There are several types of stem toys, but they all share a common theme: they start with T. Stem toys are educational toys that encourage kids to explore their surroundings.
They can be found in toy stores or at science museums. Stem toys come in various shapes and sizes, from simple wooden blocks to complex puzzles.
Some stem toys are designed to teach kids about math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios.
Others focus on language skills, reading comprehension, vocabulary building, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Today we're looking at STEM toys specifically starting with the letter T. These could be great gifts for little one's with names that start with the letter T!
What Are STEM Toys?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. These subjects are considered essential for success in school and later in life.
In fact, many people believe that learning these subjects is more important than learning how to read and write.
The idea behind STEM toys is to help young students learn valuable lessons that will benefit them throughout their lives.
For example, a child who learns about engineering might one day design his own robot.
A student who studies mathematics could use her knowledge to solve problems in real-life situations. And a person who knows how to build things could someday work in an auto shop.
There are plenty of ways to get started with STEM toys. You can find them online, at your local library, or even in your home! Here are 11 STEM toys that start with the letter T.
Tacto Coding is a great way for kids to practice fine motor skills. It teaches kids to recognize letters and numbers.
Kids simply trace over the alphabet and number tiles to create words and sentences.
The set includes 20 letter tiles, 10 number tiles, and a stylus. There are three story-based games to choose from with over 200 challenges to test little brains on.
The free app also comes in handy so that the tiles and characters can be used to learn about the fundamental aspects of coding.
Bear in mind that you will need a tablet to use this toy, and with how addictive it is - you might not be able to use the tablet for quite some time!
The price is a little high for a toy but with the amount of use that your child is about to get out of it, we think that you'll agree that it's well worth the money.
Table Tiles is another great way for kids to learn about STEM. This game encourages creativity and problem-solving skills.
Your kid has to match the correct tile to the corresponding picture. Once he does that correctly, he gets to move onto the next level.
This toy works with a tablet (and comes with a tablet stand, by the way!) and helps little ones learn how to spell, different colors, and how to fit shapes into puzzles.
There are over 100 puzzles for your child to work through, each as fun and imaginative as the last.
This game requires the player to use both hands to play. It's recommended for ages 6 and up.
You can choose from a set with 5 games, 7 games, or a Monster Bundle that contains a few more goodies for them to enjoy.
Turing Tumble is a fun twist on STEM activities in which the players can build their own mechanical computers by using marbles as the power source.
They'll need to make use of the ramps, crossovers, and other bits in order to make the computer work. Your child will have to roll the marble down the track, collecting all the marbles along the way.
They can then use those marbles to make machines that do various tasks such as counting, addition, dividing, and much more.
It's a great way to introduce your child to programming and logic. Each machine they make will perform a specific task.
As they progress, they'll be able to add new pieces to the machine, making it even better.
These magnetic tiles are perfect for building structures and learning about geometry.
There are many different colors in this one set of 60 tiles, so it will be helping your child learn about these too.
These blocks can make a wide range of 3D objects such as trains, cars, houses, and more.
These blocks allow your child to learn about the structure of 3D objects and how you can build things from 2D to make them 3D.
The set comes with a storage box, so there's no need to worry about losing any of the blocks.
Perhaps the best thing about this toy is that once your child has finished building one thing, they can tear it down and start building another! There are endless possibilities with these tile blocks!
The Tinkering Labs Robotics kit allows your child to create robots that can walk, talk, and dance.
Using sensors, motors, and gears, your child will be able to program the robot to do whatever they want.
There are 16 possible inventions that your child can make with this kit, from a motorcycle to a robot that writes for you!
Moreover, there are 10 challenges in one box which gives your child tasks on how to use their kit. These include cards with phrases on them such as 'invent a robot that moves without wheels'.
The challenges will take your child a while to get through, so this STEM toy is excellent value for money.
There are two kits available: the Classic version includes everything needed to build a robot, while the Deluxe version adds a speaker and microphone.
Both versions come with a book full of instructions, a sensor, motor, gear, and batteries.
This is an educational puzzle game that encourages your child to think logically and solve problems.
Your child will need to move the marbles around the maze in order to get them into the correct position.
If they're not careful enough, they could end up dropping the marble off the edge of the board.
This is where the challenge lies; if your child drops the marble, they'll need to go back and find it again.
This toy comes with 60 different challenges for your child to work through, from beginner to expert, all helping them develop critical learning skills.
Overall, this is an excellent STEM toy for little ones without all of the difficult wiring.
Your child will love using this microscope because it makes sounds when they look at something under the lens.
They can also see what they're looking at clearly thanks to its high-quality optics.
You can choose from two options for the different languages that it speaks in: either English, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean, or English, Spanish, French, and German.
The microscope comes with lots of different slides that feature images (60 to be exact) of wildlife.
The voice of Bindi Irwin will also tell your child facts about the images that they're looking at. This is one of the fewer STEM toys for preschoolers, with an age range of 4 and upwards.
You'll be able to encourage your child's love of science early with this talking microscope before moving onto more complex STEM toys in a few years time.
These magnetic wooden blocks are great for building with your kids. Each block has a unique color combination, which means you can create any number of designs.
If your child wants to make a specific design, they just need to place the corresponding colored block next to it.
There are four different sets of blocks available, each set containing 14 blocks.
These include a set of red, blue, yellow, orange and green blocks, a set of blue, orange, red, and white blocks, a set of natural wood colored blocks, and a set of blocks all colored a slightly different shade of blue.
This simple yet effective toy is excellent for any child who has shown an interest in STEM. They allow for imagination to run wild with open-ended play sessions.
These blocks can help to tune fine motor skills, problem-solving, storytelling, balance, and much more.
If your child loves cars, then this roadster is perfect for them. It's made up of 22 parts, and your child can take these apart and put them back together again.
This toy encourages creativity and problem-solving. It comes with all of the pieces to make the car including wheels, nuts, and bolts.
There is also a tool that helps your child to attach the pieces together. It's suitable for children aged 3 and over.
This is one of the less expensive STEM toys on our list today, making it ideal for the first STEM toy that you buy.
You can see whether they're interested in this type of toy before spending double the money on it. The roadster helps to develop motor skills, concentration, and color sorting.
It is easy to clean and store away when not being played with. This is a great introduction into STEM!
This synth wave kit is a fantastic way to introduce your child to electronic music. Your child will love playing around with the buttons and knobs on the synth.
It's an excellent toy for learning at home, in classrooms and schools, or in extracurricular activities.
The small knobs and controls help your child to perfect their fine motor skills while learning to concentrate on why something is happening.
The app allows you to use the kit alongside a tablet to enhance the experience. Children aged 8 years old and upwards can enjoy this toy.
If your child is into music and you want to get them excited about STEM toys, this could be the perfect one for you.
Summary
We hope that you've enjoyed reading about some of the best STEM toys for old children as well as preschoolers.
We know that finding the right STEM toy for your little ones can be difficult, especially if you don't know what they like.
Hopefully, this article has helped you find the best STEM toys for your child.
Remember that there are many other STEM toys out there that we haven't covered here.
These toys all begin with the letter T, but there are so many more STEM toys under other names that are amazing for getting children excited about learning!
Our favorite for preschoolers has to be the magnetic tower blocks, as they can last for many years and playtime with them will expand as your child grows.
For older children, making their own robots sounds amazing, and the tablet will work out as excellent value for money. Enjoy!
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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