What is STEM?
STEM education focuses on 4 main areas of learning:
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Math
STEM Toys by Age
Best STEM Toys for Xmas 2015
STEM toys and games are predicted to be a hot trend for Christmas 2015 and with so many new and cool toys being released, you have loads to choose from. Here are our picks of the best gifts for this year:
Best STEM Toys for Toddlers and babies
Toddlers and preschoolers are naturally curious about the world around them and this is a great age to introduce some fun and educational STEM toys to entertain them and aid their development.
It’s never too early to start introducing STEM skills to your kids! Even babies can benefit from some cleverly designed toys that help them to start exploring and understanding the world in a fun child-led way.
STEM Toys for Girls
STEM for girls is a hot topic as there is still a big gender divide when it comes to scientific and technical careers. By the time most girls reach high school, their interest in math, science and technology has decreased dramatically. Get your girls interested in science with these great toys:
STEM Toys for Boys
Many STEM toys are unisex of course but I’ve found that boys seem to be naturally drawn to toys like cars, trains and taking things apart, while girls are more into role and pretend play. These cool toys for boys will appeal to their natural interests while being educational at the same time:
What are STEM toys and why are they important?
While you may be familiar with learning STEM subjects in high school, you probably wouldn’t think about them as being so important for your younger children as learning their ABCs
Reading and writing are important but in a world increasingly reliant on science and technology, it’s important that we foster a love and understanding of these subjects at an early age.
Toys that involve an element of math, logic, problem solving and so on actually help to build stronger mental connections and improve brain power.
Your kids probably already have quite a few toys that would be classed as STEM toys but you might not realize it – plain old lego blocks or any kind of building blocks are used for constructing things (engineering) as are train tracks and marble runs. Or think about the simple stacking toys that most babies have – these toys introduce the very first concepts of math.
STEM toys are not only educational but kids love them! All children learn naturally through play and by encouraging their natural curiosity about the world and creativity (don’t forget about STEAM toys that also incorporate Art) you might just be inspiring a future inventor, computer programmer or engineer!>
Our world is growing more technologically advanced every day and it’s important to prepare our children to learn, have fun and thrive as you raise the next generation of little scientists.