STEM learning is a big deal in our home. My boys are math and science oriented and I like to encourage their imagination in that respect so their focus doesn't stay on "just the facts". For several years I created a book and toy combination gift guide and this year I am focusing on STEM gifts. That's Science-Technology-Engineering-Math. The good news is that all of these ideas can be considered good options for STEAM learning, too. (A is for Art and design.)
Parents love the idea that a gift for the kids can have play, imaginative and educational value. We also want toys that kids continue to play with weeks, months or even years after the wrapping paper has been recycled. I've taken care to choose STEM games and toys that will grow with your child. The choice of an accompanying book is designed to extend the activity and encourage creativity.
If you are looking for math specific gifts, be sure to take a peek at my Math Toy, Games and Books Gift Guide. For more book ideas, our list of books to inspire inventors and engineers is full of suggestions. (Note: links below are affiliate links.)
LEGO Bricks & More Builders of Tomorrow Set. Even if your child has a zillion LEGO sets, he probably still needs one of these basic brick sets. All the special sets have so many tiny and specific pieces, my kids find it hard to build anything from their imagination without these basic bricks. We actually added two of these sets to our collection so the kids could engineer whatever they wanted. The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 1: Cars, Castles, Dinosaurs & More! includes step by step instructions for lots of ideas to inspire kids.
PicassoTiles® 100 piece set Magnet Building Tiles are nearly identical to MagnaTiles, but less expensive. Every parent I have ever talked to has said that colorful magnet tiles are one of their kids very favorite toys and they have played with them for years. Pair it with If I Built a House, about a kid who dreams about his elaborative, inventive house, to spark a child's design creativity and STE(A)M imagination.
I am a convert to the glorious goodness that is in the monthly subscription box, Tinker Crate. You can read about our experience making a motor. Honestly, a gift that lasts all year long is the best kind and monthly, 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions are available. For those in between days, get the kids a copy of Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes: Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun by our favorite go-to science guy, Steve Spangler.
Robot Turtles Game is big news in the board game world. It's been featured on major news sites and was the most backed board game in Kickstarter history. Since being picked up by ThinkFun, the price has become affordable and has it's now a top selling game. Robot Turtles teaches young children about basic programming without ever using an "on button". Since this game is best for preschoolers through 2nd grade, pair it with the picture book, Boy and Bot, about the friendship between a boy and his robot, and how they learn to "fix" each other.
Elenco Snap Circuits SC-300 Physics Kit is a must have set for every child. We have gotten so much use out of ours. We got it several years ago for my older son, and now his younger brother is starting to explore it. Inspire your kids with The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the true story of how a boy brought electricity to his village in Malawi.
Gravity Maze. This is THE game I am getting the kids this holiday season. If you follow our game of the month feature, you know we have closets full of games. I recently gave away a few preschool aged games to make room for this challenging logic building game and marble run. I can't wait to play it with the kids. Gravity by Jason Chin is an amazingly beautiful book that will have kids eager to explore the force that keeps us grounded and wonder what would happen without it.
I just learned about Deluxe Roominate and it is completely awesome! I would have adored having this as a kid! Kids use interlocking, modular pieces so kids can design an build their own furniture. It also comes with electrical circuits so kids can build windmills, lights, carousels, and more. There are several different sets available and pieces are all interchangeable. I especially love the Roominate Chateau. So cool. I really think both boys and girls will love this. Pair it with Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor, about a 19th century girl who started inventing things at the tender age of 12.
Every year I eye the MindWare KEVA Contraptions as a possible gift for the boys. These super cool sets encourage kids to put their engineering skills to work building chutes, funnels, curves and tracks for ball runs. The New Way Things Work is a book that will grow with your child and peak their interest in how machines are put together.
Qwirkle Board Game is one of our family favorites. I featured it in our game of the month series. It teaches logic, patterning, spatial awareness and strategy. It's a MENSA select game so you can feel super smart while playing it! This was a hard one for which to find an appropriate book! I'm choosing Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature because it teaches about mathematical patterns is appropriate for both younger and older kids. It also has gorgeous photos.
Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes was the basis of our experience with the perfect STEM play date. We've tried several paper airplane tutorials, but this was the absolute best. The paper is good quality, the instructions are clear and there are great extensions and ideas for exploring the engineering of paper airplanes. Kids will enjoy reading The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont and learning about he first pilot to lift off and land a completely self-propelled plane.
Sherry Berrett says
How timely! I was trying to decide about tinker crates last week, and then read your post. My sons and I were watching Rube Goldberg machine videos on youtube yesterday, and the Keva Contraptions were recommended, so I was looking into those (vs a Thames and Kosmo robot kit). It's like you're my fairy-gift mother. We actually already bought the gravity maze.
Thanks for your wonderful posts. I'm always finding your ideas and suggestions helpful.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for your comment, Sherry. I am really excited to play Gravity Maze and our newest Kiwi Crate arrives on Saturday. I'm so excited to see what's inside!
Julie says
Great post and suggestions. I love the books with the toy idea. We are a house of three boys, 6, 4, and 1 so we really aprreciate all your ideas. We have two sets of magna tiles from Santa and they are one of the best toys we have ever purchased um I mean Santa has delivered. I just bought the circuits for my oldest while they were on sale. Super excited about that one. Now if I could just get grandparents to read your blog.
I just read a great early chapter book called Digby O Day. Boys loved it. It brought the same silly delight that the Mercy Watson books do and looks like it will be a series.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for your comment, Julie and for the book recommendation. I've not read it so I'll have to look for it, especially if it's silly! ... and I totally know about getting the grandparents on the same page!
thebookmommy says
I'm so excited to have discovered your blog, as you and I seem to have very similar taste in books. 🙂 Has your older son gotten his hands on Jon Scieszka's new Frank Einstein series (the first book came out this fall)? My seven year old LOVED hearing it read aloud, although a lot of the science was admittedly over his head (didn't stop him from talking like a robot for weeks...). A brilliant new take on the make-science-cool trend in books right now. I am THRILLED about your insight into the Kiwi Crates, because my big goal for this holiday is to try to find gifts for the kiddos that are more experiential. I'm sold! Do you think a seven year old could handle the Tinker one, or should I stick to the basic Kiwi subscription? Thanks for all the great information.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you so much for your kind words! With a seven year old you would probably have to be more involved in helping them put together the Tinker Crate project, but I think if your child is really interested in STEM type projects they could handle the Tinker Crate. You can do a month to month subscription, so that if it wasn't a good fit, you could cancel after the first month and switch to Kiwi Crate. I hope that helps!
Julie Kirkwood says
Erica, I love this list! Love that you included "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind". My son and I got to meet the author. We heard him speak to a standing room only crowd. When he was done talking, he took questions from all the kids in the audience. I highly recommend the book he wrote for adults about his experiences.
Erica MomandKiddo says
It's such an inspiring story!
growingbookbybook says
Super list! We just picked up Qwirkle at a yard sale!
Rebecca Jones (@booklongenough) says
I love this! You've listed several of my favorite children's books, including Boy + Bot and Gravity! Plus Qwirkle is seriously the best game ever. My 9 year old and I love playing it together! Shared on all my networks!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you so much!!
Darshana says
This is great Erica! Funny I was thinking of doing a similar pairing where I featured Rosie Revere Engineer and a GoldieBlox set. Unfortunately I didn't get around to it. Nice graphic too. Happy Holidays!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks Darshana! I love Rose Revere! I considered Goldie Blox for the list, but then I discovered Roominate and fell in love. 🙂
Jessica says
Love this! Got a few great Christmas gift ideas. Have to save this for the future when my son gets a little older but there were a bunch I am going to get for his age now.
Erica MomandKiddo says
That's great! I'm glad the list was helpful!