Engaging STEAM Toys for Kids Ages 8-12: Christmas Gift Guide
If you are looking for some STEM Christmas gift ideas this year for small scientists, tiny technology whizzes, little engineers, or mini mathematicians, here are some great picks! These STEM toys are unique and fun gifts for middle aged kids, especially those who enjoy building things, experimenting, learning, and accomplishing goals. Many of these are on sale right now, so it’s a great time to scoop them up in preparation for the holidays.
Magnet Tiles
Magnet tiles are a really fun building toy for kids because the pieces stick together by magnets. This set is nice because the is has rainbow colors and translucent centers. It comes with 100 pieces and is on sale right now!
Klutz Lego Gadgets
Most toys with a Klutz stamp of approval are really good, and this Lego toy is a fun way to build 11 different machines with legos. It includes the Lego bricks, paper pieces, and instruction manual.
Buy Klutz Lego Gadgets STEM Kit Here
You may also like this similar STEM Kit by Lego which includes instructions and materials to build 8 moving machines.
Build your own Solar Robot
If your child is interested in robotics, this is a great starter toy. The projects vary from level 1 to level 2, and you can make 12 different robots. It is a lot more complicated than Legos, so it’s good for kids who are looking for something more intricate and advanced.
Snap Circuits Light Exploration Kit
Snap Circuits kits have won a number of awards including Seriously STEM! award, Purdue University’s Engineering Gift Guide, Toy Insider’s Top Holiday Toys, and the “STEM Approved” Trustmark from STEM.org.
Kids love this fun kit that has many different projects to work on, starting small and increasing in complexity. The pieces are sturdy and the results are satisfying, and your kid will learn a lot about electricity and how things work.
Buy Snap Circuits Light Exploration Kit Here
Snap Circuits also makes a few other STEM kits that are pretty in depth and enjoyable. This one is called the Arcade and allows kids to build over 20 arcade games.
Green Energy kit is a hands-on way to learn about different types of alternative energy – solar, wind, hand-crank, hydro, and geothermal power.
The Motion kit includes projects from basic gears and pulleys to more advanced projects including a motion detector, propellor plane, and air fountain.
Oslo Coding
This is a high quality coding starter kit that includes physical pieces and a program for the iPad or Fire tablet. It teaches kids the basics of coding to prepare them for more advanced coding processes. The children will be engaged having fun and learning using the combination of tangible pieces and the interactive .
nATIONAL gEOGRAPHIC mEGA sCIENCE sERIES
National Geographic has an assortment of fun and reasonably priced kits that are both fun and educational. These three science kits are some of their best, and each kit includes 45 different experiments.
Buy National Geographic Stunning Science Set Here
Gears Gears Gears
Gears! is a really fun way to learn about the mechanisms of moving parts. It’s a tried and true STEM toy that is used in many classrooms and homeschools, has sturdy pieces, and is versatile in that it can be enjoyed by young children but can be built into more complex machines by older children.
Gravity Maze
This is like a cross between a marble run and a logic game. It includes 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles. It will foster spatial reasoning, logic, engineering, and planning skills.
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This music box won’t be used to record any professional records, but it’s a really unique project and a great idea for kids who share a love for both the science and the Arts, as you construct the music box from the pieces and end up with a functioning music box that can play a rough tune.