The Best STEM Toys and Gifts for Kids
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Are you shopping for the best STEM toys and gifts for your kids this holiday season? Here, you’ll find what’s new and recommended for 2024, as well as the best classic STEM gift ideas for kids.
Discover robots, building blocks, science kits, circuitry, math games, and more.
This is the best list of science, technology, engineering, and math toys and gifts curated by a teacher for parents who want double-duty gifts that are both fun and educational. Use the indicated age recommendation to help you in your shopping.
Go here for the entire 2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS.
2024 STEM Toys and Gifts for Kids
From the newest STEM toys for kids to hit the market to the favorite classics, these amazing educational gifts and toys will give children a big value with both fun and learning.
MEGA BLOKS Toddler Blocks Toys Set
ages 1+
This portable activity table includes 28 big building blocks and 1 rolling car.
Design & Drill Robot Workshop
ages 3+
Mix and match 70 pieces to build your own robot. Assemble it with your own drill!
Math Path Monster
ages 6+
Use your arithmetic skills (addition and subtraction) to escape the monster!
MAGNA TILES Builder XL Construction Set
ages 3+
This kit includes a crane, a dump truck, a plow, two truck cabs, 2 figures, and lots of magnetic pieces to build with. How fun is this?
Gravity Drop
ages 8+
Build a marble maze with wooden balls using LEGO Technic elements and chipboard. This kit includes directions for two tower builds and 5 extra projects.
KLUTZ Gemstone & Dig Kit
ages 7+
Use the chisel and hammer to find 12 birthstones and 18 more rocks. This kit includes a 32-page book of information and ideas!
PlayStation 5
Tons of games are available on this popular gaming system! Some of the more popular games on this platform include Miles Morales, Madden 25, NBA 2K25, Ratchet & Clank, and more!
LEGO Duplo Peppa Pig Supermarket
ages 2+
With 4 Peppa Pig figures, kids build a grocery store and can play pretend with the car, shopping cart, freezer, food, and more!
LEGO Friends Heartlake City Community Center
ages 9+
Build this colorful community center to use with the included 6 mini-dolls and accessories like a sewing machine, gaming accessories, and gardening accessories. This will provide hours of building and playing!
LEGO Creator 3 in 1 T Rex
ages 8+
Make three different dinosaurs — a pterodactyl, a triceratops, and a t.rex with the LEGO blocks in this kit!
LEGO DREAMzzz Zoey’s Cat Motorcycle Bike Toy
ages 7+
Build a motorcycle and let your 2 minifigures ride it!
LEGO Baby Bumpy Ankylosaurus Dinosaur
ages 7+
How adorable is this dinosaur model? Use the 358 blocks to build your own Baby Bumpy!
LEGO NASCAR Chevrolet Camaro
ages 9+
Build your own NASCAR next gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race car! Isn’t this cool?
LEGO Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer
ages 10+
Build a brick version of the Imperial Star Destroyer that comes with 7 minifigures. The starship includes a carry handle, 2 shooters, and a lift-off top panel!
LEGO Dragon
ages 10+
Build a dragon model out of 1,171 pieces!
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Switch
ages 10+
The amazing thing about this game is it can be enjoyed by kids, teens, and adults. (Like my college-age daughter and her friends!) Pick any of the iconic characters to play against the other characters!
LEGO Star Wars C-3PO Droid
ages 18+
This is a collector’s item 25th anniversary model with over 75,000 bricks!
LEGO Plum Blossom Flower Decor
ages 18+
How beautiful is this plant? With over 10,000 bricks, experienced builders will love building this flower.
LEGO DUPLO Wild Animals of South America
ages 2+
Build a jungle and play with a crocodile, 2 monkeys, a sloth, baby jaguar, toucan and alpaca, plus trees, rocks waterfall in a 3-dimensional jungle playmat.
Fill & Spill Piñata
ages 1.5+
Build hand strength, coordination, and other fine motor skills as you count candies and put them inside the piñata.
Intro to Tools & Building
ages 3+
Learn how to use a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench, and the basic engineering principles behind how these tools work. This set develops fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills, and reasoning.
Design & Drill Flower Power Studio
ages 3+
How fun is this kid-friendly drill, plates, and bolts? Match the included designs or create your pictures, patterns, and shapes.
