10 Great STEM Gifts for Kids
If you are searching for some great STEM gifts this holiday season, I have curated a list of 10 great STEM gifts with an engineering twist. Most of these gifts are great for any kid in elementary and middle school. Before purchasing, it’s always a good idea check them out first to see if they feel appropriate for your own child.
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1. KEVA Planks – KEVA Contraptions Kit
Please note the 200 piece set is not available at this time but the link will take you to a 50 piece set!
Keva planks are versatile – from structural builds to chain reactions to ball runs, they can be used over and over. Kids (and adults) of all ages will love these.
2. Sphero SPRK+ app controlled robot
Sphero SPRK+ is amazing. After trying many different robotic toys, this is the one I keep coming back to. Use it with a tablet or phone, program with a drag and drop interface, and watch it GO! This thing can even go in water. Try a chariot race or navigate a maze. You won’t believe how cute this thing is, either. I don’t know how an app-controlled ball can be so stinkin’ cute!
New this year is Sphero mini, which has a few different capabilities. If the SPRK+ is out of your price range, you might want to give the Sphero mini a try.
3. Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Craft Kit
Low tech does NOT mean short on fun. Even better, this kit is small enough to being with you wherever you go. If you are traveling for the holidays or visiting relatives but need something to occupy the kids when you get there, this one fits the bill. You may even want to get two (one for you, of course!). These make great gifts for just about anyone 5-12.
What is the learning connection? Use these in your makerspace or STEM lab to learn about levers, gravity, and dimensional constraints.
4. Scratch Coding Cards – Start Coding Right Away!
Scratch coding cards will scratch the coding itch of your budding computer scientist. They are bright, colorful, and easy to follow. I loved them so much I wrote a dedicated review!
5. Don’t forget about books – Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction
If you knew me, you’d probably be surprised to hear me recommending a weapons book, but seriously this stuff is awesome! Using craft supplies and recyclables, create a variety of mini weapons. There is a whole series of these books, including one just for targets (which is particularly great if you don’t want the kids aiming at the windows or younger siblings). 😉
Why build and use these mini weapons? They are the perfect way to learn about force and motion, kinetic and potential energy, and the perfect way for kids to collect and analyze data!
6. For Minecraft fans – Get creative outside the game with this Minecraft Stop Motion Animation Kit
If your kids have unbridled imagination, this is the gift for them. Not only does this kit come with characters, a base, and backdrops to easily change scenery, it includes an app to make creation stop motion animation flicks easy peasy. Kids can add titles, credits, and even special effects. Why try stop motion? What a better way to get cross-curricular in learning! Kids will become immersed in plot, character development, lighting, frame rate, and technology all at once. They will need to plan out scenes and practice patience to have the best results.
7. For Kids Who Love Graphic Novels and Tinkering – HowToons Comic Series
Create a marshmallow shooter, a kite, bottle rockets, and more. This set of stories is sure to engage reluctant learners. Follow siblings Celine and Tucker on their adventures and get STEMming.
8. Another book, for Younger Engineers – How Machines Work: Zoo Break
Little kids can have BIG ideas. This is not just a book! It’s an interactive pop up STEMventure where kids learn about simple and complex machines and get hands-on with a STEM challenge right in the story. If you are teaching simple machines, this book is for you.
LEGO power functions bridge the gap between no tech and high tech. If your kids are ready to kick it up a notch in the tech department but they aren’t ready for coding, power functions are the way to go. They will get experience using motors, switches, and lights. A great tool for 6-9 year olds in particular if it seems like FIRST LEGO league is in their future. These do work best if you already have a good selection of LEGO bricks and technics pieces. If they are ready for more, head to LEGO EV3 or LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox.
10. Try a STEM Subscription with STEM Club
This is a way to give all year long. Choose the age range (3-4, 5-7, or 8-13) and start getting a monthly STEM toy or kit. This is for the true STEM enthusiast.
Honorable Mention – For the Luckiest STEM Kids!
Bonus splurge – if you have a STEM GRANT or benefactor and your kids lives to tinker…ahhhh! This is SO cool! Not only do you build your own computer, you navigate through the game every kid of this generation knows – Minecraft! The Piper Computer Kit is the ultimate STEM gift:
Looking for tech gifts? We have a post for that!
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