There are hundreds of stem toy brands out there, but some of them don't quite fit into the category. What makes a good stem toy?
Stem toys are educational toys that teach kids about science and math. They can take the form of building blocks, brain-stimulating puzzles, or any number of other types of toys.
In this list, we're going over the best STEM toys available online that all start with the letter 'O'.
Without further ado, let's take a look at what the internet has to offer!
The Hydrobot is a robotic arm building kit for the budding engineer in your family.
It might seem like a daunting thing for your children to undertake at first but any child over the age of 10 should have no problem following the instructions and getting it together on their own.
In fact, even if it does require you to help out your child, it gives a great chance to spend some quality family time together.
Once assembled, the arm can do some pretty impressive stuff. Your child can move the arm to grip objects, and it even has a suction cup that can pick things up.
As the name 'hydrobot' suggests, this toy's movement is powered by water, giving your child the chance to learn about hydraulics. This would be an excellent gift for anyone who loves technology.
If you want to give your child a real challenge, then the OASO Remote & App control dragon building kit is perfect.
It comes with everything they need to build a 3D dragon from scratch.
Your child will need to follow the instructions carefully to get the dragon built correctly. It's not easy, but once completed, it looks absolutely amazing.
Your child can use the remote control to change the color of the dragon's eyes, as well as move the wings and tail.
It's another great way to teach your child about how electricity works with robotics and gives them hands-on experience of constructing a device like this from scratch.
Of course, it's not as difficult as building something from nothing because the blocks are very easy to put together, and the instructions provided are well-detailed
Toys like these really bring out the imagination in young children.
This particular STEM toy takes a slightly different approach from most others but still provides your child with an opportunity to learn about science.
The soap and bath bomb lab experiment allows your child to create their own soaps and bath bombs.
They'll start off with basic ingredients like oils, salts, and sugars. They'll then combine those ingredients to make their own unique creations.
Once created, they'll have to test their products on human volunteers to see if they work. This is a fun way to get your child interested in chemistry and biology.
Of course, all the chemicals included are completely safe for children to use.
Even if they get the recipe slightly wrong, there's no risk of their creations being harmful in any way.
In fact, the ingredients included are designed to combine to make a useful soap and bath bomb!
This particular set is also compatible with other kits in the Ooze Labs line, meaning you can always get more if your child uses up all the ingredients or becomes bored with one kit.
If your child loves playing outside, this solar-powered robot will keep them busy for hours.
However, before they get the chance to play with this toy properly, they'll get to go through the rewarding task of building it themselves.
It's as simple as following the instructions provided in the packaging and attaching the simple pieces together.
The best part is, that there are several ways that the robot can be configured, leaving plenty of possibilities for your child to build and deconstruct their toy over and over again!
Once constructed, the robot uses solar power to convert solar energy into electrical energy, meaning no batteries are required at all.
Not only is this toy fantastic for teaching your kids about building and following instructions, but they can also find out how electricity and solar power work.
One of the coolest scientific things to learn about as a kid is magnets. So what better way to teach them than to play a fun game that uses magnets?
With this magnetic board game, your child gets to experience the joys of magnetism firsthand.
The game encourages parents to spend time playing this game with their children, helping them to understand how the magnets work.
However, once they've played it once, your kids will have no problems enjoying it on their own!
The brightly colored pieces create a beautiful rainbow that helps to stimulate even the youngest minds.
It might not be the most appropriate toy for older children (aged 8 or older) because it's fairly simplistic. However, it's perfect for the curious mind of someone aged 3-8!
Lego is probably the best brand in the world when it comes to kids' toys that require your child to assemble something and teach them how to follow instructions.
So, when Lego announced its new McLaren range of cars, we knew that it would be an instant hit.
This car is beautifully detailed and comes with loads of cool features. But the best thing about it is that it's made from Lego bricks.
Your child can build each car themselves using the instructions provided. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Each Lego creation gives your child the opportunity to let their imagination explore new possibilities and this car is no different.
Compatible with all other Lego products, your child can play with characters and blocks from other sets and customize this car however they like.
Number sequencing games are great for developing math skills in young children.
But if you're looking for something more challenging, then Ocean Raiders is the game for you.
The gameplay instructions are easy enough for a child to follow but also incorporate some mathematical thinking.
As your child makes progress, the difficulty level increases and the number of tiles needed to complete the task become larger and larger.
Children love this game because it teaches them the basics of addition while having lots of fun doing so.
The manufacturers state that this game is suitable for kids aged 5 and above.
It's also one of those games that will still be fun for a child as old as 10, giving them a chance to put their math knowledge into practice!
Logic Roots (the manufacturer) has also won plenty of STEM toy awards for this game, so you know it's the real deal.
What Can My Child Learn?
Math
Addition
Sequencing
Osmo
The final 4 toys on our list are all produced by the same reputable brand: Osmo.
Osmo is well-known in the STEM toys industry for producing some of the most well-researched and advanced toys on the market.
Also, because their name starts with the letter 'O', they fit perfectly on our list! One thing to note about the Osmo games is that they all require an iPad or Amazon Fire tablet to work.
As long as you have one of these devices, your kids can enjoy countless hours of fun with these toys and games.
Let's take a look at some of Osmo's best STEM toys:
This game is designed to improve your child's math skills while also giving them a whimsical tale to fall in love with.
The characters in the story keep kids captivated to the extent to which they won't even realize this is a game about math!
There are plenty of different games and game modes to choose from, meaning your child will never be left bored because they've already learned one topic.
It's perfect for older kids who need help learning basic math concepts such as counting, sorting, and identifying numbers.
The final Osmo game on our list is one that can teach your child the basics of coding!
This game has been specifically designed to help children understand how computers work.
Your kid will learn how to program using drag-and-drop blocks that allow them to create programs that do things like play music and draw pictures.
While the game may seem intimidating if you don't know much about programming, it's actually very easy to pick up.
Besides, coding is such a useful skill in the modern day that this game gives you a great opportunity to give your child the essential building blocks to start a promising career in tech!
Through interactive and engaging gameplay, the device will help your child understand the basics of coding and develop their critical thinking skills to help them learn more about it when they grow up.
What Can My Child Learn?
Coding
Programming Basics
Critical Thinking Skills
Show N Tell
Just about every STEM toy we’ve looked at on this list is something that your child could easily take into school with them to show off to their friends and give a demonstration for at show n tell.
Naturally, if the toy requires building something, your child might be better off building it at home first before heading off to school with the finished product.
Encouraging your child to take their STEM toys in for a show n tell demonstration is the perfect way to help cement their learning.
After all, learning something in the comfort of your own home is one thing but being able to teach your friends about it is something else altogether!
Conclusion
Hopefully, you've found at least one STEM toy from our list that your kid will absolutely adore!
Regardless of which game or toy you choose for your child, these will all give them the essential skills and knowledge to make them smarter and perform better at school.
The best part is, because it's only a toy to your child, they won't even realize how much they're learning!
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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