What To Look For?
Looking for a new high-tech toy for your child? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options. Bright boxes, cute robots and colourful apps often promise that your child will gain x, y or z after using that toy. But it’s always best to look beyond the labels.
- Will the toy encourage your child’s creativity?
- And promote problem solving?
- Will it enable independent exploration?
If you’re looking for STEM toys that fit this criteria, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve listed the best 5 engineering toys. Read on to discover more about them!
1. Circuit Scribe Mini Kit
Itching to get your kid started on projects involving electricity? With the Circuit Scribe Mini Kit, you can get your kid to draw circuits using a conductive ink pen.
From there, they will be able to connect slide potentiometers to control the brightness of their bi-LED lights. Your kid will get a fun introduction to circuits without needing any prior experience, soldering skills or electric tools!
Is the Circuit Scribe Mini Kit a Great Choice?
Without a doubt! The Circuit Scribe Mini Kit comes with a workbook that has 25 pages worth of lessons. With easy to follow instructions, and guided experiments, kids can apply their knowledge to make a range of projects – all from their imagination!
Once they’re ready to learn more, they can then buy additional modules like the blinker, buzzer and light sensor to create more advanced projects! We highly recommend this for ages 8 and above! x
2. Makedo DISCOVER Kit
Want a screen-free STEM toy? Look no further than the Makedo DISCOVER kit. Packed with 120 plastic screws, and some handy tools (plastic saws and screwdrivers), this kit offers kids endless hours of cardboard fun!
By upcycling cardboard boxes, toilet rolls and tissue boxes (or any other thing found about the house), there is no saying what invention will be next! That’s why this is perfect to encourage kids to build anything they like.
Is the Makedo DISCOVER Kit Good?
Of course! The MakeDo DISCOVER Kit is perfect because it has no age restrictions. Whether it’s family, friends, kids, or grandkids, this kit has all the tools needed to upcycle cardboard into anything you can imagine.
Over time, kids can even progress from simple and safe cardboard inventions to more high-tech ones by incorporating tech products to add movement and light features.
Some exciting projects kids can start with include:- Making costumes
- Building vehicles
- Constructing forts
- Creating creatures
- And so much more!
3. Chibitronics STEM Starter Kit
Stickers - kids love them! But what happens when you combine stickers with electricity? You get a powerful STEM toy that explores the fundamentals of circuits.
Paired with a booklet, Chibitronics STEM starter kit allows kids to create their own parallel and series circuits, blinking lights, switches and pressure sensors.
We definitely recommend this for ages 8 and above as it allows them to gain a good grasp of basic electrical concepts!
Is the Chibitronics STEM Starter Kit a Great Choice?
Absolutely! The Chibitronics Stem Starter Kit is a great buy because it allows kids to explore electronics through arts and crafts. Think light-up greeting cards, or interactive drawings!
Kids get to explore their artistic sides while tapping on the power of electricity to elevate their crafts.
Chibitronics also has a site full of tutorials and ideas which means that your kids don’t need any prior experience with electronics in order to make gorgeous crafts!
The 12 LED lights included are reusable so kids can get creative in all sorts of ways:- Interactive light up cards
- Pop up books
- Light up shoebox dollhouses
- LED foldable lanterns
- And more!
4. LittleBits Base Inventor Kit
Fancy your kid making all sorts of inventions to improve their room, home, community or the world?
The LittleBits Base Inventor Kit is what you’ve been searching for. It’s the perfect starter kit for kids to get introduced to inventing and circuits. With its colour-coded magnetic snappable bits, this kit makes inventing a breeze. Great for ages 7-12!
Is the LittleBits Base Inventor Kit a Great Choice?
Yes! The kit comes with a free app (compatible with iOS and Android devices) and a total of 12 guided activities. Hence, there are plenty of opportunities to invent something new:
- Bat navigator to help manoeuvre in the dark
- Voice-activated robotic gripper arm
- Room-protecting intruder alarm
- Trash chomper
- And more!
Also, since the kit comes with different electronic bits (power, slide dimmer, proximity sensor, servo, buzzer, long LED, sound trigger), there are countless applications outside of the projects outlined in the app. You can also find many ideas from the LittleBits website.
This kit is guaranteed to impart your kids with lifelong skills to become changemakers through invention.
5. Strawbees Maker Kit
Engineering doesn’t always have to involve electronics. With just a handful of straws and connectors, your kids can experiment building many 3D structures.
The Strawbees Maker Kit is great for ages 6-12, as it comes with 200 pieces plus instructions for 16 projects.
Besides straws, kids can also explore using cardboard and twine for more creative constructions.
Is the Strawbees Maker Kit a Great Choice?
Totally! With 200 pieces to work with, kids can let their creativity lead the way to brilliant creations:
- Mechanically-movable construction cranes
- Geometric shapes (e.g. cubes, pyramids, spheres)
- Animals (e.g. puppy, butterfly)
- And so much more!
This kit allows for open-ended exploration of one’s imagination. And for inspiration, kids can also explore the Strawbees classroom (free trial lasts till Sept 2022!).
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