Supermoms! by Heather Lang and Jamie Harper, illustrated by Jamie Harper
ages 4 – 8
Did you know animals are moms, too? And they make safe, comfy homes like the groundhogs and red-knobbed hornbill. They’re creative with transportation — just look at a wolf spider mom carrying her spiderlings on her back or an American alligator carrying her hatchlings in her mouth. Fascinating facts about animal supermoms are paired with engaging comic-style illustrations.
Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Barn
ages 3+
Use a kid-safe toy drill to build a farm with crops, fences, and animal friends.
Construction Site Folding Sandbox Playset
ages 3+
Open up the Construction Site to reveal a contained play space! When you’re finished playing, the sandbox easily folds up and fits everything inside for storage or portable play! Wheel the dump truck around the site and use the truck’s 3-brick mold in the back to build brick walls.
Sorting Snacks Mini Fridge
ages 3+
Count, sort, and make patterns with the snacks and activity cards.
Good Eating The Short Life of Krill by Matt Lilley, illustrated by Dan Tavis
ages 4 – 8
Written in the second-person point of view, this picture book speaks directly to you, a baby krill. You grow from an oval, then get eyes and legs, keep growing, and swim constantly– only to be eaten eventually by whales. Engaging writing in a surprisingly delightful and enlightening little story.
Cool Animals Sticker Activity Book by National Geographic Kids
ages 4 – 8
WOW! National Geographic never disappoints. This book is filled with 1,000 stickers of animals, puzzles, games, spelling, patterns, drawing ideas, and much more. Highly recommended.
***If you like this book, check out Ponies & Horses and Dogs.
eeBoo Making Change Game
ages 5+
50 cards, paper money and coins will help kids learn to subtract and make change.
Silly Science Sorting Set
ages 3+
Count, sort, and match the gems in this science activity set that includes tweezers to help increase hand strength and fine motor skills.
The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish: What Magic Lies Beneath? by Chloe Savage
ages 4 – 8
Informative and funny, this picture book belongs on your bookshelves because your readers will love every bit of it. Dr. Morley and her crew search for the elusive Arctic Jellyfish. As they do, they encounter many other arctic creatures, which helps readers learn about those creatures — belugas, narwhals, and orcas. But the crew never sees the Jellyfish. The fun part is that WE SEE THE JELLYFISH! The illustrator shows the jellyfish in scenes where the scientist and her crew are searching. This is a delightful hide-and-seek romp in the Arctic with a playful jellyfish as the special star.
Uncle Milton Moon In My Room
ages 4+
Watch the moon’s lunar phases that you can change with a remote control.
LEGO Mickey Castle
ages 4+
Do you like castles and Disney? Build a medieval castle for Mickey and his friends, including a buildable dragon.
Magna Tiles Forest Animals
ages 3+
Get four forest animals and 25 pieces to build forest settings. Use this set independently or with your other Magna Tile sets.
What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? and Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies by Rachel Ignotofsky
ages 4 – 8
Just wait until you see the gorgeous illustrations throughout this book. I could frame them all! Learn all about moths and butterflies, starting with their differences, their life stages, their metamorphosis, their anatomy, and more interesting information about their diet, mating, and spreading pollen. Kids will love reading about these important insects. Perfect for primary-grade classrooms and homes.
Elmer’s Color Slime Kit
ages 5+
This kit contains all the ingredients you need to make colorful slime– and who doesn’t want to do that?
GeoSafari Ant Factory
ages 5+
Don’t worry–this is escape-proof habitat. Set up the ant factory to learn about habitats, feeding, and behavior. (Please use the ants you can order in the mail — it will be a disaster if you don’t.)
Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers 40+ Things to Invent, Draw, and Make by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts ages
ages 5 – 10
This is an excellent, engaging activity book based on the fantastic STEM Rosie Revere, Engineer picture book. Colorful illustrations and a cool layout will entice readers to try, fail, and learn. Discover more about simple machines, build a marble run, solve engineering challenges, design a stuffed animal carrier for your bike, learn about inventors who failed a lot, and so much more.
Fandex Kids Bugs
ages 8+
The brightly illustrated cards fan out, and each one of the 35 bugs has a uniquely shaped top. Pick one and read the information including what their bite is like and other information from nature.
National Geographic 15 Geodes
ages 8+
Discover your crystal treasures when you crack open the geodes wearing the included goggles.
Educational Insights Circuit Explorer Space Station STEM Toy
ages 6+
Explore electricity & circuits! Build a Deluxe Base Station with towers, a planetarium with color-changing dome light, a communication station with a rotating radar dish, and more. Also includes astronaut and robot figures for pretend play and stickers for customization.
