from easy to difficult, giving children room to progress!
There are also colorful visual aids with the solutions to the equations, which fully demonstrate why some of these equations work the way they do.
While these flashcards aren’t exactly a toy, they are intended for visual learners who need more stimulation to understand certain concepts - the same as math toys.
This pop math game is an exciting way for children to explore math concepts, at different levels depending on how old they are.
To play this gumball machine, you have to spin the spinner to see how many cards to pick up - these come from the machine. These cards have equations on them.
If you get them right, you can keep the gumball cards, but if not they remain ‘un-popped’ and have to be recycled for another round. The person with the most gumball cards at the end wins!
This is the perfect game to play with other children, helping to improve their cooperation skills as well as math skills.
The LEGO number train is a great way to introduce numbers to very young children.
While they can just play with this push-along train toy and the figures that come with it, they will also be seeing the numbers on the carriages at the same time.
This exposure to numbers from as early as 18 months will help them learn to count while using their imagination to create scenarios with the train.
This will also help them improve their fine motor skills because they can drive the train, move the figures, and load and unload bricks. It is a very lovely, and simple, introduction to math and creativity.
The counting chameleon is a colorful, engaging toy that is perfect for learning numbers (and their order), and also for creative play and color engagement.
This puzzle is made up of 15 pieces that all have a number on them.
The numbers follow the order that a child has to build the chameleon puzzle. By repeatedly doing the puzzle, children are unknowingly also learning numbers 1-15!
The building of the chameleon will also help children develop their fine motor skills and problem solving skills, both of which can be vital to mathematics.
The perfect way to get your child invested in learning math may just be through food - if so, check out this number lovin’ oven!
This set comes with an interactive oven and a variety of food, cut into equal pieces. To go along with counting food, the oven also has a variety of songs.
These cover topics such as counting, vocabulary, and sharing! Children can also interact with the oven through its timer and its temperature gauge, both demonstrating how numbers work.
There are so many activities involved with this oven - your child will definitely not get bored learning this type of math!
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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