Lego Super Mario Adventures
ages 6+
Kids get a chance to build their own Super Mario Bros. course with this awesome LEGO set with its very own Mario figure!
Minecraft Llama Village
ages 9+
Use the 1252 pieces to make a Llama Village for your Minecraft characters, including a llama herder, llama knight, savannah villager, blacksmith villager, pillager, vindicator, llama, baby llama, and a baby sheep.
Make a Pie!
ages 5+
This eeBoo game introduces kids to fractions with pie and play– and helps reinforce halves, thirds, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths.
Lego Downtown Fire Brigade
ages 6+
Children can act as firemen with this extra fun LEGO set, which comes with a working light, a swivel ladder, a cool helicopter, plus much more!
LeapFrog Magic Adventure Globe
ages 4+
This is an interactive globe. Tap on it with the stylus to learn about places, cultures, languages, animals, and more.
LEGO Friends Forest Camper Van and Sailboat
ages 7+
Get your LEGO Friends mini-dolls outside in nature with 3 dolls, a raccoon toy, a detailed camper van, a sailboat, and more!
3 in 1 Exotic Parrot to Frog to Fish
ages 7+
You get a lot of bang for your buck with these 3 in 1 sets! Build the parrot then rebuild it as a fish or a frog!
Plasma Ball
Learn about electricity, matter, and energy!
Uncle Milton Moon In My Room
ages 6+
Watch the moon’s lunar phases that you can change with a remote control.
Amazing Plants of the World by Stepanka Sekaninova, illustrated by Zuzana Dreadka Kruta
ages 8+
Narrated by an enthusiastic, quirky gardener, read about weird plants that stink, look peculiar, eat meat, mimic other things, and many more such oddities. The illustrations are accompanied by a lively description that gives pertinent facts while engaging readers with the gardener’s strong voice.
Plague Busters! Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases by Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal
Well-written and fascinating, in this nonfiction book, middle grade readers will learn about the deadliest diseases throughout history, from The Black Death to Scurvy. Each disease is explored in a full chapter with stories of people affected, remedy options (which were generally quite awful!), the history of the disease including inventions and innovations in understanding and treatment, and famous deaths from the disease. You’ll read about people like Louis Pasteur, who found a treatment for rabies (a deadly disease from which Edgar Allen Poe died), and John Snow, who figured out how cholera was spread. I loved this book and think your readers will, too. Also, who doesn’t need these facts for trivia night, anyway?
Animal BFFs by Sophie Corrigan
ages 8+
I’ve poured over this book because the writing is engaging, and the information about unusual animals who live together is interesting. I particularly love the funny dialogue bubbles of conversation between animal duos that you haven’t ever heard about — like warthogs and banded mongooses or ruby-throated hummingbirds and spiders– and why they’re paired up.
LEGO Friends Heartlake City Grand Hotel
ages 8+
Build a Parisian-style hotel with 4 mini-dolls and 3 animal figures!
Almanac 2025 National Geographic Kids
ages 8+
The National Geographic Almanac is a must-own resource for families. Practice your nonfiction reading comprehension skills as you learn about animals, space, science, history, geography, and much more. Each page is designed to entertain and educate with stunning layouts and eye-popping photographs.
Shashibo Shape-Shifting Box
ages 8+
Magnetic puzzle box for sensory stimulation, relaxation, and imagination.
Switch Lite
ages 6+
This handheld version of the Nintendo Switch is the perfect gift when it comes to price and size for any kid looking for an awesome game console!
Human Body Learning Lab: Take an Inside Tour of How Your Anatomy Works by Betty Choi, M.D.
ages 8+
Colorful pages with kid-friendly writing, illustrations, diagrams, labels, photos, and more add up to my new favorite book on the human body. Start reading about the body’s cellular building blocks and keep reading about subjects like the circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, the five senses, the reproductive system, and more. Written by pediatrician Dr. Betty Choi, you’ll learn about different systems of the body and then do fun activities to reinforce the knowledge.
Wild Outside Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud illustrations by Andres P. Barr
ages 9+
Les Stroud recounts exciting personal adventure stories of exploration and survival in all sorts of places around the world. Fascinating stories are accompanied by photos, illustrations, maps, and informational insets. I couldn’t put this book down and HIGHLY recommend it.
LEGO Technic Monster Jam Dragon
ages 7+
In this kit, you can build a Dragon monster truck or rebuild it into a Crocodile Buggy race car. Pull it back and watch it speed away!
How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? by Brooke Barker
You’ll love this graphic engaging and informative book about scientists who specialize in specific areas of study — including meerkats studied by Dr. Marta Manser and also Japanese macaques and bonobos studied by Dr. Cecile Sarabian, and lizards studied by Dr. Earyn McGee. The book is illustrated in comics with dialogue bubbles and handwritten text. It’s amazingly dense with factual information but remains easy to read, interesting, and appealing to the eye.
The Deep! Wild Life at the Ocean’s Darkest Depths by Lindsey Leigh
ages 8 – 12
What an engaging dive into the ocean! Read about the ocean layers and the cool creatures who live in each ocean zone. The unique handwritten font instead of a traditional font gives the feeling of waves and playfulness. Cartoon illustrations show interesting creatures like the barreleye fish, the prambug, the hagfish, and the tripod fish. And the dialogue bubbles of conversational creatures only add to the genius of this eye-catching book. I predict this will be very popular with middle grade readers!
Snap Circuits Mechanical Coding Robot
ages 10+
Learn to code a robot that can lift, throw, kick, draw, and more by snapping the coding buttons onto the coding wheel!
LEGO Speed Champions Porsche
ages 9+
Build a replica Porsche car! With a low hood, cockpit, rear wing and fin, this will be a cool car to build.
Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Razor Crest
ages 10+
Any kid who’s into Star Wars will be full of excitement when they get a chance to step into the role of The Mandalorian and build their very own action-packed spaceship!
Solar Powered Mars Rover
ages 12+
Put the components together to make a solar powered Mars rover and Moon buggy.
More Favorite STEM Toys and Gifts for Kids
Classic STEM gifts like these continue to impress parents and kids alike with their educational value and high-interest, fun factor!
First Robot Engineer Kit and Storybook
ages 3+
As you follow the 32-page illustrated storybook manual, you can build models of the ten robots featured in the story. Large, colorful plastic building pieces make it easy for small hands to put the models together.
Design & Drill Bolt Buddies
ages 3+
Build your own airplane with your drill– complete with a spinning propeller.
Q-Bitz Jr
Ages 3+
With this math-focused STEM game, kids use the cubes to match the patterns on the cards and develop visual-spatial skills, pattern identification, problem-solving, and hand-eye coordination.
Super Sorting Pie
ages 3+
Even though it’s meant for young learners, my kids played with this toy until they were late elementary school! It’s great for math concepts like patterns, sorting, and numbers, and makes for lots of fun if you open up a pretend restaurant, too.
GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope
ages 4+
Investigate things close up with a talking microscope that teaches children using 60 different images and several different modes.
Hape Super Spiral Quadrilla
ages 4+
Build marble runs with a cool building block set that gives kids the opportunity to engineer and play for hours on end.
Brain Flakes Interlocking Plastic Disc Set
ages 5+
Create interesting designs with over 500 interlocking discs!
Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards
ages 3+
These pattern boards are a perfect way for any child to learn problem-solving and color recognition while having a lot of fun playing a hands-on, creative game!
BRIO Builder STEM Set
ages 3+
Get your young engineer building with 136 building pieces including nuts, bolts, a hammer, a screwdriver and more.
Magformers Vehicle Wow Set
ages 3+
Play around with these awesome magnetic shapes to form any number of unique vehicle patterns for this miniature carnival boy to ride around in!
Mini Motor Math Activity Set
ages 4+
Count, add, subtract, pattern, and more using mini rubber cars and numbered tracks. Not only does this hands-on game practice math skills, but it also reinforces fine motor movements and hand-eye coordination.
Educational Insights Design and Drill Space Circuits
ages 5+
We highly recommend this STEM gift for kids. (Even my husband loves this toy! And he’s well above the recommended age range.) Mini engineers get to complete 20 space-themed missions by creating circuits. With over 50 pieces, kids learn engineering and problem-solving skills as they learn to light, spin simple motors, add momentary buttons and switches, and more.
Pigeon Math by Asia Citro, illustrated by Richard Watson
ages 4+
Hilarious! Addition and subtraction never felt so fun!! An increasingly exasperated narrator TRYING to tell the story about ten pigeons can’t quite do it because the birds come and go, plus there’s a cat, and well, it makes for some great silliness and inviting math opportunities. Use the pictures to help answer the math equations. Visual support, goofy humor, and plenty of kid-appeal make this a 100% must-own, must-read STEM picture book.
LEGO Disney Princess Elsa’s Magical Ice Palace
ages 6+
Just in time for the 2nd movie! Frozen fans can build Elsa’s ice palace with a revolving staircase and sliding bridge. This kit comes with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Marshmallow, and 4 Swogie minifigures.
Except Antarctica! by Todd Sturgell
ages 4+
A stoic narrator shares information about turtles until…the turtle, who doesn’t live in Antarctica, sets off for Antarctica, making the narrator very irked. Soon, the turtle is joined by other animals who are also NOT found in Antarctica. Hilarity ensues with an increasingly exasperated narrator who does not want any traveling companions, including a dung beetle, owl, snake, bee, mouse, and frog. Several pages of back matter explain more information about each animal and the continent of Antarctica.
OSMO Genius Starter Kit
ages 6+
Use with an iPad and solve puzzles, learn and practice math skills, practice geography, learn to draw, read, spell, and more!
Ooze Labs Chemistry Station Science Experiment Kit
ages 6+
This educational chemistry set is perfect for children who love doing their own experiments and want to create something colorful, slimy, or fizzy in their very own lab!
Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Police Motorcycle
ages 3+
Use a real drill to build a police motorcycle and sidecar. Then play with your police dog and police person. Great for fine motor skills and imaginative play.
Mars: Earthlings Welcome by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
ages 4+
Mars is a planet with a big personality. In first-person narration, Mars shares all its many features that are much better than Earth. Like two moons and 37 more minutes in a day! It’s funny, entertaining, and very informative.
LEGO Brick Box
ages 4+
This is a must-own STEM gift for all kids. You’ll get 790 pieces of LEGOS from which you can build and create using your own imagination.
Gears, Gears, Gears Robot Factory
Ages 4 – 7
My kids and their friends love this gears kit SO MUCH. Parents, you’ll love to see how the gears inspire creativity through building and engineering. See my full review here. This is one of my favorite STEM toys to give kids!
Hape’s Stacking Music Set
Ages 4 – 15
Sing along with this musical marble run! It includes xylophone keys built into different pieces so you can make music as the marbles roll down the raceways.
Maker Lab: 28 Super Cool Projects: Build Invent Create Discover by Jack Challoner
ages 6+
This STEM book stands out from the crowd because it’s so beautifully designed and written. Yes, we’ve seen lemon batteries in a ton of other books, but I really like the way this book presents the information so that a kid could pick up the book and do the experiment themselves as well as learn the science behind the project. A great choice.
Clumsy Thief
ages 8+
We play this fun and funny math game all the time. Add this STEM game to your family game night for giggles and math practice. You won’t regret it!
Dr. Eureka!
ages 8+
My kids love this STEM game so much. Try to solve the formula on each challenge card using your 3 test tubes using the 6 colored balls. But, don’t touch the balls with your hands or you’ll be out! The first one done wins the card; the first person to get five cards wins. Read my full review here.
Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run
ages 8+
Power marbles with gravity in this hands-on educational and science STEM set with 24 problem-solving building exercises.
Lego Chain Reactions Science & Building Kit
ages 8+
Build up to 10 different awesome moving machines with this awesome STEM kit that comes with over 30 separate LEGO elements to create and design with!
Gravity Maze
ages 8+
Get your kids hooked on an engaging game requiring problem-solving, thinking, and visual-spatial strategy! The goal of the 1-player Gravity Maze game is to figure out how to build a working marble run using the colored translucent plastic towers. We love and highly recommend this game!
LEGO Flower Bouquet
ages 18+
My daughter got this for her birthday, and it looks so cool in real life! It’s a great gift for teens!
One by Wacom Digital Drawing Tablet
The original Wacom tablets cost $500+ so this is a more affordable option at $60 for kids who want to get started with digital art. Plug into your computer and start drawing!
Audio Gaming Chair
We first saw these chairs at our neighbor’s house– they are pretty cool, right? Listen to music, watch TV, read, play video games, or just relax. It’s got 4 speakers plus wireless receivers and transmitters and is compatible with most gaming devices.
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So many great ideas! I’m getting a head start on my Christmas shopping for my nieces and nephews!
I bet they love their Auntie Jill!
We never knew that there was something like an Audio Gaming Chair. Thanks for letting us know.